IB 
Union Calendar No. 75 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2281 
[Report No. 115–122] 
To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to reauthorize the Border 
Enforcement Security Task Force program within the Department of 
Homeland Security, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 2, 2017 
Mr. VELA (for himself, Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, Mr. RICHMOND, Ms. 
MCSALLY, Mr. CORREA, and Ms. BARRAGA´N) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Homeland Security 
MAY 16, 2017 
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on May 2, 2017] 
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A BILL 
To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to reauthorize 
the Border Enforcement Security Task Force program 
within the Department of Homeland Security, and for 
other purposes. 
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Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Border Enforcement Se-
curity Task Force Reauthorization Act of 2017’’. 
SEC. 2. MODIFIED INSTRUCTIONS. 
(a) UPDATED CONSIDERATIONS FOR THE ESTABLISH-
MENT OF UNITS.—Paragraph (2) of section 432(c) of the 
Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 240(c)) is amend-
ed— 
(1) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), 
by striking ‘‘the Secretary shall consider’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘the Secretary shall apply risk-based criteria that 
takes into consideration’’; and 
(2) in subparagraph (A), by inserting before the 
semicolon the following: ‘‘, including threats posed by 
transnational criminal organizations’’; 
(3) in subparagraph (C), by striking ‘‘and’’ after 
the semicolon; 
(4) in subparagraph (D), by striking the period 
at the end and inserting ‘‘;’’; and 
(5) by adding at the end the following new sub-
paragraphs: 
‘‘(E) the extent to which the BEST unit 
would advance the Department’s homeland and 
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border security strategic priorities and related 
objectives; and 
‘‘(F) whether departmental Joint Task 
Force operations as established pursuant to sec-
tion 708 and other joint cross-border initiatives 
would be enhanced, improved, or otherwise as-
sisted by the BEST unit to be established.’’. 
(b) PORT SECURITY.—Subsection (c) of section 432 of 
the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 240) is 
amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph: 
‘‘(4) PORT
SECURITY
BEST
UNITS.—A BEST 
unit established pursuant to paragraph (2) with a 
port security nexus shall be composed of at least one 
member of each of the following: 
‘‘(A) The Coast Guard Investigative Service. 
‘‘(B) The geographically-responsible Coast 
Guard Sector Intelligence Office.’’. 
(c) UPDATED REPORT ELEMENTS.—Subsection (e) of 
section 432 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 
240) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(e) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the date 
of the enactment of this section and annually thereafter for 
the following five years, the Secretary shall submit to Con-
gress a report that includes the following: 
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‘‘(1) A description of the effectiveness of BEST 
in enhancing border security, disrupting and disman-
tling transnational criminal organizations, and re-
ducing drug trafficking, arms smuggling, illegal alien 
trafficking and smuggling, violence, and kidnapping 
along and across the international borders of the 
United States, as measured by crime statistics, in-
cluding violent deaths, incidents of violence, and 
drug-related arrests. 
‘‘(2) An assessment of how BEST enhances infor-
mation-sharing, including the dissemination of home-
land security information, among Federal, State, 
local, tribal, and foreign law enforcement agencies. 
‘‘(3) A description of how BEST advances the 
Department’s homeland and border security strategic 
priorities and effectiveness of BEST in achieving re-
lated objectives. 
‘‘(4) An assessment of BEST’s joint operational 
efforts with departmental Joint Task Force operations 
established pursuant to section 708 and other joint 
cross-border initiatives.’’. 
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Union Calendar No. 75 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 2281 
[Report No. 115–122] 
A BILL 
To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to 
reauthorize the Border Enforcement Security 
Task Force program within the Department of 
Homeland Security, and for other purposes. 
MAY 16, 2017 
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Com-
mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, 
and ordered to be printed 
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