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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9667 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 9667

 To require the Secretary of Homeland Security to enhance capabilities 
  for outbound inspections at the southern land border, and for other 
                               purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 18, 2024

Ms. Spanberger (for herself and Mr. Crenshaw) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Homeland Security, and in 
addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, and Ways and Means, 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 require the Secretary of Homeland Security to enhance capabilities 
  for outbound inspections at the southern land border, 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 ``Enhancing Southbound Inspections to 
Combat Cartels Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term 
        ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
                    (A) the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate;
                    (B) the Committee on Homeland Security and 
                Governmental Affairs of the Senate;
                    (C) the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate;
                    (D) the Committee on Appropriations of the House of 
                Representatives;
                    (E) the Committee on Homeland Security of the House 
                of Representatives; and
                    (F) the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of 
                Representatives.
            (2) Southern border.--The term ``Southern Border'' means 
        the international land border between the United States and 
        Mexico.

SEC. 3. ADDITIONAL U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION PERSONNEL FOR 
              SOUTHBOUND INSPECTIONS.

    (a) CBP Officers.--The Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border 
Protection shall hire, train, and assign not fewer than 500 new 
officers to assist with inspections of pedestrians, cars, trucks, and 
other modes of transportation traveling from the United States to 
Mexico.
    (b) Support Staff.--The Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border 
Protection is authorized to hire, train, and assign such additional 
support staff as may be necessary to support the functions carried out 
by the officers hired pursuant to subsection (a).

SEC. 4. ADDITIONAL INSPECTION EQUIPMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE.

    (a) Imaging Systems.--The Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border 
Protection is authorized--
            (1) to purchase up to 50 additional non-intrusive imaging 
        systems; and
            (2) to procure additional associated supporting 
        infrastructure.
    (b) Deployment.--The systems and infrastructure purchased or 
otherwise procured pursuant to subsection (a) shall be deployed along 
the Southern Border for the primary purpose of inspecting any persons, 
conveyances, or modes of transportation traveling from the United 
States to Mexico.
    (c) Alternative Equipment.--The Commissioner of U.S. Customs and 
Border Protection is authorized to procure additional infrastructure or 
alternative inspection equipment that the Commissioner deems necessary 
for the purpose of inspecting any persons, conveyances, or modes of 
transportation traveling from the United States to Mexico.
    (d) Sunset.--Subsections (a) and (c) shall cease to have force and 
effect beginning on the date that is 5 years after the date of the 
enactment of this Act.

SEC. 5. ADDITIONAL HOMELAND SECURITY INVESTIGATIONS PERSONNEL FOR 
              INVESTIGATIONS OF SOUTHBOUND SMUGGLING.

    (a) HSI Special Agents.--The Director of U.S. Immigration and 
Customs Enforcement shall hire, train, and assign--
            (1) not fewer than 100 new Homeland Security Investigations 
        special agents to primarily assist with investigations 
        involving the smuggling of currency and firearms from the 
        United States to Mexico; and
            (2) not fewer than 100 new Homeland Security Investigations 
        special agents to assist with investigations involving the 
        smuggling of contraband, human trafficking and smuggling 
        (including that of children), drug smuggling, and unauthorized 
        entry into the United States from Mexico.
    (b) Support Staff.--The Director is authorized to hire, train, and 
assign such additional support staff as may be necessary to support the 
functions carried out by the special agents hired pursuant to 
subsection (a).

SEC. 6. REPORT.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall submit 
a report to the appropriate congressional committees that--
            (1) identifies the resources provided, including equipment, 
        personnel, and infrastructure, and the annual budget to carry 
        out outbound and inbound inspections, including, to the extent 
        practicable, resources specifically used for inspections of any 
        individuals and modes of transportation--
                    (A) from the United States to Mexico or to Canada; 
                and
                    (B) from Mexico or Canada into the United States.
            (2) describes the operational cadence of all outbound and 
        inbound inspections of individuals and conveyances traveling 
        from the United States to Mexico or to Canada and from Mexico 
        or Canada into the United States, described as a percentage of 
        total encounters or as the total number of inspections 
        conducted;
            (3) describes any plans that would allow for the use of 
        alternative inspection sites near a port of entry;
            (4) includes an estimate of--
                    (A) the number of vehicles and conveyances that can 
                be inspected with up to 50 additional non-intrusive 
                imaging systems dedicated to southbound inspections; 
                and
                    (B) the number of vehicles and conveyances that can 
                be inspected with up to 50 additional non-intrusive 
                imaging systems that may be additionally dedicated to 
                inbound inspections along the southwest border; and
            (5) assesses the capability of inbound inspections by 
        authorities of the Government of Mexico, in cooperation with 
        United States law enforcement agencies, to detect and interdict 
        the flow of illicit weapons and currency being smuggled--
                    (A) from the United States to Mexico; and
                    (B) from Mexico into the United States.
    (b) Classification.--The report submitted pursuant to subsection 
(a), or any part of such report, may be classified or provided with 
other appropriate safeguards to prevent public dissemination.

SEC. 7. MINIMUM MANDATORY SOUTHBOUND INSPECTION REQUIREMENT.

    (a) Requirement.--Not later than March 30, 2027, the Secretary of 
Homeland Security shall ensure, to the extent practicable, that not 
fewer than 10 percent of all conveyances and other modes of 
transportation traveling from the United States to Mexico are inspected 
before leaving the United States.
    (b) Authorized Inspection Activities.--Inspections required 
pursuant to subsection (a) may include nonintrusive imaging, physical 
inspections by officers or canine units, or other means authorized by 
the Secretary of Homeland Security.
    (c) Report on Additional Inspections Capabilities.--Not later than 
March 30, 2028, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall submit a 
report to the appropriate congressional committees assessing the 
Department of Homeland Security's timeline and resource requirements 
for increasing inspection rates to 15 and 20 percent of all conveyances 
and modes of transportation traveling from the United States to Mexico.

SEC. 8. CURRENCY AND FIREARMS SEIZURES QUARTERLY REPORT.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, and every 90 days thereafter until the date that 
is 4 years after such date of enactment, the Commissioner of U.S. 
Customs and Border Protection shall submit a report to the appropriate 
congressional committees that describes the seizure of currency, 
firearms, and ammunition attempted to be trafficked out of the United 
States.
    (b) Contents.--Each report submitted pursuant to subsection (a) 
shall include, for the most recent 90-day period for which such 
information is available--
            (1) the total number of currency seizures that occurred 
        from outbound inspections at United States ports of entry;
            (2) the total dollar amount associated with the currency 
        seizures referred to in paragraph (1);
            (3) the total number of firearms seized from outbound 
        inspections at United States ports of entry;
            (4) the total number of ammunition rounds seized from 
        outbound inspections at United States ports of entry; and
            (5) the total number of incidents of firearm seizures and 
        ammunition seizures that occurred at United States ports of 
        entry.
                                 <all>
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