I 
117TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 8207 
To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to reauthorize the Border 
Enforcement Security Task Force program of the Department of Home-
land Security, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 23, 2022 
Mr. GUEST (for himself and Ms. STEFANIK) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Homeland Security 
A BILL 
To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to reauthorize 
the Border Enforcement Security Task Force program 
of the Department of Homeland Security, and for other 
purposes. 
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 
Security Task Force Reauthorization Act of 2022’’. 
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SEC. 2. UPDATED CONSIDERATIONS FOR THE ESTABLISH-
MENT OF BEST UNITS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—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 
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 established pursuant to sec-
tion 708 and other joint cross-border initiatives 
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would be enhanced, improved, or otherwise as-
sisted by the BEST unit.’’. 
(b) PORT SECURITY.—Subsection (c) of section 432 
of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 240(c)) 
is amended by— 
(1) redesignating paragraph (3) as paragraph 
(4); and 
(2) by inserting after paragraph (2) the fol-
lowing new paragraph: 
‘‘(3) 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 CONSIDERATIONS FOR OPERATION.— 
Paragraph (2) of section 432(d) of the Homeland Security 
Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 240(d)) is amended by inserting 
‘‘salary reimbursement,’’ before ‘‘operational’’. 
(d) UPDATED REPORT ELEMENTS.—Subsection (e) 
of section 432 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (620 
U.S.C. 240(e)) is amended to read as follows: 
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‘‘(e) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of this section and annually there 
after for the following five years, the Secretary shall sub-
mit to the Committee on Homeland Security of the House 
of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Secu-
rity and Governmental Affairs of the Senate 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. 
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‘‘(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.’’. 
(e) TECHNICAL AMENDMENT.—Section 432 of the 
Homeland Security Act of 2002 (620 U.S.C. 240) is 
amended by striking ‘‘tribal’’ each place such term ap-
pears and inserting ‘‘Tribal’’. 
Æ 
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