[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1437 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1437

 To establish a Southern Border Security Task Force to coordinate the 
    efforts of Federal, State, and local border and law enforcement 
 officials and task forces to protect United States border cities and 
communities from violence associated with drug trafficking, gunrunning, 
illegal alien smuggling, violence, and kidnapping along and across the 
       international border between the United States and Mexico.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 11, 2009

 Mr. Cuellar introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Homeland Security, and in addition to the Committee on the 
 Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 
 in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the 
                jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To establish a Southern Border Security Task Force to coordinate the 
    efforts of Federal, State, and local border and law enforcement 
 officials and task forces to protect United States border cities and 
communities from violence associated with drug trafficking, gunrunning, 
illegal alien smuggling, violence, and kidnapping along and across the 
       international border between the United States and Mexico.

    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 ``Southern Border Security Task Force 
Act of 2009''.

SEC. 2. SOUTHERN BORDER SECURITY TASK FORCE.

    (a) Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall 
establish a Southern Border Security Task Force (in this Act referred 
to as the ``Task Force'') to coordinate the efforts of Federal, State, 
and local border and law enforcement officials and task forces to 
protect United States border cities and communities from violence 
associated with drug trafficking, gunrunning, illegal alien smuggling, 
violence, and kidnapping along and across the international border 
between the United States and Mexico.
    (b) Composition and Deployment.--
            (1) Composition.--The Task Force shall be comprised of 
        personnel from--
                    (A) United States Customs and Border Protection;
                    (B) United States Immigration and Customs 
                Enforcement;
                    (C) the Coast Guard;
                    (D) other Federal agencies, as appropriate;
                    (E) southern border State law enforcement agencies; 
                and
                    (F) local law enforcement agencies from affected 
                southern border cities and communities.
            (2) Deployment.--The Secretary of Homeland Security shall 
        deploy the Task Force along the international border between 
        the United States and Mexico in cities and communities most 
        affected by violence, as determined by the Secretary.
    (c) Director.--The Secretary of Homeland Security shall appoint as 
a Director of the Task Force an individual who is experienced and 
knowledgeable in law enforcement generally and border security issues 
specifically.
    (d) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
establishment of the Task Force under subsection (a) and annually 
thereafter, the Secretary of Homeland Security 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 effectiveness of the Task Force in reducing the drug 
trafficking, gunrunning, illegal alien smuggling, violence, and 
kidnapping along and across the international border between the United 
States and Mexico as measured by crime statistics, including violent 
deaths, incidents of violence, and drug related arrests.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary of Homeland Security $10,000,000 for each 
of fiscal years 2010 through 2014--
            (1) to establish and operate the Task Force, including to 
        provide for operational, administrative, and technological 
        costs to Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies 
        participating in the Task Force; and
            (2) to investigate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals 
        engaged in drug trafficking, gunrunning, illegal alien 
        smuggling, violence, and kidnapping along and across the 
        international border between the United States and Mexico.
                                 <all>