DHS Illicit Cross-Border Tunnel Defense Act

DHS Illicit Cross-Border Tunnel Defense Act

This bill directs U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to annually report to Congress on its operations to identify and remediate illicit cross-border tunnels. CBP shall also develop and report to Congress a strategic plan to improve such operations.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5828 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5828

 To support remediation of illicit cross-border tunnels, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 10, 2020

   Mrs. Lesko (for herself, Ms. Torres Small of New Mexico, and Mrs. 
  Hartzler) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Homeland Security

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To support remediation of illicit cross-border tunnels, 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 ``DHS Illicit Cross-Border Tunnel 
Defense Act''.

SEC. 2. COUNTER ILLICIT CROSS-BORDER TUNNEL OPERATIONS.

    (a) Report on Operations.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than one year after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act and annually thereafter, the 
        Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection 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 report on operations 
        carried out to identify, breach, assess, and remediate illicit 
        cross-border tunnels, including performance measures.
            (2) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized 
        to be appropriated $1,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 and 
        2022 to carry out remediation operations described in paragraph 
        (1).
    (b) Counter Illicit Cross-Border Tunnel Operations Strategic 
Plan.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and 
        Border Protection shall develop a strategic plan to address the 
        following:
                    (A) Risk-based criteria to be used to prioritize 
                the identification, breach, assessment, and remediation 
                of illicit cross-border tunnels.
                    (B) Promote the use of innovative technologies to 
                identify, breach, assess, and remediate illicit cross-
                border tunnels in a manner that, among other 
                considerations, reduces the impact of such activities 
                on surrounding communities.
                    (C) Processes to share relevant illicit cross-
                border tunnel location, operations, and technical 
                information.
                    (D) Indicators of specific types of illicit cross-
                border tunnels found in each U.S. Border Patrol sector 
                identified through operations to be periodically 
                disseminated to U.S. Border Patrol sector chiefs to 
                educate field personnel.
                    (E) A counter illicit cross-border tunnel 
                operations resource needs assessment that includes 
                consideration of the following:
                            (i) Technology needs.
                            (ii) Staffing needs, including the 
                        following:
                                    (I) A position description for 
                                counter illicit cross-border tunnel 
                                operations personnel.
                                    (II) Any specialized skills 
                                required of such personnel.
                                    (III) The number of such full time 
                                personnel, disaggregated by U.S. Border 
                                Patrol sector.
            (2) Report to congress on strategic plan.--Not later than 
        one year after the issuance of the strategic plan required 
        under paragraph (1), the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and 
        Border Protection 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 
        report on the implementation of paragraph (1).
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