IB 
Union Calendar No. 378 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5828 
[Report No. 116–471] 
To support remediation of illicit cross-border tunnels, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 10, 2020 
Mrs. LESKO (for herself, Ms. TORRES SMALL of New Mexico, and Mrs. 
HARTZLER) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Homeland Security 
AUGUST 7, 2020 
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 February 10, 2020] 
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A BILL 
To support remediation of illicit cross-border tunnels, 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 ‘‘DHS Illicit Cross-Bor-
der Tunnel Defense Act’’. 
SEC. 2. COUNTER ILLICIT CROSS-BORDER TUNNEL OPER-
ATIONS. 
(a) REPORT ON OPERATIONS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year after 
the date of the enactment of this Act and annually 
thereafter, the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and 
Border Protection shall submit to the Committee on 
Homeland Security of the House of Representatives 
and the Committee on Homeland Security and Gov-
ernmental Affairs of the Senate a report on oper-
ations carried out to identify, breach, assess, and re-
mediate illicit cross-border tunnels, including per-
formance measures. 
(2) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.— 
There is authorized to be appropriated to the Com-
missioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection 
$1,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 and 2022 to 
carry out remediation operations of illicit cross-bor-
der tunnels. 
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(b) COUNTER ILLICIT CROSS-BORDER TUNNEL OPER-
ATIONS STRATEGIC PLAN.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commis-
sioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection shall 
develop a strategic plan to address the following: 
(A) Risk-based criteria to be used to 
prioritize the identification, breach, assessment, 
and remediation of illicit cross-border tunnels. 
(B) Promote the use of innovative tech-
nologies to identify, breach, assess, and remediate 
illicit cross-border tunnels in a manner that, 
among other considerations, reduces the impact 
of such activities on surrounding communities. 
(C) Processes to share relevant illicit cross- 
border tunnel location, operations, and technical 
information. 
(D) Indicators of specific types of illicit 
cross-border tunnels found in each U.S. Border 
Patrol sector identified through operations to be 
periodically disseminated to U.S. Border Patrol 
sector chiefs to educate field personnel. 
(E) A counter illicit cross-border tunnel op-
erations resource needs assessment that includes 
consideration of the following: 
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(i) Technology needs. 
(ii) Staffing needs, including the fol-
lowing: 
(I) A position description for 
counter illicit cross-border tunnel oper-
ations personnel. 
(II) Any specialized skills re-
quired of such personnel. 
(III) The number of such full time 
personnel, disaggregated by U.S. Bor-
der Patrol sector. 
(2) REPORT
TO
CONGRESS
ON
STRATEGIC 
PLAN.—Not later than one year after the issuance of 
the strategic plan required under paragraph (1), the 
Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection 
shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Security 
of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the 
Senate a report on the implementation of paragraph 
(1). 
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Union Calendar No. 378 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5828 
[Report No. 116–471] 
A BILL 
To support remediation of illicit cross-border 
tunnels, and for other purposes. 
AUGUST 7, 2020 
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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