DHS Illicit Cross-Border Tunnel Defense Act
Bill: H.R.4209 | Sponsor: Rep. Pfluger, August (R-TX)
Policy area: Immigration

Summary:
DHS Illicit Cross-Border Tunnel Defense Act
This bill authorizes for FY2023 and FY2024 U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) activities to identify and remediate illicit cross-border tunnels. CBP shall also develop and report to Congress a strategic plan to guide and improve such operations.

To support remediation of illicit cross-border tunnels, and for other 
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``DHS Illicit Cross-Border Tunnel 
Defense Act''.

SEC. 2. COUNTER ILLICIT CROSS-BORDER TUNNEL OPERATIONS.

    (a) Counter Illicit Cross-border Tunnel Operations Strategic 
Plan.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and 
        Border Protection, in coordination with the Under Secretary for 
        Science and Technology, and, as appropriate, other officials of 
        the Department of Homeland Security, shall develop a counter 
        illicit cross-border tunnel operations strategic plan (in this 
        section referred to as the ``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 technologies 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 
                operations resource needs assessment that includes 
                consideration of the following:
                            (i) Technology needs.
                            (ii) Staffing needs, including the 
                        following:
                                    (I) A position description for 
                                counter illicit cross-border tunnel 
                                operations personnel.
                                    (II) Any specialized skills 
                                required of such personnel.
                                    (III) The number of such full time 
                                personnel, disaggregated by U.S. Border 
                                Patrol sector.
            (2) Report to congress on strategic plan.--Not later than 
        one year after the development of the strategic plan, 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 the strategic plan.
    (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection 
$1,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2023 and 2024 to carry out--
            (1) the development of the strategic plan; and
            (2) remediation operations of illicit cross-border tunnels 
        in accordance with the strategic plan to the maximum extent 
        practicable.
                                                       Calendar No. 568

117th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                               H. R. 4209

                          [Report No. 117-215]

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