I
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 follow-
ing bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means
A BILL
To authorize appropriations for the United States Customs
Cybersmuggling Center.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. FINDINGS.
The Congress makes the following findings:
(1) Child pornography, a worldwide industry
that was all but eradicated in the 1980’s, has resur-
faced with a vengeance, because of computer tech-
nology.
(2) This illegal activity has flourished on the
Internet, with child pornography traded freely in
chat rooms, news groups, and private e-mail.
(3) Pedophiles, child molesters, and other pur-
veyors of child pornography now have instant access
to explicit photos in the privacy of their own homes
and offices.
(4) Pursuant to the Child Protection Act of
1984, the Customs Service created its first anti-
child-pornography program in 1985, which provides
administrative, programmatic, and operational sup-
port to all field offices and attache´s of the Customs
Service.
(5) Although the efforts of the Customs Service
in keeping hard copy print and video child pornog-
raphy from entering the United States have been
largely successful, the computer has increasingly be-
come the venue of choice for pedophiles, child mo-
lesters, and other purveyors of child pornography to
gain wider, easier, and safer access to child pornog-
raphy and to children.
(6) To further combat both traditional and
computer-based forms of child pornography and ex-
ploitation, the Commissioner of Customs established
the Customs Service International Child Pornog-
raphy 
Investigation 
and 
Coordination 
Center
(ICPICC), currently known as the United States
Customs Cybersmuggling Center, the primary objec-
tives of which are to provide guidance and support
to the field in the investigation of complex cases in-
volving child pornography violations and to coordi-
nate the international efforts of the Customs Service
to combat child pornography and train foreign law
enforcement officials. The functions of the Center
are—
(A) to design and maintain computer data
bases for the compilation and analysis of intel-
ligence related to child pornography;
(B) to act as the central processing point
for the coordination and dissemination of all do-
mestic and foreign intelligence information from
the Customs Service and other agencies and en-
tities relating to child pornography investiga-
tions, including developing and coordinating
special projects to obtain intelligence on child
pornography;
(C) to develop and operate proactive un-
dercover operations and provide information
and evidence to the field for investigation;
(D) to act as the central coordinating point
for all child pornography undercover operations
and initiatives in the field to maximize use of
scarce resources and eliminate duplication of ef-
fort;
(E) to assist the training academy of the
Customs Service in the development of training
courses in child pornography investigations; and
(F) to conduct an aggressive public aware-
ness campaign to educate the public, the press,
and the worldwide law enforcement community
about the role of the Customs Service in inves-
tigating child exploitation and trafficking of
child pornography.
(7) Additional funding is required for the
United States Customs Cybersmuggling Center to
effectively perform its functions.
SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR UNITED
STATES CUSTOMS CYBERSMUGGLING CEN-
TER.
There are authorized to be appropriated for the
United States Customs Cybersmuggling Center, originally
established in April 1996 as the International Child Por-
nography 
Investigation 
and 
Coordination 
Center