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106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 640

To authorize appropriations for the United States Customs Cybersmuggling

Center.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

FEBRUARY 9, 1999

Mr. LAMPSON (for himself, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Mr. FOLEY, Mr.

FROST, Ms. RIVERS, Mr. ROTHMAN, Mr. SHERMAN, Mr. PETERSON of

Minnesota, Mr. GUTKNECHT, and Mr. BENTSEN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means

A BILL

To authorize appropriations for the United States Customs

Cybersmuggling Center.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

4 The Congress makes the following findings:

5 (1) Child pornography, a worldwide industry

6 that was all but eradicated in the 1980’s, has resur7 faced with a vengeance, because of computer tech8 nology.
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1 (2) This illegal activity has flourished on the

2 Internet, with child pornography traded freely in

3 chat rooms, news groups, and private e-mail.

4 (3) Pedophiles, child molesters, and other pur5 veyors of child pornography now have instant access

6 to explicit photos in the privacy of their own homes

7 and offices.

8 (4) Pursuant to the Child Protection Act of

9 1984, the Customs Service created its first anti10 child-pornography program in 1985, which provides

11 administrative, programmatic, and operational sup12 port to all field offices and attache ́s of the Customs

13 Service.

14 (5) Although the efforts of the Customs Service

15 in keeping hard copy print and video child pornog16 raphy from entering the United States have been

17 largely successful, the computer has increasingly be18 come the venue of choice for pedophiles, child mo19 lesters, and other purveyors of child pornography to

20 gain wider, easier, and safer access to child pornog21 raphy and to children.

22 (6) To further combat both traditional and

23 computer-based forms of child pornography and ex24 ploitation, the Commissioner of Customs established

25 the Customs Service International Child Pornog-
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1 raphy Investigation and Coordination Center

2 (ICPICC), currently known as the United States

3 Customs Cybersmuggling Center, the primary objec4 tives of which are to provide guidance and support

5 to the field in the investigation of complex cases in6 volving child pornography violations and to coordi7 nate the international efforts of the Customs Service

8 to combat child pornography and train foreign law

9 enforcement officials. The functions of the Center

10 are—

11 (A) to design and maintain computer data

12 bases for the compilation and analysis of intel13 ligence related to child pornography;

14 (B) to act as the central processing point

15 for the coordination and dissemination of all do16 mestic and foreign intelligence information from

17 the Customs Service and other agencies and en18 tities relating to child pornography investiga19 tions, including developing and coordinating

20 special projects to obtain intelligence on child

21 pornography;

22 (C) to develop and operate proactive un23 dercover operations and provide information

24 and evidence to the field for investigation;
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1 (D) to act as the central coordinating point

2 for all child pornography undercover operations

3 and initiatives in the field to maximize use of

4 scarce resources and eliminate duplication of ef5 fort;

6 (E) to assist the training academy of the

7 Customs Service in the development of training

8 courses in child pornography investigations; and

9 (F) to conduct an aggressive public aware10 ness campaign to educate the public, the press,

11 and the worldwide law enforcement community

12 about the role of the Customs Service in inves13 tigating child exploitation and trafficking of

14 child pornography.

15 (7) Additional funding is required for the

16 United States Customs Cybersmuggling Center to

17 effectively perform its functions.

18 SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR UNITED

19 STATES CUSTOMS CYBERSMUGGLING CEN20 TER.

21 There are authorized to be appropriated for the

22 United States Customs Cybersmuggling Center, originally

23 established in April 1996 as the International Child Por24 nography Investigation and Coordination Center
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1 (ICPICC), $5,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2000,

2 2001, 2002, and 2003.

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