[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 640 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 640

       To authorize appropriations for the United States Customs 
                         Cybersmuggling Center.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            February 9, 1999

  Mr. Lampson (for himself, Ms. Jackson-Lee of Texas, Mr. Foley, Mr. 
Frost, Ms. Rivers, Mr. Rothman, Mr. Sherman, Mr. Peterson of Minnesota, 
 Mr. Gutknecht, and Mr. Bentsen) introduced the following bill; which 
            was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
       To authorize appropriations for the United States Customs 
                         Cybersmuggling Center.

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

SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

    The Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) Child pornography, a worldwide industry that was all 
        but eradicated in the 1980's, has resurfaced with a vengeance, 
        because of computer technology.
            (2) This illegal activity has flourished on the Internet, 
        with child pornography traded freely in chat rooms, news 
        groups, and private e-mail.
            (3) Pedophiles, child molesters, and other purveyors of 
        child pornography now have instant access to explicit photos in 
        the privacy of their own homes and offices.
            (4) Pursuant to the Child Protection Act of 1984, the 
        Customs Service created its first anti-child-pornography 
        program in 1985, which provides administrative, programmatic, 
        and operational support to all field offices and attaches of 
        the Customs Service.
            (5) Although the efforts of the Customs Service in keeping 
        hard copy print and video child pornography from entering the 
        United States have been largely successful, the computer has 
        increasingly become the venue of choice for pedophiles, child 
        molesters, and other purveyors of child pornography to gain 
        wider, easier, and safer access to child pornography and to 
        children.
            (6) To further combat both traditional and computer-based 
        forms of child pornography and exploitation, the Commissioner 
        of Customs established the Customs Service International Child 
        Pornography Investigation and Coordination Center (ICPICC), 
        currently known as the United States Customs Cybersmuggling 
        Center, the primary objectives of which are to provide guidance 
        and support to the field in the investigation of complex cases 
        involving child pornography violations and to coordinate the 
        international efforts of the Customs Service to combat child 
        pornography and train foreign law enforcement officials. The 
        functions of the Center are--
                    (A) to design and maintain computer data bases for 
                the compilation and analysis of intelligence related to 
                child pornography;
                    (B) to act as the central processing point for the 
                coordination and dissemination of all domestic and 
                foreign intelligence information from the Customs 
                Service and other agencies and entities relating to 
                child pornography investigations, including developing 
                and coordinating special projects to obtain 
                intelligence on child pornography;
                    (C) to develop and operate proactive undercover 
                operations and provide information and evidence to the 
                field for investigation;
                    (D) to act as the central coordinating point for 
                all child pornography undercover operations and 
                initiatives in the field to maximize use of scarce 
                resources and eliminate duplication of effort;
                    (E) to assist the training academy of the Customs 
                Service in the development of training courses in child 
                pornography investigations; and
                    (F) to conduct an aggressive public awareness 
                campaign to educate the public, the press, and the 
                worldwide law enforcement community about the role of 
                the Customs Service in investigating child exploitation 
                and trafficking of child pornography.
            (7) Additional funding is required for the United States 
        Customs Cybersmuggling Center to effectively perform its 
        functions.

SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR UNITED STATES CUSTOMS 
              CYBERSMUGGLING CENTER.

    There are authorized to be appropriated for the United States 
Customs Cybersmuggling Center, originally established in April 1996 as 
the International Child Pornography Investigation and Coordination 
Center (ICPICC), $5,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2000, 2001, 
2002, and 2003.
                                 <all>