[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1199 Reported in Senate (RS)]

<DOC>





                                                       Calendar No. 254
115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1199

                          [Report No. 115-179]

 To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to reauthorize the Border 
   Enforcement Security Task Force program within the Department of 
               Homeland Security, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 22, 2017

 Mrs. McCaskill (for herself, Mr. Tester, and Mr. Johnson) introduced 
the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee 
             on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

                            October 30, 2017

                Reported by Mr. Johnson, with amendments
  [Omit the part struck through and insert the part printed in italic]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to reauthorize the Border 
   Enforcement Security Task Force program within the Department of 
               Homeland Security, 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 ``Border Enforcement Security Task 
Force Reauthorization Act of 2017''.

SEC. 2. MODIFIED INSTRUCTIONS.

    (a) Updated Considerations for the Establishment of Units.--Section 
432(c)(2) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 240(c)) is 
amended--
            (1) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking 
        ``shall consider'' and inserting ``shall apply risk-based 
        criteria that takes into consideration'';
            (2) in subparagraph (A), by inserting ``, including threats 
        posed by transnational criminal organizations'' before the 
        semicolon at the end;
            (3) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``and'' at the end;
            (4) in subparagraph (D), by striking the period at the end 
        and inserting a semicolon; and
            (5) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(E) the extent to which the BEST unit would 
                advance the Department's homeland and border security 
                strategic priorities and related objectives; and
                    ``(F) whether departmental Joint Task Force 
                operations established pursuant to section 708 and 
                other joint cross-border initiatives would be enhanced, 
                improved, or otherwise assisted by the BEST unit.''.
    (b) Port Security.--Section 432(c) of the Homeland Security Act of 
2002, as amended by subsection (a), is further amended by adding at the 
end the following:
            ``(4) Port security best units.--A BEST unit established 
        pursuant to paragraph (2) with a port security nexus shall be 
        composed of at least 1 member of each of the following:
                    ``(A) The Coast Guard Investigative Service.
                    ``(B) The geographically responsible Coast Guard 
                Sector Intelligence Office.''.
    (c) Updated Report Elements.--Section 432(e) of the Homeland 
Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 240(e)) is amended to read as follows:
    ``(e) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this subsection, and annually thereafter for the following 
5 years, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report that 
includes--
            ``(1) a description of the effectiveness of BEST in 
        enhancing border security, disrupting and dismantling 
        transnational criminal organizations, and reducing drug 
        trafficking, arms smuggling, child exploitation, illegal alien 
        trafficking and smuggling, violence, and kidnapping along and 
        across the international borders of the United States, as 
        measured by crime statistics, including violent deaths, 
        incidents of violence, and drug-related arrests;
            ``(2) an assessment of how BEST enhances information-
        sharing, including the dissemination of homeland security 
        information, among Federal, State, local, tribal, and foreign 
        law enforcement agencies, as well as BEST capability gaps 
        relating to intelligence coordinating and sharing efforts;
            ``(3) a description of how BEST advances the Department's 
        homeland and border security strategic priorities and 
        effectiveness of BEST in achieving related objectives; and
            ``(4) an assessment of BEST's joint operational efforts 
        with departmental Joint Task Force operations established 
        pursuant to section 708 and other joint cross-border 
        initiatives;.
            ``(5) An assessment of whether additional authorities are 
        needed to accomplish the BEST mission;
            ``(6) An assessment of whether additional Memos of 
        Understanding are needed to address intelligence and 
        coordination gaps; and
            ``(7) An assessment of whether funding has an impact on the 
        overall mission of BEST operations to assist in advancing the 
        Department's homeland and border security priorities and 
        related objectives.''.

SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF DANGER PAY ALLOWANCE FOR ICE AGENTS STATIONED 
              IN DANGEROUS AREAS.

    (a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that providing 
personnel danger pay to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) 
agents who are assigned to dangerous overseas posts will--
            (1) help modernize ICE's overseas workforce compensation 
        system; and
            (2) place ICE on equal footing with the law enforcement 
        agencies of the Department of Justice.
    (b) Authorization.--Section 5928 of title 5, United States Code, is 
amended by inserting ``The Secretary of State may not deny a request by 
the Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Director 
of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, or the Director of U.S. 
Immigration and Customs Enforcement to authorize a danger pay allowance 
under this section for any employee of any such agency.'' after the 
first sentence.
    (c) Conforming Amendment.--Section 151 of the Foreign Relations 
Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1990 and 1991 (Public Law 101-246) is 
repealed.
    (d) Reporting Requirement.--Not later than 30 days after the date 
on which regulations are issued pursuant to subsection (d), the 
Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement shall submit a 
report to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate, the 
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate, 
the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives, and 
the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives that 
specifies--
            (1) the overseas posts that have been designated by the 
        Director as locations at which ICE agents will receive a danger 
        pay allowance; and
            (2) the justification for each such designation.
                                                       Calendar No. 254

115th CONGRESS

  1st Session

                                S. 1199

                          [Report No. 115-179]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to reauthorize the Border 
   Enforcement Security Task Force program within the Department of 
               Homeland Security, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                            October 30, 2017

                        Reported with amendments