[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1787 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







105th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 1787

   To authorize additional appropriations for United States Customs 
Service personnel and technology in order to expedite the flow of legal 
    commercial and passenger traffic at United States land borders.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 17, 1998

Mr. Gramm (for himself, Mrs. Hutchison, Mr. Grassley, Mr. D'Amato, Mr. 
Kyl, Mr. Gorton, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. Bingaman, Mrs. Boxer, Mrs. Murray, 
Mr. McCain, and Mr. Domenici) introduced the following bill; which was 
          read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To authorize additional appropriations for United States Customs 
Service personnel and technology in order to expedite the flow of legal 
    commercial and passenger traffic at United States land borders.

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

SECTION 1. AUTHORIZATION FOR UNITED STATES CUSTOMS SERVICE.

    (a) In General.--In order to enhance border investigative resources 
on the Southwest border, enhance investigative resources for 
anticorruption efforts, intensify efforts against drug smuggling and 
money-laundering organizations, process cargo, reduce commercial and 
passenger traffic waiting times, and open all primary lanes during peak 
hours at certain ports on the Southwest and Northern borders, in 
addition to any other amount appropriated, there are authorized to be 
appropriated for salaries, expenses, and equipment for the United 
States Customs Service for purposes of carrying out this section--
            (1) $161,248,584 for fiscal year 1999;
            (2) $185,751,328 for fiscal year 2000; and
            (3) such sums as may be necessary in each fiscal year 
        thereafter.
    (b) Fiscal Year 1999.--Of the amounts authorized to be appropriated 
under subsection (a)(1) for fiscal year 1999, $48,404,000 shall be 
available until expended for acquisition and other expenses associated 
with implementation and full deployment of narcotics enforcement and 
cargo processing technology along the Southwest border, including--
            (1) $6,000,000 for 8 Vehicle and Container Inspection 
        Systems (VACIS);
            (2) $11,000,000 for 5 mobile truck x-rays with transmission 
        and backscatter imaging;
            (3) $12,000,000 for the upgrade of 8 fixed-site truck x-
        rays from the present energy level of 450,000 electron volts to 
        1,000,000 electron volts (1-MeV);
            (4) $7,200,000 for 8 1-MeV pallet x-rays;
            (5) $1,000,000 for 200 portable contraband detectors 
        (busters) to be distributed among ports where the current 
        allocations are inadequate;
            (6) $600,000 for 50 contraband detection kits to be 
        distributed among all Southwest border ports based on traffic 
        volume;
            (7) $500,000 for 25 ultrasonic container inspection units 
        to be distributed among all ports receiving liquid-filled cargo 
        and to ports with a hazardous material inspection facility;
            (8) $2,450,000 for 7 automated targeting systems;
            (9) $360,000 for 30 rapid tire deflator systems to be 
        distributed to those ports where port runners are a threat;
            (10) $480,000 for 20 Portable Treasury Enforcement 
        Communications System (TECS) terminals to be moved among ports 
        as needed;
            (11) $1,000,000 for 20 remote watch surveillance camera 
        systems at ports where there are suspicious activities at 
        loading docks, vehicle queues, secondary inspection lanes, or 
        areas where visual surveillance or observation is obscured;
            (12) $1,254,000 for 57 weigh-in-motion sensors to be 
distributed among the ports with the greatest volume of outbound 
traffic;
            (13) $180,000 for 36 AM radio ``Welcome to the United 
        States'' stations, with 1 station to be located at each border 
        crossing;
            (14) $1,040,000 for 260 inbound vehicle counters to be 
        installed at every inbound vehicle lane;
            (15) $950,000 for 38 spotter camera systems to counter the 
        surveillance of Customs inspection activities by persons 
        outside the boundaries of ports where such surveillance 
        activities are occurring;
            (16) $390,000 for 60 inbound commercial truck transponders 
        to be distributed to all ports of entry;
            (17) $1,600,000 for 40 narcotics vapor and particle 
        detectors to be distributed to each border crossing; and
            (18) $400,000 for license plate reader automatic targeting 
        software to be installed at each port to target inbound 
        vehicles.
    (c) Fiscal Year 2000 and Thereafter.--Of the amount authorized to 
be appropriated under subsection (a) (2) and (3) for fiscal year 2000 
and each fiscal year thereafter, $4,840,400 shall be for the 
maintenance and support of the equipment and training of personnel to 
maintain and support the equipment described in subsection (b), based 
on an estimate of 10 percent of the cost of such equipment.
    (d) New Technologies: Use of Funds.--
            (1) In general.--The Commissioner of Customs may use the 
        amounts authorized to be appropriated for equipment under this 
        section for equipment other than the equipment specified in 
        subsection (b) if such other equipment--
                    (A)(i) is technologically superior to the equipment 
                specified in subsection (b); and
                    (ii) will achieve at least the same results at a 
                cost that is the same or less than the equipment 
                specified in subsection (b); or
                    (B) can be obtained at a lower cost than the 
                equipment authorized in paragraphs (1) through (18).
            (2) Transfer of funds.--Notwithstanding any other provision 
        of this section, the Commissioner of Customs may reallocate an 
        amount not to exceed 10 percent of the amount specified in any 
        of paragraphs (1) through (18) of subsection (b) for equipment 
        specified in any other of such paragraphs (1) through (18).
    (e) Peak Hours and Investigative Resource Enhancement.--Of the 
amounts authorized to be appropriated under subsection (a) for fiscal 
years 1999 and 2000, $112,844,584 in fiscal year 1999 and $180,910,928 
for fiscal year 2000 shall be for--
            (1) a net increase of 535 inspectors and 60 special agents 
        for the Southwest border and 375 inspectors for the Northern 
        border, in order to open all primary lanes on the Southwest and 
        Northern borders during peak hours and enhance investigative 
        resources;
            (2) a net increase of 285 inspectors and canine enforcement 
        officers to be distributed at large cargo facilities as needed 
        to process and screen cargo (including rail cargo) and reduce 
        commercial waiting times on the Southwest border;
            (3) a net increase of 360 special agents, 40 intelligence 
        analysts, and additional resources to be distributed among 
        offices that have jurisdiction over major metropolitan drug or 
        narcotics distribution and transportation centers for 
        intensification of efforts against drug smuggling and money-
        laundering organizations;
            (4) a net increase of 50 positions and additional resources 
        to the Office of Internal Affairs to enhance investigative 
        resources for anticorruption efforts; and
            (5) the costs incurred as a result of the increase in 
        personnel hired pursuant to this section.
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