II 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4672 

To require the Commissioner for U.S. Customs and Border Protection to 

assess current efforts to respond to hazardous weather and water events 

at or near United States borders and, to the extent such efforts may 

be improved, to develop a hazardous weather and water events preparedness and response strategy, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 11 (legislative day, JULY 10), 2024 

Ms. SINEMA (for herself, Mr. CORNYN, Mr. PETERS, and Mr. CRAMER) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 

A BILL 

To require the Commissioner for U.S. Customs and Border 

Protection to assess current efforts to respond to hazardous weather and water events at or near United 

States borders and, to the extent such efforts may be 

improved, to develop a hazardous weather and water 

events preparedness and response strategy, and for other 

purposes. 

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


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
2 

•S 4672 IS

1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Border Weather Resil3 iency Act of 2024’’. 

4 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

5 In this Act: 

6 (1) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMIT7 TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com8 mittees’’ means— 

9 (A) the Committee on Homeland Security 

10 and Governmental Affairs of the Senate; and 

11 (B) the Committee on Homeland Security 

12 of the House of Representatives. 

13 (2) COMMISSIONER.—The term ‘‘Commis14 sioner’’ means the Commissioner for U.S. Customs 

15 and Border Protection. 

16 (3) HAZARDOUS WEATHER AND WATER

17 EVENTS.—The term ‘‘hazardous weather and water 

18 events’’ means weather and weather-related water 

19 events that have a high risk of endangering life or 

20 causing significant damage to property, including— 

21 (A) severe storms, such as hurricanes and 

22 short-fused, small-scale hazardous weather or 

23 hydrologic events produced by thunderstorms, 

24 including large hail, damaging winds, torna25 does, and flash floods; 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
3 

•S 4672 IS

1 (B) winter storms, such as freezing or fro2 zen precipitation (including freezing rain, sleet, 

3 and snow), or combined effects of freezing or 

4 frozen precipitation and strong winds; and 

5 (C) other weather hazards, such as ex6 treme heat or cold, wildfire, drought, dense fog, 

7 damaging winds, earthquakes, tsunamis, river 

8 flooding, and lakeshore flooding. 

9 (4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

10 the Secretary of Homeland Security. 

11 SEC. 3. ASSESSMENT OF IMPACTS OF HAZARDOUS WEATH12 ER AND WATER EVENTS ON U.S. CUSTOMS 

13 AND BORDER PROTECTION PERSONNEL, 

14 TECHNOLOGY, AND INFRASTRUCTURE. 

15 (a) ASSESSMENT.—The Commissioner shall conduct 

16 an assessment of the impacts that hazardous weather and 

17 water events, occurring during the 5-year period imme18 diately preceding the date of the enactment of this Act, 

19 have had on— 

20 (1) the effectiveness by which U.S. Customs 

21 and Border Protection has carried out the duties as 

22 set forth in section 411(c) of the Homeland Security 

23 Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 211(c)); 

24 (2) the health, safety, and well being of— 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
4 

•S 4672 IS

1 (A) U.S. Customs and Border Protection 

2 personnel; and 

3 (B) individuals being inspected by U.S. 

4 Customs and Border Protection; 

5 (3) the ability of U.S. Customs and Border 

6 Protection to maintain the integrity and operability 

7 of border security technology, infrastructure, vehi8 cles, and other significant real or personal property 

9 owned or operated by U.S. Customs and Border 

10 Protection; and 

11 (4) the effectiveness of agent and officer uni12 forms and the uniform distribution platform in en13 suring agent and officer safety and comfort during 

14 such events. 

15 (b) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the date 

16 of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit 

17 a report to the appropriate congressional committees 

18 that— 

19 (1) contains the results of the assessment con20 ducted by the Commissioner pursuant to subsection 

21 (a); and 

22 (2) describes the efforts of the Secretary and 

23 the Commissioner to respond to and otherwise ad24 dress the impacts of the hazardous weather and 

25 water events referred to in subsection (a). 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
5 

•S 4672 IS

1 SEC. 4. STRATEGY TO ADDRESS IMPACTS OF HAZARDOUS 

2 WEATHER AND WATER EVENTS. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the 

4 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall sub5 mit to the appropriate congressional committees a strategy 

6 for mitigating the impacts of hazardous weather and water 

7 events on— 

8 (1) the effectiveness by which U.S. Customs 

9 and Border Protection carries out its statutory du10 ties, as prescribed under section 411 of the Home11 land Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 211); 

12 (2) the health, safety, and well-being of— 

13 (A) U.S. Customs and Border Protection 

14 personnel; and 

15 (B) individuals being inspected by U.S. 

16 Customs and Border Protection; and 

17 (3) the ability of U.S. Customs and Border 

18 Protection to maintain the integrity and operability 

19 of border security technology, infrastructure, vehi20 cles, and other significant real or personal property 

21 owned or operated by U.S. Customs and Border 

22 Protection. 

23 (b) CONSULTATION.— 

24 (1) IN GENERAL.—While developing and imple25 menting the strategy required under subsection (a), 

26 the Secretary, in addition to consulting with approVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:47 Jul 13, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4672.IS S4672

ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
6 

•S 4672 IS

1 priate officials of the Department of Homeland Se2 curity, and except as provided in paragraph (2)— 

3 (A) shall consult and engage with, at a 

4 minimum— 

5 (i) the Administrator of the National 

6 Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; 

7 (ii) the Administrator of the General 

8 Services Administration; 

9 (iii) the Secretary of Health and 

10 Human Services; 

11 (iv) Governors of States with an inter12 national border; 

13 (v) Tribal governments whose official 

14 territory is within 50 miles of the southern 

15 or northern border of the United States; 

16 and 

17 (vi) representative organizations rep18 resenting U.S. Customs and Border Pro19 tection personnel, including Border Patrol 

20 agents; and 

21 (B) may consult with nongovernmental ex22 perts, including experts in the fields of— 

23 (i) meteorology; 

24 (ii) public health; and 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
7 

•S 4672 IS

1 (iii) infrastructure and technology 

2 weather resiliency. 

3 (2) NONAPPLICABILITY OF FEDERAL ADVISORY

4 COMMITTEE ACT.—Chapter 10 of title 5, United 

5 States Code (commonly referred to as the ‘‘Federal 

6 Advisory Committee Act’’), shall not apply to any 

7 consultation authorized under paragraph (1)(B). 

8 (c) COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS.—The strategy re9 quired under subsection (a) shall include a cost-benefit 

10 analysis of implementing such strategy. 

11 (d) IMPLEMENTATION.— 

12 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after 

13 the date on which the strategy required under sub14 section (a) is submitted to the appropriate congres15 sional committees, the Secretary shall commence the 

16 implementation of such strategy. 

17 (2) SEMIANNUAL REPORT.—Not later than 180 

18 days after the commencement of the implementation 

19 of the strategy pursuant to paragraph (1), and semi20 annually thereafter for the following 5 years, the 

21 Secretary shall submit a report to the appropriate 

22 congressional committees that— 

23 (A) describes the efforts of the Depart24 ment of Homeland Security to implement the 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
8 

•S 4672 IS

1 strategy and the progress made as a result of 

2 such efforts; 

3 (B) includes any recommendations for 

4 mitigating the impacts of hazardous weather 

5 and water events and the extent to which such 

6 recommendations were implemented; and 

7 (C) assesses the resources and cost nec8 essary for U.S. Customs and Border Protection 

9 to implement such recommendations, with a 

10 focus on effectively carrying out its statutory 

11 duties. 

12 (e) LIMITATION.—Nothing in the strategy developed 

13 pursuant to subsection (a) may conflict with any provision 

14 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1001 

15 et seq.). 

16 SEC. 5. SAFETY PROTOCOLS TO PROTECT U.S. CUSTOMS 

17 AND BORDER PROTECTION PERSONNEL, 

18 TECHNOLOGY, AND INFRASTRUCTURE. 

19 Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment 

20 of this Act, the Commissioner shall establish safety proto21 cols and procedures to mitigate the impact of hazardous 

22 weather and water events on the ability of U.S. Customs 

23 and Border Protection— 

24 (1) to carry out its statutory duties; 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
9 

•S 4672 IS

1 (2) to ensure the health, safety, and well being 

2 of— 

3 (A) U.S. Customs and Border Protection 

4 personnel; and 

5 (B) individuals being inspected by U.S. 

6 Customs and Border Protection; and 

7 (3) to maintain the integrity and operability of 

8 border security technology, infrastructure, vehicles, 

9 and other significant real or personal property 

10 owned or operated by U.S. Customs and Border 

11 Protection. 

Æ 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS