[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1897 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1897

 To require the Secretary of Homeland Security to enhance capabilities 
  for outbound inspections at the southern land border, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              June 8, 2023

  Ms. Hassan (for herself and Mr. Lankford) introduced the following 
 bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland 
                   Security and Governmental Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To require the Secretary of Homeland Security to enhance capabilities 
  for outbound inspections at the southern land border, 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 ``Enhancing Southbound Inspections to 
Combat Cartels Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term 
        ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
                    (A) the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate;
                    (B) the Committee on Homeland Security and 
                Governmental Affairs of the Senate;
                    (C) the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate;
                    (D) the Committee on Appropriations of the House of 
                Representatives;
                    (E) the Committee on Homeland Security of the House 
                of Representatives; and
                    (F) the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of 
                Representatives.
            (2) Southern border.--The term ``Southern Border'' means 
        the international land border between the United States and 
        Mexico.

SEC. 3. ADDITIONAL U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION PERSONNEL FOR 
              SOUTHBOUND INSPECTIONS.

    (a) CBP Officers.--The Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border 
Protection shall hire, train, and assign not fewer than 500 new 
officers to assist with inspections of pedestrians, cars, trucks, and 
other modes of transportation traveling from the United States to 
Mexico.
    (b) Support Staff.--The Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border 
Protection is authorized to hire, train, and assign such additional 
support staff as may be necessary to support the functions carried out 
by the officers hired pursuant to subsection (a).

SEC. 4. ADDITIONAL INSPECTION EQUIPMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE.

    (a) Imaging Systems.--The Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border 
Protection is authorized to purchase up to 50 additional non-intrusive 
imaging systems, which shall be deployed along the Southern Border for 
the purpose of inspecting vehicles traveling from the United States to 
Mexico.
    (b) Alternative Equipment.--The Commissioner of U.S. Customs and 
Border Protection is authorized to purchase additional alternative 
equipment that the Commissioner deems necessary for the purpose of 
inspecting individuals or vehicles traveling from the United States to 
Mexico.

SEC. 5. ADDITIONAL HOMELAND SECURITY INVESTIGATIONS PERSONNEL FOR 
              INVESTIGATIONS OF SOUTHBOUND SMUGGLING.

    (a) HSI Special Agents.--The Director of U.S. Immigration and 
Customs Enforcement shall hire, train, and assign not fewer than 100 
new Homeland Security Investigations special agents to assist with 
investigations involving the smuggling of currency and firearms from 
the United States to Mexico.
    (b) Support Staff.--The Director is authorized to hire, train, and 
assign such additional support staff as may be necessary to support the 
functions carried out by the special agents hired pursuant to 
subsection (a).

SEC. 6. REPORT.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall submit 
a report to the appropriate congressional committees that--
            (1) identifies infrastructure limitations at any individual 
        port that may limit the ability of U.S. Customs and Border 
        Protection to deploy additional inspection equipment and 
        inspect vehicles and pedestrians traveling from the United 
        States to Mexico;
            (2) identifies the number of dedicated outbound traffic 
        lanes that are being used at each port of entry along the 
        Southern Border;
            (3) provides a detailed explanation of any plans to expand 
        the outbound lane capacity and inspection capabilities at ports 
        of entry along the Southern Border; and
            (4) describes any plans that would allow for the use of 
        alternative inspection sites near a port of entry along the 
        Southern Border.
    (b) Classification.--The report submitted pursuant to subsection 
(a), or any part of such report, may be classified or provided with 
other appropriate safeguards to prevent public dissemination.

SEC. 7. MINIMUM MANDATORY SOUTHBOUND INSPECTION REQUIREMENT.

    (a) Requirement.--The Secretary of Homeland Security shall ensure 
that 20 percent of all vehicles traveling from the United States to 
Mexico are inspected before leaving the United States, to the extent 
practicable.
    (b) Authorized Inspection Activities.--Inspections required 
pursuant to subsection (a) may include nonintrusive imaging, physical 
inspections by officers or canine units, or other means authorized by 
the Secretary of Homeland Security.
    (c) Report.--Not later than 6 months after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall submit 
a report to the appropriate congressional committees that describes the 
staffing model that will be used to carry out the inspection 
requirement described in subsection (a).

SEC. 8. SOUTHBOUND CURRENCY AND FIREARMS SEIZURES QUARTERLY REPORT.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, and every 90 days thereafter until the date that 
is 4 years after such date of enactment, the Commissioner of U.S. 
Customs and Border Protection shall submit a report to the appropriate 
congressional committees that describes the seizure of currency, 
firearms, and ammunition attempted to be trafficked from the United 
States to Mexico across the Southern Border.
    (b) Contents.--Each report submitted pursuant to subsection (a) 
shall include, for the most recent 90-day period for which such 
information is available--
            (1) the total number of currency seizures that occurred 
        from outbound inspections at United States land ports of entry 
        along the Southern Border;
            (2) the total dollar amount associated with the currency 
        seizures referred to in paragraph (1);
            (3) the total number of firearms seized from outbound 
        inspections at United States land ports of entry along the 
        Southern Border;
            (4) the total number of ammunition rounds seized from 
        outbound inspections at United States land ports of entry along 
        the Southern Border; and
            (5) the total number of incidents of firearm seizures and 
        ammunition seizures that occurred at United States land ports 
        of entry along the Southern Border.
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