§ 4332 — Joint Import Safety Rapid Response Plan

(a) Not later than December 31, 2016, the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the interagency Import Safety Working Group established under section 4331 of this title, shall develop a plan (to be known as the “joint import safety rapid response plan”) that sets forth protocols and defines practices for U.S. Customs and Border Protection to use— (1) in taking action in response to, and coordinating Federal responses to, an incident in which cargo destined for or merchandise entering the United States has been identified as posing a threat to the health or safety of consumers in the United States; and (2) in recovering from or mitigating the effects of actions and responses to an incident described in paragraph (1). (b) The joint import safety rapid response plan shall address— (1) the statutory and regulatory authorities and responsibilities of U.S. Customs and Border Protection and other Federal agencies in responding to an incident described in subsection (a)(1); (2) the protocols and practices to be used by U.S. Customs and Border Protection when taking action in response to, and coordinating Federal responses to, such an incident; (3) the measures to be taken by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and other Federal agencies in recovering from or mitigating the effects of actions taken in response to such an incident after the incident to ensure the resumption of the entry of merchandise into the United States; and (4) exercises that U.S. Customs and Border Protection may conduct in conjunction with Federal, State, and local agencies, and private sector entities, to simulate responses to such an incident. (c) The Secretary of Homeland Security shall review and update the joint import safety rapid response plan, as appropriate, after conducting exercises under subsection (d). (1) The Secretary of Homeland Security and the Commissioner shall periodically engage in the exercises referred to in subsection (b)(4), in conjunction with Federal, State, and local agencies and private sector entities, as appropriate, to test and evaluate the protocols and practices identified in the joint import safety rapid response plan at United States ports of entry. (2) In conducting exercises under paragraph (1), the Secretary and the Commissioner shall— (A) make allowance for the resources, needs, and constraints of United States ports of entry of different sizes in representative geographic locations across the United States; (B) base evaluations on current risk assessments of merchandise entering the United States at representative United States ports of entry located across the United States; (C) ensure that such exercises are conducted in a manner consistent with the National Incident Management System, the National Response Plan, the National Infrastructure Protection Plan, the National Preparedness Guidelines, the Maritime Transportation System Security Plan, and other such national initiatives of the Department of Homeland Security, as appropriate; and (D) develop metrics with respect to the resumption of the entry of merchandise into the United States after an incident described in subsection (a)(1). (3) The Secretary and the Commissioner shall ensure that the testing and evaluation carried out in conducting exercises under paragraph (1)— (A) are performed using clear and objective performance measures; and (B) result in the identification of specific recommendations or best practices for responding to an incident described in subsection (a)(1). (4) The Secretary and the Commissioner shall— (A) share the recommendations or best practices identified under paragraph (3)(B) among the members of the interagency Import Safety Working Group established under section 4331 of this title and with, as appropriate— (i) State, local, and tribal governments; (ii) foreign governments; and (iii) private sector entities; and (B) use such recommendations and best practices to update the joint import safety rapid response plan.