Continued modernization of the Automated Commercial Environment

(a) In general In order to advance the national economic security, trade enforcement, and trade facilitation missions of U.S. Customs and Border Protection and partner government agencies of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall provide for the continuous modernization of the Automated Commercial Environment or a successor system. (b) Requirements (1) Development priorities The Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, in consultation with the Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Committee (established under section 109 of the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015 (19 U.S.C. 4316)), the Trade Support Network, and any other member of the trade community the Commissioner considers appropriate, shall determine the development priorities for the Automated Commercial Environment, or a successor system. (2) Collaboration with partner government agencies and industry (A) In general The Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection shall collaborate with partner government agencies, the Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Committee, the Trade Support Network, and any other member of the trade community the Commissioner considers appropriate, to ensure that any enhancement to the Automated Commercial Environment, or a successor system, is effectively delivered to Federal agencies and to the trade community. (B) Meetings (i) In general Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and as frequently as the Commissioner considers appropriate thereafter, but not less frequently than every 30 days, the Commissioner shall convene meetings to solicit feedback on enhancements to the Automated Commercial Environment, or a successor system. (ii) Attendees For each meeting convened under clause (i), the Commissioner shall invite— (I) any representative from a partner government agency or member of the trade community who has a stake in the system feature being discussed at the meeting; (II) any contractor or technical expert that the Commissioner considers appropriate; and (III) any other stakeholder the Commissioner considers appropriate. (iii) Tasks For each meeting convened under clause (i), the Commissioner shall— (I) solicit feedback on any enhancement to the Automated Commercial Environment, or a successor system, that is planned, in development, or newly implemented and is addressed at the meeting; (II) conduct user testing or research with respect to any enhancement to the Automated Commercial Environment that is planned, in development, or newly implemented; (III) maintain a summary of the feedback received with respect to each such enhancement; and (IV) incorporate, to the extent practicable and as aligned with the development priorities determined under paragraph (1), the results of any testing or research conducted under subclause (II) into the development of any such enhancement. (3) Management of communication The Commissioner shall establish, through the use of a ticketing system or such other means as the Commissioner considers appropriate, a mechanism to manage communication relating to the Automated Commercial Environment, or a successor system, under which users of the Automated Commercial Environment, or such successor system, may report feedback, including with respect to bugs or any other issue, and the appropriate contractor or agency may review and respond to such feedback. (c) Report Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Commissioner shall submit to Congress and make available to the public a report that describes the development progress of the Automated Commercial Environment, or any successor system.