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tions and to trace firearms recovered in Mexico; 
and 
(C) support the training of vetted Mexican 
law enforcement officers in serial number res-
toration techniques and canine explosive detec-
tion. 
(2) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—To 
carry out this subsection, there are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Attorney General $9,500,000 for 
each of the fiscal years 2008 through 2010. 
SEC. 403. REDUCTION OF SOUTHBOUND FLOW OF ILLEGAL 
PRECURSOR CHEMICALS AND BULK-CASH 
TRANSFERS. 
It is the sense of Congress that— 
(1) a significant quantity of precursor chemicals 
used in the production of illegal narcotics flows 
south from the United States to Mexico; 
(2) the Government of Mexico has identified re-
duction of southbound flows from the United States 
of precursor chemicals and bulk-cash transfers as a 
critical component of its anti-narcotics strategy; and 
(3) an effective strategy to combat these illegal 
flows is a critical part of a United States contribu-
tion to a jointly executed anti-narcotics strategy with 
Mexico. 
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SEC. 404. REPORT. 
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, the President shall transmit to the ap-
propriate congressional committees a report on the meas-
ures taken to combat the southbound flow of illegal pre-
cursor chemicals and bulk cash transfers into Mexico. 
TITLE V—MISCELLANEOUS 
PROVISIONS 
SEC. 501. COORDINATOR OF UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT 
ACTIVITIES TO IMPLEMENT THE MERIDA INI-
TIATIVE. 
(a) DECLARATION OF POLICY.—Congress declares 
that the Merida Initiative is a Department of State-led 
initiative which combines programs of numerous United 
States Government departments and agencies and there-
fore requires a single individual to coordinate and track 
all Merida-related efforts government-wide to help avoid 
duplication and facilitate accountability to Congress. 
(b) DESIGNATION OF HIGH-LEVEL COORDINATOR.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The President shall des-
ignate, within the Department of State, a Coordi-
nator of United States Government Activities to Im-
plement the Merida Initiative (hereafter in this sec-
tion referred to as the ‘‘Coordinator’’) who shall be 
responsible for— 
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(A) designing an overall strategy to ad-
vance the purposes of this Act; 
(B) ensuring program and policy coordina-
tion among agencies of the United States Gov-
ernment in carrying out the policies in Mexico 
and Central America set forth in this Act; 
(C) ensuring that efforts of the United 
States Government under this Act in Mexico 
and Central America are in full consonance 
with the efforts of the Government of Mexico 
and the governments of Central America in im-
plementing the Merida Initiative; 
(D) tracking all United States Government 
assistance which fulfills the goals of the Merida 
Initiative or is closely related to the goals of the 
Merida Initiative, including information re-
quired under section 620J of the Foreign As-
sistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2378d) with 
respect to Mexico and the countries of Central 
America; 
(E) coordinating among agencies of the 
United States Government on all United States 
assistance to Mexico and the countries of Cen-
tral America, including assistance from other 
relevant government agencies, which fulfills the 
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goals of the Merida Initiative to avoid duplica-
tion or conflict among programs; and 
(F) consulting with the Attorney General 
with respect to the activities of Federal, State, 
and local law enforcement authorities in the 
United States related to the goals of the Merida 
Initiative, particularly along the United States- 
Mexico border. 
(2) RANK
AND
STATUS
OF
THE
COORDI-
NATOR.—The Coordinator shall have the rank and 
status of ambassador. 
SEC. 502. METRICS AND OVERSIGHT MECHANISMS. 
(a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that— 
(1) to successfully support building the capacity 
of recipient countries’ civilian security institutions, 
enhance the rule of law in recipient countries, and 
ensure the protection of human rights, the President 
should establish metrics and oversight mechanisms 
to track the effectiveness of activities undertaken 
pursuant to this Act; 
(2) long-term solutions to Mexico and Central 
America’s security problems depend on strength-
ening and holding accountable civilian institutions; 
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(3) it is difficult to assess the impact of United 
States assistance towards these goals absent specific 
oversight and monitoring mechanisms; and 
(4) the President, in developing metrics, should 
consult with Congress as well as the Government of 
Mexico and the Central American Integration Sys-
tem (SICA). 
(b) REQUIREMENT.—The President shall develop 
metrics to identify, track, and manage the progress of ac-
tivities authorized pursuant to this Act and use these 
metrics to determine the allocation of resources for such 
activities. 
(c) INITIAL REPORT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 60 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the President 
shall transmit to the appropriate congressional com-
mittees a report that specifies metrics of achieve-
ment for each activity to be undertaken under this 
Act. 
(2) CONTENTS OF REPORT.—The report shall 
be divided into two sections, the first addressing 
those activities undertaken pursuant to subtitle A of 
title I and subtitle A of title II, and the second ad-
dressing those activities undertaken pursuant to sub-
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title B of title I and subtitle B of title II. Metrics 
may include the following: 
(A) Indicators on long-term effectiveness 
of the equipment and training provided to Mexi-
can and Central American security institutions. 
(B) Statistics of counter narcotics-related 
arrests. 
(C) Number of interdictions of drug ship-
ments. 
(D) Specific progress on police reform. 
(E) Counternarcotics-related arrests. 
(F) Quantification of reduction of supply 
of illicit narcotics into the United States. 
(G) Cross-utilization, if any, of equipment 
among the armed forces and law enforcement 
entities. 
(H) Increased school attendance rates. 
(I) Attendance in primary prevention pro-
grams 
(J) The level of cooperation among United 
States, Mexican, and Central American law en-
forcement agencies. 
SEC. 503. REPORT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The President shall transmit to 
the appropriate congressional committees a report con-
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cerning the programs and activities carried out under this 
Act during the preceding fiscal year. The first report shall 
be transmitted not later than 180 days after the date of 
the enactment of this Act and subsequent reports shall 
be transmitted not later than October 31 of each year 
thereafter. 
(b) MATTERS TO BE INCLUDED.—The report re-
quired under subsection (a) shall include the following: 
(1) METRICS.—A general description of the 
progress in stabilizing the security situation in each 
recipient country as well as combating trafficking 
and building its capacity based on the metrics devel-
oped under section 502. 
(2) COORDINATION.—Efforts of the United 
States Government to coordinate its activities pursu-
ant to section 501, including— 
(A) a description of all counternarcotics 
and organized crime assistance provided to re-
cipient countries in the previous fiscal year; 
(B) an assessment of how such assistance 
was coordinated; and 
(C) recommendations for improving coordi-
nation. 
(3) TRANSFER OF EQUIPMENT.—A description 
of the transfer of equipment, including— 
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(A) a description of the progress of each 
recipient country toward the transfer of equip-
ment, if any, from its armed forces to law en-
forcement agencies; 
(B) a list of organizations that have used 
the air assets provided to the government of 
each recipient country, and, to the extent pos-
sible, a detailed description of those agencies 
that have utilized the air assets, including a 
breakdown of the percentage of use by each 
agency; and 
(C) a description of training of law en-
forcement agencies to operate equipment, in-
cluding air assets. 
(4) HUMAN RIGHTS.—Consistent with sections 
116(d) and 502B(b) of the Foreign Assistance Act 
of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151n(d) and 2304(b)) and sec-
tion 504 of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 
2464), an assessment of the human rights impact of 
the equipment and training provided under this Act, 
including— 
(A) a list of accusations of serious human 
rights abuses committed by the armed forces 
and law enforcement agencies of recipient coun-
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tries from the date of enactment of this Act; 
and 
(B) a description of efforts by the govern-
ment of recipient countries to investigate and 
prosecute allegations of abuses of human rights 
committed by any agency of the recipient coun-
tries. 
(5) EFFECTIVENESS OF EQUIPMENT.—An as-
sessment on the long-term effectiveness of the equip-
ment and maintenance packages and training pro-
vided to each recipient country’s security institu-
tions. 
(6) MEXICO PUBLIC SECURITY STRATEGY.—A 
description of Mexico’s development of a public secu-
rity strategy, including— 
(A) an update on the effectiveness of the 
Mexican federal Registry of Police Personnel to 
vet police recruiting at the National, state, and 
municipal levels to prevent rehiring from one 
force to the next after dismissal for corruption 
and other reasons; and 
(B) an assessment of how the Merida Ini-
tiative complements and supports the Mexican 
Government’s own public security strategy. 
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(7) FLOW OF ILLEGAL ARMS.—A description of 
efforts to reduce the southbound flow of illegal arms. 
(8) USE OF CONTRACTORS.—A detailed descrip-
tion of contracts awarded to private companies to 
carry out provisions of this Act, including— 
(A) a description of the number of United 
States and foreign national civilian contractors 
awarded contracts; 
(B) a list of the total dollar value of the 
contracts; and 
(C) the purposes of the contracts. 
(9) CENTRAL AMERICAN REGIONAL SECURITY 
PLAN.—A description of implementation by the 
countries of Central America of the Central Amer-
ican Regional Security Plan, including an assess-
ment of how the Merida Initiative complements and 
supports the Central American Regional Security 
Plan. 
(10) PHASE OUT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT AC-
TIVITIES.—A description of the progress of phasing 
out law enforcement activities of the armed forces of 
each recipient country. 
(11) DISPLACEMENT AND DIVERSION OF DRUG 
TRAFFICKING PATTERNS.—A description of any dis-
placement effect and diversion of drug trafficking 
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patterns from Mexico and the countries of Central 
America to other routes, including through poten-
tially vulnerable Caribbean countries. 
(12) IMPACT ON BORDER VIOLENCE AND SECU-
RITY.—A description of the impact that activities 
authorized under this Act have had on violence 
against United States and Mexican border personnel 
and the extent to which these activities have in-
creased the protection and security of the United 
States-Mexico border. 
SEC. 504. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
It is the sense of Congress that— 
(1) the United States Government requires an 
effective public diplomacy strategy to explain the 
purposes of the Merida Initiative; and 
(2) to the extent practicable, the Secretary of 
State, in coordination with other relevant heads of 
agencies, shall design and implement a public diplo-
macy campaign regionally regarding the Merida Ini-
tiative. 
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SEC. 505. SUNSET. 
The authority of this Act shall expire after September 
30, 2010. 
Passed the House of Representatives June 10, 2008. 
Attest: 
LORRAINE C. MILLER, 
Clerk. 
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