(a) In general

The Secretary of Health and Human Services (referred to in this section as the “Secretary”), acting through the Commissioner of Food and Drugs, shall coordinate with the Secretary of Homeland Security to carry out activities related to customs and border protection and in response to illegal controlled substances and drug imports, including at sites of import (such as international mail facilities), that will provide improvements to such facilities, technologies, and inspection capacity. Such Secretaries may carry out such activities through a memorandum of understanding between the Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

(b) FDA import facilities and inspection capacity

(1) In general

In carrying out this section, the Secretary shall, in collaboration with the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Postmaster General of the United States Postal Service, provide that import facilities in which the Food and Drug Administration operates or carries out activities related to drug imports within the international mail facilities include—

(A) facility upgrades and improved capacity in order to increase and improve inspection and detection capabilities, which may include, as the Secretary determines appropriate—

(i) improvements to facilities, such as upgrades or renovations, and support for the maintenance of existing import facilities and sites to improve coordination between Federal agencies;

(ii) improvements in equipment and information technology enhancement to identify unapproved, counterfeit, or other unlawful controlled substances for destruction;

(iii) the construction of, or upgrades to, laboratory capacity for purposes of detection and testing of imported goods;

(iv) upgrades to the security of import facilities; and

(v) innovative technology and equipment to facilitate improved and near-real-time information sharing between the Food and Drug Administration, the Department of Homeland Security, and the United States Postal Service; and

(B) innovative technology, including controlled substance detection and testing equipment and other applicable technology, in order to collaborate with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection to share near-real-time information, including information about test results, as appropriate.

(2) Innovative technology

Any technology used in accordance with paragraph (1)(B) shall be interoperable with technology used by other relevant Federal agencies, including the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, as the Secretary determines appropriate and practicable.

(c) Report

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Not later than 6 months after October 24, 2018, the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Postmaster General of the United States Postal Service, shall report to the Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate on the implementation of this section, including a summary of progress made toward near-real-time information sharing and the interoperability of such technologies.