IIB 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3722 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

OCTOBER 15, 2019 

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and 

Governmental Affairs 

AN ACT 

To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to authorize 

a Joint Task Force to enhance integration of the Department of Homeland Security’s border security operations 

to detect, interdict, disrupt, and prevent narcotics, such 

as fentanyl and other synthetic opioids, from entering 

the United States, and for other purposes. 


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HR 3722 RFS

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

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Joint Task Force to 

5 Combat Opioid Trafficking Act of 2019’’. 

6 SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF JOINT TASK FORCE TO 

7 COUNTER OPIOIDS. 

8 Subsection (b) of section 708 of the Homeland Secu9 rity Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 348) is amended— 

10 (1) in paragraph (2)(A), by adding at the end 

11 the following new clause: 

12 ‘‘(iv) Enhancing the integration of the 

13 Department’s border security operations to 

14 detect, interdict, disrupt, and prevent nar15 cotics, such as fentanyl and other synthetic 

16 opioids, from entering the United States.’’; 

17 (2) by redesignating paragraphs (9) through 

18 (13) as paragraphs (11) through (15), respectively; 

19 and 

20 (3) by inserting after paragraph (8) the fol21 lowing new paragraphs: 

22 ‘‘(9) ENGAGEMENT WITH THE PRIVATE SEC23 TOR.— 

24 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Director of a 

25 Joint Task Force may engage with representaVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:58 Oct 15, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3722.RFS H3722

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1 tives from a private sector organization for the 

2 purpose of carrying out the mission of such 

3 Joint Task Force, and any such engagement 

4 shall not be subject to the Federal Advisory 

5 Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.). 

6 ‘‘(B) ASSISTANCE FROM PRIVATE SEC7 TOR.— 

8 ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding 

9 subsection (b)(1), the Secretary, with the 

10 agreement of a private sector organization, 

11 may arrange for the temporary assignment 

12 of an employee of such organization to a 

13 Joint Task Force in accordance with this 

14 paragraph. 

15 ‘‘(ii) AGREEMENT.—The Secretary 

16 shall provide for a written agreement be17 tween the Department, the private sector 

18 organization concerned, and the employee 

19 concerned regarding the terms and condi20 tions of the assignment of such employee 

21 under this paragraph. 

22 ‘‘(C) NO FINANCIAL LIABILITY.—Any 

23 agreement under this paragraph shall require 

24 the private sector organization concerned to be 


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1 responsible for all costs associated with the as2 signment of an employee under this paragraph. 

3 ‘‘(D) DURATION.—An assignment under 

4 this paragraph may, at any time and for any 

5 reason, be terminated by the Secretary or the 

6 private sector organization concerned and shall 

7 be for a total period of not more than 2 years. 

8 ‘‘(10) COLLABORATION WITH TASK FORCES

9 OUTSIDE DHS.—The Secretary may enter into a 

10 memorandum of understanding by which a Joint 

11 Task Force established under this section to carry 

12 out any purpose specified in paragraph (2)(A) and 

13 any other Federal, State, local, Tribal, territorial, or 

14 international entity or task force established for a 

15 similar purpose may collaborate for the purpose of 

16 carrying out the mission of such Joint Task Force.’’. 

17 SEC. 3. NOTIFICATION; REPORTING. 

18 (a) NOTIFICATION.—Not later than 90 days after the 

19 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Home20 land Security shall— 

21 (1) make a determination regarding whether to 

22 establish a Joint Task Force under section 708 of 

23 the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to carry out the 

24 purpose specified in clause (iv) of subsection 


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1 (b)(2)(A) of such section, as added by section 2 of 

2 this Act; and 

3 (2) submit to the Committee on Homeland Se4 curity of the House of Representatives and the Com5 mittee on Homeland Security and Governmental Af6 fairs of the Senate written notification of such deter7 mination, including, if such determination is in the 

8 negative, information on the basis for such negative 

9 determination. 

10 (b) REPORTING.—If the Secretary of Homeland Se11 curity establishes a Joint Task Force under section 708 

12 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to carry out the 

13 purpose specified in clause (iv) of subsection (b)(2)(A) of 

14 such section, as added by section 2 of this Act, the Sec15 retary shall— 

16 (1) beginning with the first report required 

17 under subsection (b)(6)(F) of such section 708, in18 clude with respect to such a Joint Task Force— 

19 (A) a gap analysis of funding, personnel, 

20 technology, or other resources needed in order 

21 to detect, interdict, disrupt, and prevent nar22 cotics, such as fentanyl and other synthetic 

23 opioids, from entering the United States; and 

24 (B) a description of collaboration pursuant 

25 to subsection (b)(10) of such section (as added 


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1 by section 2 of this Act) between such a Joint 

2 Task Force and any other Federal, State, local, 

3 Tribal, territorial, or international task force, 

4 including the United States Postal Service and 

5 the United States Postal Inspection Service; 

6 and 

7 (2) in each review required under subsection 

8 (b)(11)(C) of section 708 of the Homeland Security 

9 Act of 2002, as redesignated by section 2 of this 

10 Act, an assessment of the activities of such a Joint 

11 Task Force, including an evaluation of whether such 

12 Joint Task Force has enhanced integration of the 

13 Department’s efforts, created any unique capabili14 ties, or otherwise enhanced operational effectiveness, 

15 coordination, or information sharing to detect, inter16 dict, disrupt, and prevent narcotics, such as fentanyl 

17 and other synthetic opioids, from entering the 

18 United States. 

Passed the House of Representatives September 27, 

2019. 

Attest: CHERYL L. JOHNSON, 

Clerk. 


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