I
105TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 3679
To authorize additional appropriations for personnel and technology for the
United States Customs Service and the Immigration and Naturalization
Service, which have joint responsibility at ports of entry, in order to
increase inspection and enforcement at ports of entry and to expedite
and facilitate the flow of legal commercial and passenger traffic at
United States borders and interior checkpoints.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
APRIL 1, 1998
Mr. REYES (for himself and Mr. GEPHARDT) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addi-
tion to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently
determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provi-
sions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
A BILL
To authorize additional appropriations for personnel and
technology for the United States Customs Service and
the Immigration and Naturalization Service, which have
joint responsibility at ports of entry, in order to increase
inspection and enforcement at ports of entry and to
expedite and facilitate the flow of legal commercial and
passenger traffic at United States borders and interior
checkpoints.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. AUTHORIZATIONS OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR
UNITED STATES CUSTOMS SERVICE AND IM-
MIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION SERVICE.
(a) IN GENERAL.—
(1) CUSTOMS SERVICE.—In order to enhance
border investigative resources on the Southwest bor-
der, 
enhance 
investigative 
resources 
for
anticorruption efforts, intensify efforts against drug
smuggling 
and 
money-laundering 
organizations,
process cargo, reduce commercial and passenger
traffic waiting times, and open all primary lanes
during peak hours at certain ports on the Southwest
and Northern borders, in addition to any other
amount appropriated, there are authorized to be ap-
propriated for salaries, expenses, and equipment for
the United States Customs Service for purposes of
carrying out this section—
(A) $161,248,584 for fiscal year 1999;
(B) $185,751,328 for fiscal year 2000; and
(C) such sums as may be necessary in each
fiscal year thereafter.
(2) INS.—In order to enhance enforcement and
inspection resources on the Southwest land border of
the United States, enhance investigative resources
for anticorruption efforts and efforts against drug
smuggling 
and 
money-laundering 
organizations,
process cargo, reduce commercial and passenger
traffic waiting times, and open all primary lanes
during peak hours at major land border ports of
entry on the Southwest and Northern land borders
of the United States, in addition to any other
amounts appropriated, there are authorized to be
appropriated for salaries, expenses, and equipment
for the Immigration and Naturalization Service for
purposes of carrying out this section—
(A) $113,604,000 for fiscal year 1999;
(B) $121,064,000 for fiscal year 2000; and
(C) such sums as may be necessary in each
fiscal year thereafter.
(b) FISCAL YEAR 1999.—
(1) CUSTOMS SERVICE.—Of the amounts au-
thorized to be appropriated under subsection
(a)(1)(A) for fiscal year 1999 for the United States
Customs Service, $48,404,000 shall be available
until expended for acquisition and other expenses as-
sociated with implementation and full deployment of
narcotics enforcement and cargo processing tech-
nology along the Southwest border, including—
(A) $6,000,000 for 8 Vehicle and Con-
tainer Inspection Systems (VACIS);
(B) $11,000,000 for 5 mobile truck x-rays
with transmission and backscatter imaging;
(C) $12,000,000 for the upgrade of 8
fixed-site truck x-rays from the present energy
level of 450,000 electron volts to 1,000,000
electron volts (1–MeV);
(D) $7,200,000 for 8 1–MeV pallet x-rays;
(E) $1,000,000 for 200 portable contra-
band detectors (busters) to be distributed
among ports where the current allocations are
inadequate;
(F) $600,000 for 50 contraband detection
kits to be distributed among all Southwest bor-
der ports based on traffic volume;
(G) $500,000 for 25 ultrasonic container
inspection units to be distributed among all
ports receiving liquid-filled cargo and to ports
with a hazardous material inspection facility;
(H) $2,450,000 for 7 automated targeting
systems;
(I) $360,000 for 30 rapid tire deflator sys-
tems to be distributed to those ports where port
runners are a threat;
(J) $480,000 for 20 Portable Treasury
Enforcement Communications System (TECS)
terminals to be moved among ports as needed;
(K) $1,000,000 for 20 remote watch sur-
veillance camera systems at ports where there
are suspicious activities at loading docks, vehi-
cle queues, secondary inspection lanes, or areas
where visual surveillance or observation is ob-
scured;
(L) $1,254,000 for 57 weigh-in-motion
sensors to be distributed among the ports with
the greatest volume of outbound traffic;
(M) $180,000 for 36 AM radio ‘‘Welcome
to the United States’’ stations, with 1 station to
be located at each border crossing;
(N) $1,040,000 for 260 inbound vehicle
counters to be installed at every inbound vehicle
lane;
(O) $950,000 for 38 spotter camera sys-
tems to counter the surveillance of Customs in-
spection activities by persons outside the bound-
aries of ports where such surveillance activities
are occurring;
(P) $390,000 for 60 inbound commercial
truck transponders to be distributed to all ports
of entry;
(Q) $1,600,000 for 40 narcotics vapor and
particle detectors to be distributed to each bor-
der crossing; and
(R) $400,000 for license plate reader auto-
matic targeting software to be installed at each
port to target inbound vehicles.
(2) INS.—Of the amounts authorized to be ap-
propriated under subsection (a)(2)(A) for fiscal year
1999 for the Immigration and Naturalization Serv-
ice, $15,090,000 shall be available until expended
for acquisition and other expenses associated with
implementation and full deployment of narcotics en-
forcement and cargo processing technology along the
Southwest land border of the United States, includ-
ing—
(A) $11,000,000 for 5 mobile truck x-rays
with transmission and backscatter imaging to
be distributed to border patrol checkpoints;
(B) $200,000 for 10 ultrasonic container
inspection units to be distributed to border pa-
trol checkpoints;
(C) $240,000 for 10 Portable Treasury
Enforcement Communications System (TECS)
terminals to be distributed to border patrol
checkpoints;
(D) $1,000,000 for 20 remote watch sur-
veillance camera systems to be distributed to
border patrol checkpoints;
(E) $175,000 for 35 AM radio ‘‘Welcome
to the United States’’ stations, with 1 station to
be located at each permanent border patrol
checkpoint;
(F) $875,000 for 35 spotter camera sys-
tems, with 1 system to be located at each per-
manent border patrol checkpoint; and
(G) $1,600,000 for 40 narcotics vapor and
particle detectors to be distributed to border pa-
trol checkpoints.
(c) FISCAL YEAR 2000 AND THEREAFTER.—
(1) CUSTOMS SERVICE.—Of the amounts au-
thorized to be appropriated under subparagraphs
(B) and (C) of subsection (a)(1) for the United
States Customs Service for fiscal year 2000 and
each fiscal year thereafter, $4,840,400 shall be for
the maintenance and support of the equipment and
training of personnel to maintain and support the
equipment described in subsection (b)(1), based on
an estimate of 10 percent of the cost of such equip-
ment.
(2) INS.—Of the amounts authorized to be ap-
propriated under subparagraphs (B) and (C) of sub-
section (a)(2) for the Immigration and Naturaliza-
tion Service for fiscal year 2000 and each fiscal year
thereafter, $1,509,000 shall be for the maintenance
and support of the equipment and training of per-
sonnel to maintain and support the equipment de-
scribed in subsection (b)(2), based on an estimate of
10 percent of the cost of such equipment.
(d) NEW TECHNOLOGIES; USE OF FUNDS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Commissioner of Cus-
toms may use the amounts authorized to be appro-
priated for equipment under this section for equip-
ment other than the equipment specified in sub-
section (b)(1) if such other equipment—
(A)(i) is technologically superior to the
equipment specified in subsection (b)(1); and
(ii) will achieve at least the same results at
a cost that is the same or less than the equip-
ment specified in subsection (b)(1); or
(B) can be obtained at a lower cost than
the equipment authorized in subparagraphs (A)
through (R) of such subsection.
(2) TRANSFER
OF
FUNDS.—Notwithstanding
any other provision of this section, the Commissioner
of Customs may reallocate an amount not to exceed
10 percent of the amount specified in any of sub-
paragraphs (A) through (R) of subsection (b)(1) for
equipment specified in any other of such subpara-
graphs (A) through (R).
(3) INS.—With respect to the amounts and
equipment specified in subsection (b)(2), the Attor-
ney General shall have the same authority as is
granted the Commissioner of Customs by para-
graphs (1) and (2) with respect to the amounts and
equipment specified in subsection (b)(1).
(e) PEAK HOURS AND INVESTIGATIVE RESOURCE
ENHANCEMENT.—
(1) CUSTOMS SERVICE.—Of the amounts au-
thorized to be appropriated under subsection (a)(1)
for fiscal years 1999 and 2000, $112,844,584 in fis-
cal year 1999 and $180,910,928 for fiscal year 2000
shall be for—
(A) a net increase of 535 inspectors and
60 special agents for the Southwest border and
375 inspectors for the Northern border, in
order to open all primary lanes on the South-
west and Northern borders during peak hours
and enhance investigative resources;
(B) a net increase of 285 inspectors and
canine enforcement officers to be distributed at
large cargo facilities as needed to process and
screen cargo (including rail cargo) and reduce
commercial waiting times on the Southwest bor-
der;
(C) a net increase of 360 special agents,
40 intelligence analysts, and additional re-
sources to be distributed among offices that
have jurisdiction over major metropolitan drug
or narcotics distribution and transportation
centers for intensification of efforts against
drug smuggling and money-laundering organi-
zations;
(D) a net increase of 50 positions and ad-
ditional resources to the Office of Internal Af-
fairs to enhance investigative resources for
anticorruption efforts; and
(E) the costs incurred as a result of the in-
crease in personnel hired pursuant to this sec-
tion.
(2) INS.—Of the amounts authorized to be ap-
propriated under subsection (a)(2) for fiscal years
1999 and 2000, $98,514,000 in fiscal year 1999 and
$119,555,000 for fiscal year 2000 shall be for—
(A) a net increase of 535 inspectors for the
Southwest land border and 375 inspectors for
the Northern land border, in order to open all
primary lanes on the Southwest and Northern
borders during peak hours and enhance inves-
tigative resources;
(B) a net increase of 100 inspectors and
canine enforcement officers for border patrol
checkpoints;
(C) 100 canine enforcement vehicles to be
used by the Border Patrol for inspection and
enforcement, and to reduce waiting times, at
the Southwest land border of the United States;
(D) a net increase of 40 intelligence ana-
lysts and additional resources to be distributed
among border patrol sectors that have jurisdic-
tion over major metropolitan drug or narcotics
distribution and transportation centers for in-
tensification of efforts against drug smuggling
and money-laundering organizations;
(E) a net increase of 50 positions and ad-
ditional resources to the Office of the Inspector
General of the Department of Justice to en-
hance investigative resources for anticorruption
efforts; and
(F) the costs incurred as a result of the in-
crease in personnel hired pursuant to this sec-
tion.
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