[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 404 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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116th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 404
To require the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection to
acquire and enhance technology and assets in rural or remote areas near
the southern border and to establish an Agent Mobility Demonstration
Program.
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IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
February 7, 2019
Mr. Heinrich (for himself and Mr. Udall) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security
and Governmental Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection to
acquire and enhance technology and assets in rural or remote areas near
the southern border and to establish an Agent Mobility Demonstration
Program.
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 ``Remote Areas Border Security
Enhancements Act''.
SEC. 2. DEFINED TERM.
In this Act, the term ``rural or remote area'' means an area within
the United States along the international border between the United
States and Mexico that is not within an area defined and designated by
the Bureau of the Census as an urbanized area.
SEC. 3. BORDER SECURITY ENHANCEMENTS IN MOUNTAINOUS, HIGH DESERT, AND
BACKCOUNTRY TERRAIN.
(a) In General.--Notwithstanding section 102 of the Illegal
Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (8 U.S.C.
1103 note; Public Law 104-208), the Secretary of Homeland Security may
not begin the construction of any infrastructure project (including a
pedestrian fence, vehicle barrier, levee, gate, wall, fence, road, or
port of entry) along the international border between the United States
and Mexico until--
(1) the Comptroller General of the United States conducts a
study that evaluates the need for enhanced technology and
maintenance on existing equipment and other resources in rural
or remote areas, prioritizing mountainous, high desert, and
backcountry areas, including the estimated costs for carrying
out the activities described in paragraph (2); and
(2) the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border
Protection--
(A) increases the use of advanced detection and
surveillance technology;
(B) acquires fixed and mobile technology assets,
including night vision technology;
(C) increases and improves interoperable
communications;
(D) acquires and deploys such additional horses and
off-road vehicles, including all-terrain vehicles, as
may be necessary to provide for enhanced security in
rural or remote areas near the international border
between the United States and Mexico;
(E) increases and upgrades facilities to the extent
necessary to accommodate personnel and asset needs,
including horse patrol facilities; and
(F) performs any maintenance and care that may be
necessary to preserve the operational capability of all
mountainous, high desert, and backcountry assets,
including technology assets, vehicles, forward
operating bases, and horse patrol facilities.
(b) Requirements.--In carrying out subsection (a), the Commissioner
shall--
(1) consult with agents in the field; and
(2) prioritize the deployment of such technology based on
the needs of remote stations and forward operating bases in
rural or remote areas near the international border between the
United States and Mexico.
SEC. 4. REPORT.
Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act,
the Commissioner shall submit a report to the appropriate congressional
committees that describes the implementation of section 3, including--
(1) the assets deployed in rural or remote areas near the
international border between the United States and Mexico; and
(2) the expenditures incurred to acquire and deploy such
assets.
SEC. 5. AGENT MOBILITY DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Homeland Security shall establish
a 5-year pilot program in the El Paso Sector, to be known as the
``Agent Mobility Program'', under which agents assigned within the El
Paso Sector may laterally transfer to a designated, hard-to-fill
station within the El Paso Sector for a period of at least 3 years.
(b) Completion of Service.--Any agent who completes 3 years of
service at a hard-to-fill station to which he or she transferred under
the program established under paragraph (1)--
(1) shall be presented to the selecting officer as a
preferred agent; and
(2) shall be eligible to transfer to 1 of 3 border patrol
stations in the El Paso Sector of his or her choice that has an
opening at the time of such transfer.
SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
In addition to amounts otherwise authorized to be appropriated,
there is authorized to be appropriated, to U.S. Customs and Border
Protection, the amount determined to be necessary under the study
required under section 3(a)(1) to carry out the activities described in
section 3(a)(2).
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