SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Border Enforcement 
Security Task Force Reauthorization Act of 2017’’. 
SEC. 2. MODIFIED INSTRUCTIONS. 
(a) UPDATED CONSIDERATIONS FOR THE ESTAB-
LISHMENT OF UNITS.—Paragraph (2) of section 432(c) 
of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 240(c)) 
is amended— 
(1) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), 
by striking ‘‘the Secretary shall consider’’ and in-
serting ‘‘the Secretary shall apply risk-based criteria 
that takes into consideration’’; 
(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’’; 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 
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 para-
graph: 
‘‘(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 Serv-
ice. 
‘‘(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 there-
after for the following 5 years, the Secretary shall submit 
to Congress a report that includes the following:
‘‘(1) A description of the effectiveness of BEST 
in enhancing border security, disrupting and dis-
mantling transnational criminal organizations, and 
reducing drug trafficking, arms smuggling, illegal 
alien trafficking and smuggling, violence, and kid-
napping along and across the international borders 
of the United States, as measured by crime statis-
tics, including violent deaths, incidents of violence, 
and drug-related arrests. 
‘‘(2) An assessment of how BEST enhances in-
formation-sharing, including the dissemination of 
homeland 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 stra-
tegic priorities and effectiveness of BEST in achiev-
ing related objectives. 
‘‘(4) An assessment of BEST’s joint operational 
efforts with departmental Joint Task Force oper-
ations established pursuant to section 708 and other 
joint cross-border initiatives.’’. 
Passed the House of Representatives May 17, 2017. 
Attest: 
Clerk.
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 2281 
AN ACT 
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.