Kennedy’s NEXUS for Families Act Passes U.S. House of Representatives

Legislation Would Allow Families to Apply and Interview Together, Reducing Unnecessary Barriers to Cross-Border Travel WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. House of Representatives passed Congressman Tim Kennedy’s NEXUS for Families Act, H.R. 9382 , legislation that would make it easier for families to enroll in and renew their NEXUS memberships. The bipartisan bill requires U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to link NEXUS applications for members of the same family, allowing them to apply and interview together. It would also give CBP the ability to waive in-person interviews for children under 14 when appropriate. “I am proud to lead the NEXUS for Families Act, legislation that modernizes and improves the process and ensures it actually works for families,” said Congressman Kennedy . “By allowing families to apply together and conduct joint interviews, this bill makes the travel process simpler for parents, children, and spouses.” For families in Western New York, where travel across the U.S.-Canada border is part of everyday life, the current NEXUS process can create unnecessary hurdles. Each family member must submit a separate application, and parents often have to schedule separate interviews for their children, requiring multiple, inconvenient trips to enrollment centers. This results in delays that prevent families from traveling together through NEXUS lanes, adding unnecessary time and bureaucracy to cross-border trips. NEXUS was created jointly by the United States and Canada in 2000 to provide pre-approved, vetted travelers with expedited processing at the northern border. Today, more than two million people are enrolled in NEXUS, and nearly 328,000 people cross the northern border every day, supporting local economies and strengthening the ties between America and Canada. By allowing families to manage their NEXUS applications and interviews together while preserving the program’s security and vetting requirements, the NEXUS for Families Act cuts through unnecessary red tape and makes cross-border travel more efficient for Western New York families. This legislation will now be considered by the U.S. Senate. Congressman Kennedy's floor remarks can be viewed here . ###