[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1897 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1897
To require the Secretary of Homeland Security to enhance capabilities
for outbound inspections at the southern land border, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
June 8, 2023
Ms. Hassan (for herself and Mr. Lankford) introduced the following
bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland
Security and Governmental Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the Secretary of Homeland Security to enhance capabilities
for outbound inspections at the southern land border, 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 ``Enhancing Southbound Inspections to
Combat Cartels Act''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term
``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(A) the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate;
(B) the Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs of the Senate;
(C) the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate;
(D) the Committee on Appropriations of the House of
Representatives;
(E) the Committee on Homeland Security of the House
of Representatives; and
(F) the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of
Representatives.
(2) Southern border.--The term ``Southern Border'' means
the international land border between the United States and
Mexico.
SEC. 3. ADDITIONAL U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION PERSONNEL FOR
SOUTHBOUND INSPECTIONS.
(a) CBP Officers.--The Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border
Protection shall hire, train, and assign not fewer than 500 new
officers to assist with inspections of pedestrians, cars, trucks, and
other modes of transportation traveling from the United States to
Mexico.
(b) Support Staff.--The Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border
Protection is authorized to hire, train, and assign such additional
support staff as may be necessary to support the functions carried out
by the officers hired pursuant to subsection (a).
SEC. 4. ADDITIONAL INSPECTION EQUIPMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE.
(a) Imaging Systems.--The Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border
Protection is authorized to purchase up to 50 additional non-intrusive
imaging systems, which shall be deployed along the Southern Border for
the purpose of inspecting vehicles traveling from the United States to
Mexico.
(b) Alternative Equipment.--The Commissioner of U.S. Customs and
Border Protection is authorized to purchase additional alternative
equipment that the Commissioner deems necessary for the purpose of
inspecting individuals or vehicles traveling from the United States to
Mexico.
SEC. 5. ADDITIONAL HOMELAND SECURITY INVESTIGATIONS PERSONNEL FOR
INVESTIGATIONS OF SOUTHBOUND SMUGGLING.
(a) HSI Special Agents.--The Director of U.S. Immigration and
Customs Enforcement shall hire, train, and assign not fewer than 100
new Homeland Security Investigations special agents to assist with
investigations involving the smuggling of currency and firearms from
the United States to Mexico.
(b) Support Staff.--The Director is authorized to hire, train, and
assign such additional support staff as may be necessary to support the
functions carried out by the special agents hired pursuant to
subsection (a).
SEC. 6. REPORT.
(a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall submit
a report to the appropriate congressional committees that--
(1) identifies infrastructure limitations at any individual
port that may limit the ability of U.S. Customs and Border
Protection to deploy additional inspection equipment and
inspect vehicles and pedestrians traveling from the United
States to Mexico;
(2) identifies the number of dedicated outbound traffic
lanes that are being used at each port of entry along the
Southern Border;
(3) provides a detailed explanation of any plans to expand
the outbound lane capacity and inspection capabilities at ports
of entry along the Southern Border; and
(4) describes any plans that would allow for the use of
alternative inspection sites near a port of entry along the
Southern Border.
(b) Classification.--The report submitted pursuant to subsection
(a), or any part of such report, may be classified or provided with
other appropriate safeguards to prevent public dissemination.
SEC. 7. MINIMUM MANDATORY SOUTHBOUND INSPECTION REQUIREMENT.
(a) Requirement.--The Secretary of Homeland Security shall ensure
that 20 percent of all vehicles traveling from the United States to
Mexico are inspected before leaving the United States, to the extent
practicable.
(b) Authorized Inspection Activities.--Inspections required
pursuant to subsection (a) may include nonintrusive imaging, physical
inspections by officers or canine units, or other means authorized by
the Secretary of Homeland Security.
(c) Report.--Not later than 6 months after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall submit
a report to the appropriate congressional committees that describes the
staffing model that will be used to carry out the inspection
requirement described in subsection (a).
SEC. 8. SOUTHBOUND CURRENCY AND FIREARMS SEIZURES QUARTERLY REPORT.
(a) In General.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, and every 90 days thereafter until the date that
is 4 years after such date of enactment, the Commissioner of U.S.
Customs and Border Protection shall submit a report to the appropriate
congressional committees that describes the seizure of currency,
firearms, and ammunition attempted to be trafficked from the United
States to Mexico across the Southern Border.
(b) Contents.--Each report submitted pursuant to subsection (a)
shall include, for the most recent 90-day period for which such
information is available--
(1) the total number of currency seizures that occurred
from outbound inspections at United States land ports of entry
along the Southern Border;
(2) the total dollar amount associated with the currency
seizures referred to in paragraph (1);
(3) the total number of firearms seized from outbound
inspections at United States land ports of entry along the
Southern Border;
(4) the total number of ammunition rounds seized from
outbound inspections at United States land ports of entry along
the Southern Border; and
(5) the total number of incidents of firearm seizures and
ammunition seizures that occurred at United States land ports
of entry along the Southern Border.
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