Royal Hong Kong Police Anticrime Strategy Act of 1997

Summary: Royal Hong Kong Police Anticrime Strategy Act of 1997 - Directs the Attorney General and the Secretary of the Treasury to study and report to specified congressional committees regarding the potential recruitment, hiring, or retention of qualified former officers of the Royal Hong Kong Police by Federal law enforcement agencies to assist in the prevention, detection, investigation, or prosecution of Federal criminal offenses. 
Authorizes appropriations for:  (1) FY 1998 for conducting such study; and (2) FY 1998 through 2001 for the recruitment, hiring, or retention of up to 100 of such officers for each of the Departments of Justice and the Treasury if the Attorney General and the Secretary of the Treasury each certify that it would be of significant assistance to Federal law enforcement.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Royal Hong Kong Police Anticrime 
Strategy Act of 1997''.

SEC. 2. ROYAL HONG KONG POLICE ANTICRIME STRATEGY.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section--
            (1) the term ``Attorney General'' means the Attorney 
        General of the United States;
            (2) the term ``controlled substance'' has the same meaning 
        as in section 102 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 
        802);
            (3) the term ``Federal law enforcement agency'' includes--
                    (A) the Drug Enforcement Administration of the 
                Department of Justice;
                    (B) the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the 
                Department of Justice;
                    (C) the Immigration and Naturalization Service of 
                the Department of Justice;
                    (D) the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms of 
                the Department of the Treasury; and
                    (E) the United States Customs Service of the 
                Department of the Treasury;
                    (F) the United States Secret Service of the 
                Department of the Treasury; and
                    (G) any other department or agency of the Federal 
                Government that is authorized to engage in or supervise 
                the prevention, detection, investigation, or 
                prosecution of any violation of Federal law;
            (4) the term ``qualified former officer of the Royal Hong 
        Kong Police'' means any individual employed by the Royal Hong 
        Kong Police on or before June 30, 1997, who--
                    (A) during that period of employment, was 
                authorized to engage in or supervise the prevention, 
                detection, investigation, or prosecution of criminal 
                law;
                    (B) in the determination of the Attorney General 
                and the Secretary of the Treasury, does not constitute 
                a law enforcement, national security, or other threat 
                to the interest of the United States; and
                    (C) meets such other requirements as the Attorney 
                General and the Secretary of the Treasury may 
                establish.
    (b) Study and Report.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the Attorney General and the Secretary 
        of the Treasury shall--
                    (A) conduct a study regarding the potential 
                recruitment, hiring, or retention of qualified former 
                officers of the Royal Hong Kong Police by Federal law 
                enforcement agencies to assist those agencies in the 
                prevention, detection, investigation, or prosecution of 
Federal criminal offenses; and
                    (B) submit to the Committees on the Judiciary of 
                the Senate and the House of Representatives a report 
                describing the results of the study under subparagraph 
                (A).
            (2) Consultation.--The Attorney General and the Secretary 
        of the Treasury--
                    (A) shall consult with the Director of the Office 
                of National Drug Control Policy of the Executive Office 
                of the President in conducting the study under 
                paragraph (1)(A); and
                    (B) shall include any recommendations of the 
                Director in the report submitted under paragraph 
                (1)(B).
            (3) Contents of report.--To the maximum extent practicable, 
        in addition to such information as may be included at the 
        discretion of the Attorney General and the Secretary of the 
        Treasury, the report under paragraph (1)(B) shall include an 
        analysis of--
                    (A) the potential benefits of recruiting, hiring, 
                or retaining qualified former officers of the Royal 
                Hong Kong Police by Federal law enforcement agencies to 
                assist or otherwise support those agencies the 
                prevention, detection, investigation, or prosecution of 
                Federal criminal offenses, including--
                            (i) illegal international and domestic 
                        trafficking of controlled substances, including 
                        any violation of section 401(b)(1)(A) of the 
                        Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 
                        841(b)(1)(A));
                            (ii) illegal immigration, including the 
                        smuggling of illegal immigrants;
                            (iii) illegal international arms 
                        trafficking; and
                            (iv) any violation of section 1956 of title 
                        18, United States Code;
                    (B) any special knowledge or capabilities that 
                qualified former officers of the Royal Hong Kong Police 
                would potentially provide to Federal law enforcement 
                agencies, such as translation or linguistic support, 
                including an assessment of the extent to which such 
                knowledge and capabilities are available domestically;
                    (C) any legal or administrative barriers that may 
                prevent the recruitment, hiring, or retention of 
                qualified former officers of the Royal Hong Kong Police 
                by Federal law enforcement agencies and, if necessary, 
                recommendations for legislation to address those 
                barriers; and
                    (D) any potential security issues that would be 
                raised by the hiring of qualified former officers of 
                the Royal Hong Kong Police by Federal law enforcement 
                agencies and, if necessary, the potential for 
                minimizing any security risks through deployment in 
                support or other capacities.
    (c) Certification.--Not later than 30 days after the date on which 
the report is submitted under subsection (b)(1)(B)--
            (1) if the Attorney General determines, based on the 
        results included in that report, that the recruitment, hiring, 
        or retention of qualified former officers of the Royal Hong 
        Kong Police would be of significant assistance to Federal law 
        enforcement, the Attorney General shall so certify to Congress; 
        and
            (2) if the Secretary of the Treasury determines, based on 
        the results included in that report, that the recruitment, 
        hiring, or retention of qualified former officers of the Royal 
        Hong Kong Police would be of significant assistance to Federal 
        law enforcement, the Secretary of the Treasury shall so certify 
        to Congress.
    (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--
            (1) Fiscal year 1998.--There are authorized to be 
        appropriated for fiscal year 1998 such sums as may be necessary 
        to carry out subsection (b)(1).
            (2) Succeeding fiscal years.--If--
                    (A) the Attorney General makes a certification 
                under subsection (c)(1), there are authorized to be 
                appropriated such sums as may be necessary for each of 
                the fiscal years 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2001 for the 
                purposes of recruiting, hiring, or retaining not more 
                than 100 qualified former officers of the Royal Hong 
                Kong Police to support the activities of the Department 
                of Justice; and
                    (B) the Secretary of the Treasury makes a 
                certification under subsection (c)(2), there are 
                authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be 
                necessary for each of the fiscal years 1998, 1999, 
                2000, and 2001 for the purposes of recruiting, hiring, 
                or retaining not more than 100 qualified former 
                officers of the Royal Hong Kong Police to support the 
                activities of the Department of the Treasury.