Secure Miles with All Resources and Technology Act
This bill amends the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 to direct the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to deploy the most practical and effective technology available (such as radar, tunnel detection technology, unmanned aerial vehicles, and sensors) to achieve situational awareness and operational control along the U.S. border.
DHS shall submit to Congress a comprehensive southern border strategy, which shall include: (1) a list of known physical barriers, technologies, tools, and other devices to achieve situational awareness and operational control of the border and their related cost estimates; and (2) information from federal, state, local, and private sources.
DHS shall begin eradicating the carrizo cane plant and salt cedar along the Rio Grande River.
The Homeland Security Act of 2002 is amended to establish Operation Stonegarden in DHS to provide border security grants to law enforcement agencies: (1) in a state bordering Canada or Mexico or a maritime border state or territory, and (2) involved in an ongoing U.S. Customs and Border Protection operation coordinated through a sector office.
DHS shall establish a two-year grant program to improve emergency communications in the southern border region for individuals who: (1) reside or work in a southern border state, and (2) are at greater risk of violence due to border proximity and a lack of residential or business cellular and LTE network service. Such grants may be used to purchase satellite telephone communications systems and services that provide access to 9-1-1 service and that are equipped with Global Positioning System receivers.
[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3479 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
115th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3479
To improve border security, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 27, 2017
Mr. Hurd (for himself, Mr. Cuellar, Mr. Valadao, Mr. Knight, Mr.
Pearce, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Mr. Rothfus, Mr. Gonzalez of Texas, and Mr.
Katko) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Homeland Security, and in addition to the Committee on
Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall
within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To improve border security, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Secure Miles with All Resources and
Technology Act''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Commissioner.--The term ``Commissioner'' means the
Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
(2) High traffic areas.--The term ``high traffic areas''
has the meaning given the term in section 102(e)(1) of the
Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of
1996, as amended by section 102 of this Act.
(3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Homeland Security.
(4) Situational awareness.--The term ``situational
awareness'' has the meaning given the term in section
1092(a)(7) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal
Year 2017 (Public Law 114-328).
TITLE I--INFRASTRUCTURE AND EQUIPMENT
SEC. 101. STRENGTHENING THE REQUIREMENTS FOR BORDER SECURITY TECHNOLOGY
ALONG THE SOUTHERN BORDER.
Section 102 of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant
Responsibility Act of 1996 (Division C of Public Law 104-208; 8 U.S.C.
1103 note) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)--
(A) by inserting ``and border technology'' before
``in the vicinity of''; and
(B) by striking ``illegal crossings in areas of
high illegal entry into the United Sates'' and
inserting ``, impede, and detect illegal activity in
high traffic areas'';
(2) in subsection (c)(1), by inserting ``and, pursuant to
subsection (d), the installation, operation, and maintenance of
technology'' after ``barriers and roads''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following new subsections:
``(d) Installation, Operation, and Maintenance of Technology.--
``(1) In general.--Not later than January 20, 2021, the
Secretary of Homeland Security, in carrying out subsection (a),
shall deploy the most practical and effective technology
available along the United States border for achieving
situational awareness and operational control of the border.
``(2) Technology defined.--In this subparagraph, the term
`technology' includes border surveillance and detection
technology, including--
``(A) radar surveillance systems;
``(B) Vehicle and Dismount Exploitation Radars
(VADER);
``(C) 3-dimensional, seismic acoustic detection and
ranging border tunneling detection technology;
``(D) sensors;
``(E) unmanned cameras;
``(F) man-portable and mobile vehicle-mounted
unmanned aerial vehicles; and
``(G) any other devices, tools, or systems found to
be more effective or advanced than those specified in
subparagraphs (A) through (F).
``(e) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) High traffic areas.--The term `high traffic areas'
means sectors along the northern, southern, or coastal border
that--
``(A) are within the responsibility of U.S. Customs
and Border Protection; and
``(B) have significant unlawful cross-border
activity.
``(2) Situational awareness defined.--The term `situational
awareness' has the meaning given the term in section 1092(a)(7)
of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017
(Public Law 114-328).''.
SEC. 102. COMPREHENSIVE SOUTHERN BORDER STRATEGY.
(a) Comprehensive Strategy.--
(1) Requirement.--Not later than 12 months after the date
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the
Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives
and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
of the Senate a comprehensive Southern border strategy.
(2) Contents.--The strategy submitted under paragraph (1)
shall include--
(A) a list of known physical barriers,
technologies, tools, and other devices that can be used
to achieve and maintain situational awareness and
operational control (as such term is defined in section
2(b) of the Secure Fence Act of 2006 (8 U.S.C. 1701
note; Public Law 109-367)) along the southern border;
(B) a projected per mile cost estimate for each
physical barrier, technology, tool, and other device
included on the list required under paragraph (1);
(C) a detailed account of which type of physical
barrier, technology, tool, or other device the
Department believes is necessary to achieve and
maintain situational awareness and operational control
for each liner mile of the southern border;
(D) an explanation for why such physical barrier,
technology, tool, or other device was chosen to achieve
and maintain situational awareness and operational
control for each linear mile of the southern border,
including--
(i) the methodology used to determine which
type of physical barrier, technology, tool, or
other device was chosen for such linear mile;
(ii) an examination of existing manmade and
natural barriers for each linear mile of the
southern border; and
(iii) the information collected and
evaluated from--
(I) the appropriate U.S. Customs
and Border Protection Sector Chief;
(II) the Joint Task Force
Commander;
(III) the appropriate State
Governor;
(IV) local law enforcement
officials;
(V) private property owners; and
(VI) other affected stakeholders;
(E) a per mile cost calculation for each linear
mile of the southern border given the type of physical
barrier, technology, tool, or other device chosen to
achieve and maintain operational control for each
linear mile; and
(F) a cost justification for each time a more
expensive physical barrier, technology, tool, or other
device is chosen over a less expensive option, as
established by the per mile cost estimates required in
subparagraph (B).
SEC. 103. ERADICATION OF CARRIZO CANE AND SALT CEDAR.
Not later than January 20, 2019, the Secretary, after coordinating
with the heads of relevant Federal, State, and local agencies, shall
begin eradicating the carrizo cane plant and any salt cedar along the
Rio Grande River.
TITLE II--GRANTS
SEC. 201. OPERATION STONEGARDEN.
(a) In General.--Subtitle A of title XX of the Homeland Security
Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the
following new section:
``SEC. 2009. OPERATION STONEGARDEN.
``(a) Establishment.--There is established in the Department a
program, which shall be known as `Operation Stonegarden', under which
the Secretary, acting through the Administrator, shall make grants to
eligible law enforcement agencies, through the State administrative
agency, to enhance border security in accordance with this section.
``(b) Eligible Recipients.--To be eligible to receive a grant under
this section, a law enforcement agency--
``(1) shall be located in--
``(A) a State bordering Canada or Mexico; or
``(B) a State or territory with a maritime border;
and
``(2) shall be involved in an active, ongoing, U.S. Customs
and Border Protection operation coordinated through a sector
office.
``(c) Permitted Uses.--The recipient of a grant under this section
may use such grant for--
``(1) equipment, including maintenance and sustainment
costs;
``(2) personnel, including overtime and backfill, in
support of enhanced border law enforcement activities;
``(3) any activity permitted for Operation Stonegarden
under the Department of Homeland Security's Fiscal Year 2017
Homeland Security Grant Program Notice of Funding Opportunity;
and
``(4) any other appropriate activity, as determined by the
Administrator, in consultation with the Commissioner of U.S.
Customs and Border Protection.
``(d) Period of Performance.--The Secretary shall award grants
under this section to grant recipients for a period of not less than 36
months.
``(e) Report.--For each of the fiscal years 2018 through 2022, the
Administrator shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Homeland
Security of the House of Representatives a report that contains
information on the expenditure of grants made under this section by
each grant recipient.
``(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated $110,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2018 through 2022
for grants under this section.''.
(b) Conforming Amendment.--Subsection (a) of section 2002 of the
Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 603) is amended to read as
follows:
``(a) Grants Authorized.--The Secretary, through the Administrator,
may award grants under sections 2003, 2004, and 2009 to State, local,
and tribal governments, as appropriate.''.
(c) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents in section 1(b) of
the Homeland Security Act of 2002 is amended by inserting after the
item relating to section 2008 the following new item:
``Sec. 2009. Operation Stonegarden.''.
SEC. 202. SOUTHERN BORDER REGION EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS GRANT.
(a) In General.--The Secretary, in consultation with the Governors
of the States located on the southern border, shall establish a two-
year grant program to improve emergency communications in the southern
border region.
(b) Eligibility for Grants.--An individual is eligible for a grant
under this section if the individual demonstrates that the individual--
(1) regularly resides or works in a State on the southern
border; and
(2) is at greater risk of border violence due to a lack of
cellular and LTE network service at the individual's residence
or business and the individual's proximity to the southern
border.
(c) Use of Grants.--Grants awarded under this section may be used
to purchase satellite telephone communications systems and services
that--
(1) can provide access to 9-1-1 service; and
(2) are equipped with receivers for the Global Positioning
System.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the Committee on Homeland Security, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Homeland Security, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security.
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