184 
system assessment and validation of emergency responder 
equipment, which shall be known as the ‘‘SAVER Pro-
gram’’. The Under Secretary shall ensure that such pro-
gram— 
(1) conducts objective, impartial, practitioner- 
relevant, and operationally oriented assessments and 
validations of commercial emergency responder equip-
ment and systems; 
(2) is supported by a network of technical enti-
ties that coordinate emergency responder participa-
tion to perform the assessment and validation activi-
ties using robust scientific and testing protocols; 
(3) in coordination with the Administrator of 
the Federal Emergency Management Agency, identi-
fies emergency responder equipment information 
needs and prioritizes equipment to be assessed; 
(4) provides quantitative results along with other 
relevant equipment information to the emergency re-
sponse provider community in an operationally use-
ful form; 
(5) provides information on equipment that falls 
within the categories listed in the Department’s au-
thorized equipment list; 
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185 
(6) provides information that enables decision- 
makers and responders to better select, procure, use, 
and maintain emergency responder equipment; and 
(7) shares such information nationally with the 
emergency response provider community at the Fed-
eral, State, and local levels. 
SEC. 591. NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SECURITY CENTER 
OF EXCELLENCE. 
Section 1205(d) of the Implementing Recommenda-
tions of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007 (6 U.S.C. 
1103(d)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 
end; 
(2) in paragraph (4), by striking the period at 
the end and inserting a semicolon; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following new para-
graphs: 
‘‘(5) $18,000,000 for fiscal year 2012; 
‘‘(6) $18,000,000 for fiscal year 2013; and 
‘‘(7) $18,000,000 for fiscal year 2014.’’. 
SEC. 592. MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING FOR DISASTER 
VICTIMS. 
The Secretary shall conduct a review on the activities 
associated with mental health counseling for disaster vic-
tims to ensure that policies, procedures, and coordination 
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186 
efforts of the Department are adequate and serve the inter-
ests of disaster victims. 
SEC. 593. EFFECTIVENESS OF CERTAIN DISASTER PREPARA-
TION. 
The Comptroller General of the United States shall 
conduct a study evaluating the effectiveness of the Robert 
T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act 
(42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.) relating to disaster housing pro-
grams and collaboration and coordination between the Fed-
eral Emergency Management Agency and the Department 
of Housing and Urban Development. 
TITLE VI—BORDER SECURITY 
PROVISIONS 
SEC. 601. DEFINITIONS. 
In this title: 
(1) COMMISSIONER.—The term ‘‘Commissioner’’ 
means the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border 
Protection of the Department of Homeland Security. 
(2) MAJOR VIOLATOR.—The term ‘‘major viola-
tor’’ means a person or entity that is or has engaged 
in serious criminal activities at any land, air, or sea 
port of entry, including possession of narcotics, smug-
gling of prohibited products, human smuggling, weap-
ons possession, use of fraudulent United States docu-
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187 
ments, and other offenses serious enough to result in 
arrest. 
(3) NORTHERN
BORDER.—The term ‘‘northern 
border’’ means the international border between the 
United States and Canada. 
(4) OPERATIONAL CONTROL.—The term ‘‘oper-
ational control’’ has the meaning given such term in 
section 2(b) of the Secure Fence Act of 2006 (8 U.S.C. 
1701 note; Public Law 109–367). 
(5) SOUTHERN
BORDER.—The term ‘‘southern 
border’’ means the international border between the 
United States and Mexico. 
SEC. 602. STRATEGY TO ACHIEVE OPERATIONAL CONTROL 
OF THE BORDER. 
(a) STRATEGY TO SECURE THE BORDER BETWEEN 
THE PORTS OF ENTRY.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit 
to the appropriate congressional committees a comprehen-
sive strategy for gaining, within five years, operational con-
trol of the international borders between the ports of entry 
of the United States. The strategy shall include an analysis 
of the following: 
(1) Staffing requirements for all border security 
functions. 
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(2) Investment in infrastructure, including pe-
destrian fencing, vehicle barriers, and roads. 
(3) The use of unmanned aerial vehicles, camera 
technology, sensors, and other innovative technology 
as the Secretary may determine. 
(4) Cooperative agreements with international, 
State, local, tribal, and other Federal law enforcement 
agencies that have jurisdiction on the northern border 
and southern border. 
(5) Other means designed to detect, respond to, 
and interdict unlawful cross-border activity and to 
reduce the level of violence. 
(6) A schedule for implementing security meas-
ures, including a prioritization for future invest-
ments. 
(7) A comprehensive technology plan for major 
surveillance and detection technology programs, in-
cluding a justification and rationale for technology 
choices and deployment locations. 
(8) The feasibility of using existing Tethered 
Aerostat Radar Systems for use along the southwest 
border. 
(b) SECURING THE BORDER AT PORTS OF ENTRY.— 
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of 
this Act, the Secretary shall develop metrics to measure the 
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effectiveness of security at ports of entry, which shall con-
sider, at minimum, the following: 
(1) The number of infractions related to per-
sonnel and cargo committed by major violators who 
are apprehended by U.S. Customs and Border Protec-
tion at such ports of entry. 
(2) The estimated number of such infractions 
committed by major violators who are not so appre-
hended. 
(3) The required number of U.S. Customs and 
Border Protection Officers, Agricultural Specialists, 
and Canine Enforcement Officers necessary to achieve 
operational control at such ports of entry. 
(4) Infrastructure improvements required to 
achieve operational control at such ports of entry, in-
cluding the installation of nonintrusive detection 
equipment, radiation portal monitors, biometrics, and 
other sensors and technology that the Secretary deter-
mines necessary. 
(5) The deployment of resources based on the 
overall commercial and passenger traffic, cargo vol-
ume, and threat environment at such ports of entry. 
(c) EVALUATION
BY NATIONAL LABORATORY.—The 
Secretary shall submit a request to a Department of Energy 
national laboratory with appropriate expertise in border se-
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190 
curity to evaluate the suitability and statistical validity of 
the measurement system required under subsection (b) for 
analyzing progress in the interdiction of unlawful crossings 
and contraband at ports of entry. 
(d) CONSIDERATION OF ALTERNATIVE BORDER SECU-
RITY STANDARDS.—If in developing the strategic plan re-
quired under subsection (a) the Secretary determines to 
measure security between ports of entry by a standard other 
than operational control, the Secretary shall submit a re-
quest to a Department of Energy national laboratory with 
appropriate expertise in border security to evaluate the 
suitability and statistical validity of the measurement sys-
tem required under subsection (b) for analyzing progress 
in the interdiction of unlawful crossings and contraband 
at ports of entry. 
(e) REPORTS.—Not later than 90 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act and annually thereafter, the 
Secretary shall submit to the appropriate congressional 
committees a report on the following: 
(1) A resource allocation model for current and 
future year staffing requirements that includes opti-
mal staffing levels at all land, air, and sea ports of 
entry and an explanation of U.S. Customs and Bor-
der Protection methodology for aligning staffing levels 
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and workload to threats and vulnerabilities across all 
mission areas. 
(2) Detailed information on the level of man-
power data available at all land, air, and sea ports 
of entry, including the number of canine and agricul-
tural officers assigned to each such port of entry. 
(f) PRIORITY.—In making infrastructure improve-
ments at ports of entry in accordance with subsection 
(b)(4), the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Pro-
tection, in coordination with the heads of relevant Federal 
departments and agencies, shall give priority to those ports 
of entry determined to be in most need of repair in order 
to improve border security and for other purposes in accord-
ance with port of entry infrastructure assessment studies 
required in section 603 of the Border Infrastructure and 
Technology Modernization Act of 2007 (enacted as title VI 
of division E of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008 
(Public Law 110–161)). 
SEC. 603. MAINTAINING BORDER PATROL STAFFING. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to the availability of appro-
priations, for each of fiscal years 2012 and 2013, the Sec-
retary shall maintain a force of not fewer than 21,300 Bor-
der Patrol agents and sufficient support staff for such 
agents, including mechanics, administrative support, and 
surveillance personnel. 
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(b) NORTHERN BORDER.—Of the Border Patrol agents 
referred to in subsection (a), not fewer than 2,200 of such 
agents shall be assigned to the northern border. 
(c) DEPLOYMENT.—The Commissioner of U.S. Cus-
toms and Border Protection shall take into account appre-
hension rates, unlawful border crossings, and the number 
of apprehensions of aliens unlawfully present in the United 
States per Border Patrol agent when determining the de-
ployment locations of the Border Patrol agents referred to 
in subsection (a). 
SEC. 604. JAIME ZAPATA BORDER ENFORCEMENT SECURITY 
TASK FORCE. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established in United 
States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) a 
program known as a Border Enforcement Security Task 
Force (referred to as ‘‘BEST’’). 
(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the BEST program is 
to establish units to enhance border security by addressing 
and reducing border security threats and violence by— 
(1) facilitating collaboration among Federal, 
State, local, tribal, and foreign law enforcement agen-
cies to execute coordinated activities in furtherance of 
border security, and homeland security; and 
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(2) enhancing information-sharing, including the 
dissemination of homeland security information 
among such agencies. 
(c) COMPOSITION AND DESIGNATION.— 
(1) COMPOSITION.—BEST units may be com-
prised of personnel from— 
(A) United States Immigration and Cus-
toms Enforcement; 
(B) United States Customs and Border Pro-
tection; 
(C) the Coast Guard; 
(D) other Federal agencies, as appropriate; 
(E) appropriate State law enforcement 
agencies; 
(F) foreign law enforcement agencies, as ap-
propriate; 
(G) local law enforcement agencies from af-
fected border cities and communities; and 
(H) appropriate tribal law enforcement 
agencies. 
(2) DESIGNATION.—The Secretary is authorized 
to establish BEST units in jurisdictions where such 
units can contribute to the BEST program’s missions. 
Prior to establishing a BEST unit, the Assistant Sec-
retary shall consider the following factors: 
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‘‘(6) establish roles and responsibilities for the 
Under Secretary for Science and Technology, the 
Under Secretary for Policy, the Under Secretary for 
Management, and the heads of operational compo-
nents of the Department; 
‘‘(7) strengthen first responder participation in 
identifying and prioritizing homeland security tech-
nological gaps, including by— 
‘‘(A) soliciting feedback from appropriate 
national associations and advisory groups rep-
resenting the first responder community and 
first responders within the components of the De-
partment; and 
‘‘(B) establishing and promoting a publicly 
accessible portal to allow the first responder com-
munity to help the Directorate develop homeland 
security research and development goals; 
‘‘(8) institute a mechanism to publicize the De-
partment’s funded and unfunded homeland security 
technology priorities for the purpose of informing the 
Federal, State, and local governments, first respond-
ers, and the private sector; 
‘‘(9) establish considerations to be used by the 
Directorate in selecting appropriate research entities, 
including the national laboratories, federally funded 
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