[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 572 Reported in Senate (RS)]
<DOC>
Calendar No. 251
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 572
To enhance the effectiveness of the Shadow Wolves Program, and for
other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
February 13, 2025
Mr. Gallego (for himself, Mr. Kelly, Mr. Hoeven, and Mr. Lankford)
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
November 3, 2025
Reported by Mr. Paul, with an amendment
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed
in italic]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To enhance the effectiveness of the Shadow Wolves Program, and for
other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
<DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.</DELETED>
<DELETED> This Act may be cited as the ``Shadow Wolves Improvement
Act''.</DELETED>
<DELETED>SEC. 2. ENHANCING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE SHADOW WOLVES
PROGRAM.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (a) In General.--Subtitle D of title IV of the Homeland
Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 251 et seq.) is amended by adding at the
end the following:</DELETED>
<DELETED>``SEC. 448. SHADOW WOLVES PROGRAM.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(a) Mission and Goals.--The Director of U.S. Immigration
and Customs Enforcement (referred to in this section as the
`Director'), in coordination with appropriate representatives of
partnering Tribal governments, including the Tohono O'odham Nation,
shall specify the mission and goals of the Shadow Wolves
Program.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(b) Staffing.--The Director shall determine--</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(1) the number of special agents needed to staff
the Shadow Wolves Program nationally; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(2) the knowledge, skills, and abilities that
such special agents shall be required to possess.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(c) Strategy.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of the Shadow Wolves Improvement Act, the Director, in
consultation with appropriate representatives of partnering Tribal
governments, including the Tohono O'odham Nation, shall update the
strategy required under section 3 of the Shadow Wolves Enhancement Act
(Public Law 117-113) by adding--</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(1) measurable objectives to achieve the
retention and recruitment of law enforcement officers, and the
expansion goals set forth in the strategy;</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(2) a timeline for achieving such goals;
and</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(3) milestones for recruiting qualified special
agents for the Shadow Wolves Program to meet the target
identified in the staffing needs assessment required under
subsection (b)(1).</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(d) Provision of Information.--The Director shall
provide, to all GS-1801 Tactical Officers who are employed as Shadow
Wolves by Homeland Security Investigations as of the date of the
enactment of the Shadow Wolves Improvement Act, written information
that will help them make an informed decision about reclassifying as
special agents, including--</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(1) individualized information regarding how
reclassification would affect pay, including changes to
overtime pay, and retirement compensation;</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(2) steps such officers are required to complete
to be reclassified as special agents, including--</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(A) whether they must meet training
requirements;</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(B) a description of those
requirements;</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(C) whether they are exempt from
physical fitness, medical, or polygraph examinations;
and</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(D) whether they are eligible for
overtime pay during such training; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(3) any other relevant information that the
Director believes would help such officers make an informed
decision regarding such reclassification.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(e) Succession Plan.--The Director shall develop a plan
for the timely recruitment of qualified individuals to fill vacant
special agent positions in the Shadow Wolves Program that will result
from anticipated retirements.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(f) Program Expansion.--The Director shall--</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(1) develop criteria for evaluating and
selecting additional tribal lands on which additional Shadow
Wolves units may be located, including the amount of additional
funding necessary and potential sources for such funding;
and</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(2) in developing such criteria, give
consideration to tribal lands located in proximity to existing
facilities that provide Federal law enforcement
training.''.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents for the
Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 101 et seq.) is amended by
inserting after the item relating to section 447 the
following:</DELETED>
<DELETED>``Sec. 448. Shadow Wolves Program.''.
<DELETED>SEC. 3. REPORT TO CONGRESS ON IMPLEMENTATION OF SHADOW WOLVES
PROGRAM ENHANCEMENTS.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (a) Definitions.--In this section:</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the
Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) Relevant congressional committees.--The term
``relevant congressional committees'' means--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) the Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs of the Senate;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) the Committee on the Judiciary of the
Senate;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (C) the Committee on Homeland Security of
the House of Representatives; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (D) the Committee on the Judiciary of the
House of Representatives.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (b) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Director shall submit a report to the
relevant congressional committees that describes the progress that has
been made towards the full implementation of--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) section 448 of the Homeland Security Act of
2002, as added by section 2(a), including the required
coordination with appropriate representatives of the Tohono
O'odham Nation and other partnering Tribal governments, to
specify the mission and goals of the Shadow Wolves Program,
which shall include tracking, interdiction, and investigation;
and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) section 2(4) of the Shadow Wolves Enhancement
Act, as added by section 4.</DELETED>
<DELETED>SEC. 4. CONVERSION OF EXPERIENCED SHADOW WOLVES TO CAREER
APPOINTMENT IN THE COMPETITIVE SERVICE.</DELETED>
<DELETED> Section 2 of the Shadow Wolves Enhancement Act (Public Law
117-113) is amended--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) in paragraph (2), by striking ``and'' at the
end;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) in paragraph (3), by striking the period at
the end and inserting ``; and''; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (3) by adding at the end the following:</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(4) to noncompetitively convert Shadow Wolves,
after their successful completion of three years as Shadow
Wolves, regardless of location assigned, from the excepted
service to career or career conditional appointments in the
competitive service.''.</DELETED>
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Shadow Wolves Improvement Act''.
SEC. 2. ENHANCING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE SHADOW WOLVES PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--Subtitle D of title IV of the Homeland Security
Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 251 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the
following:
``SEC. 448. SHADOW WOLVES PROGRAM.
``(a) Mission and Goals.--The Director of U.S. Immigration and
Customs Enforcement (referred to in this section as the `Director'), in
coordination with appropriate representatives of partnering Tribal
governments, including the Tohono O'odham Nation, shall specify the
mission and goals of the Shadow Wolves Program.
``(b) Staffing.--The Director shall determine--
``(1) the number of special agents needed to staff the
Shadow Wolves Program nationally; and
``(2) the knowledge, skills, and abilities that such
special agents shall be required to possess.
``(c) Strategy.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of the Shadow Wolves Improvement Act, the Director, in
consultation with appropriate representatives of partnering Tribal
governments, including the Tohono O'odham Nation, shall update the
strategy required under section 3 of the Shadow Wolves Enhancement Act
(Public Law 117-113) by adding--
``(1) measurable objectives to achieve the retention and
recruitment of law enforcement officers, and the expansion
goals set forth in the strategy;
``(2) a timeline for achieving such goals; and
``(3) milestones for recruiting qualified special agents
for the Shadow Wolves Program to meet the target identified in
the staffing needs assessment required under subsection (b)(1).
``(d) Provision of Information.--The Director shall provide, to all
GS-1801 Tactical Officers who are employed as Shadow Wolves by Homeland
Security Investigations as of the date of the enactment of the Shadow
Wolves Improvement Act, written information that will help them make an
informed decision about reclassifying as special agents, including--
``(1) individualized information regarding how
reclassification would affect pay, including changes to
overtime pay, and retirement compensation;
``(2) steps such officers are required to complete to be
reclassified as special agents, including--
``(A) whether they must meet training requirements;
``(B) a description of those requirements;
``(C) whether they are exempt from physical
fitness, medical, or polygraph examinations; and
``(D) whether they are eligible for overtime pay
during such training; and
``(3) any other relevant information that the Director
believes would help such officers make an informed decision
regarding such reclassification.
``(e) Succession Plan.--The Director shall develop a plan for the
timely recruitment of qualified individuals to fill vacant special
agent positions in the Shadow Wolves Program that will result from
anticipated retirements.
``(f) Program Expansion.--The Director shall--
``(1) develop criteria for evaluating and selecting
additional tribal lands on which additional Shadow Wolves units
may be located, including the amount of additional funding
necessary and potential sources for such funding; and
``(2) in developing such criteria, give consideration to
tribal lands located in proximity to existing facilities that
provide Federal law enforcement training.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents for the Homeland
Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 101 et seq.) is amended by inserting
after the item relating to section 447 the following:
``Sec. 448. Shadow Wolves Program.''.
SEC. 3. REPORT TO CONGRESS ON IMPLEMENTATION OF SHADOW WOLVES PROGRAM
ENHANCEMENTS.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
(2) Relevant congressional committees.--The term ``relevant
congressional committees'' means--
(A) the Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs of the Senate;
(B) the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate;
(C) the Committee on Homeland Security of the House
of Representatives; and
(D) the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of
Representatives.
(b) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment
of this Act, the Director shall submit a report to the relevant
congressional committees that describes the progress that has been made
towards the full implementation of--
(1) section 448 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, as
added by section 2(a), including the required coordination with
appropriate representatives of the Tohono O'odham Nation and
other partnering Tribal governments, to specify the mission and
goals of the Shadow Wolves Program, which shall include
tracking, interdiction, and investigation; and
(2) section 2(4) of the Shadow Wolves Enhancement Act, as
added by section 4.
SEC. 4. CONVERSION OF EXPERIENCED SHADOW WOLVES TO CAREER APPOINTMENT
IN THE COMPETITIVE SERVICE.
Section 2 of the Shadow Wolves Enhancement Act (Public Law 117-113)
is amended--
(1) in paragraph (2), by striking ``and'' at the end;
(2) in paragraph (3), by striking the period at the end and
inserting ``; and''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(4) to noncompetitively convert Shadow Wolves, after
their successful completion of three years as Shadow Wolves,
regardless of location assigned, from the excepted service to
career or career conditional appointments in the competitive
service.''.
SEC. 5. NO ADDITIONAL FUNDS.
No additional funds are authorized to be appropriated for the
purpose of carrying out this Act.
Calendar No. 251
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 572
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To enhance the effectiveness of the Shadow Wolves Program, and for
other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
November 3, 2025
Reported with an amendment