[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2291 Reported in Senate (RS)]

<DOC>





                                                       Calendar No. 257
118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2291

                          [Report No. 118-119]

  To establish the Northern Border Coordination Center, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 13, 2023

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

                           November 30, 2023

               Reported by Mr. Peters, with an amendment
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To establish the Northern Border Coordination Center, and for other 
                               purposes.

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

<DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    This Act may be cited as the ``Northern Border 
Coordination Act''.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    In this Act:</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) Center.--The term ``Center'' means the 
        Northern Border Coordination Center established pursuant to 
        section 3.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) C-UAS.--The term ``C-UAS'' means counter-
        unmanned aircraft systems.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) Department.--The term ``Department'' means the 
        Department of Homeland Security.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) Northern border.--The term ``northern border'' 
        means the international border between the United States and 
        Canada.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (5) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the 
        Secretary of Homeland Security.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (6) Unmanned aircraft; unmanned aircraft 
        systems.--The terms ``unmanned aircraft'' and ``unmanned 
        aircraft system'' have the meanings given such terms in section 
        44801 of title 49, United States Code.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 3. NORTHERN BORDER COORDINATION CENTER.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) Establishment.--Not later than 1 year after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish the 
Northern Border Coordination Center.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Purpose.--The purpose of the Center shall be to serve 
as the Department's forward deployed centralized coordination center 
for operations, domain awareness, information sharing, intelligence, 
training, and stakeholder engagement with Federal, State, tribal, 
local, and international government partners along the northern border 
of the United States at a location that is collocated with an existing 
U.S. Border Patrol sector headquarters, the U.S. Border Patrol Northern 
Border Coordination Center, an Air and Marine Operations branch, and a 
United States Coast Guard air station.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (c) Components.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) In general.--The Center shall collocate 
        personnel and activities of--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) U.S. Customs and Border Protection, 
                including U.S. Border Patrol and Air and Marine 
                Operations;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) the United States Coast 
                Guard;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) Federal Law Enforcement Training 
                Centers;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (D) the Science and Technology 
                Directorate;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (E) other components and offices of the 
                Department that the Secretary determines to be 
                necessary; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (F) additional Federal, State, tribal, 
                local, and international government partners, as the 
                Secretary determines to be necessary and appropriate to 
                support operations described in this Act.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (d) Functions.--The Center shall perform the functions 
described in this subsection in addition to any other functions 
assigned by the Secretary.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) Northern border security strategy.--The 
        Center, in collaboration with relevant offices and components 
        of the Department, shall--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) serve as a coordination mechanism for 
                operational components for the implementation, 
                evaluation, and updating of the Northern Border 
                Security Strategy and any successor strategy; 
                and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) support the development of best 
                practices and policies for personnel at the northern 
                border to support such implementation.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Training.--The Center shall serve as a 
        training location to support the delivery of training or 
        exercises for Department personnel and Federal, State, tribal, 
        local, and international government partners.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) Metrics.--The Center, in collaboration with 
        relevant offices and components of the Department, shall 
        coordinate the development and tracking of border security 
        metrics for the northern border.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) Resource and technological needs and 
        challenges.--The Center, in collaboration with relevant offices 
        and components of the Department, shall--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) identify resource and technological 
                needs or challenges affecting security along the 
                northern border;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) serve as a testing ground and 
                demonstration location for the testing of border 
                security technology, including determining such 
                technology's suitability and performance in the 
                northern border and maritime environments; 
                and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) develop and test new technological 
                capabilities to respond to the increased use of 
                unmanned aircraft systems, including to specifically 
                improve domain awareness along the northern 
                border.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (5) Air and marine operations.--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) Quick reaction capabilities.--In 
                support of the Center, U.S. Customs and Border 
                Protection's Air and Marine Operations--</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (i) shall establish and maintain 
                        capability that is collocated with the Center 
                        and available for quick deployment in support 
                        of the northern border missions of the Center, 
                        U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the 
                        Department, specifically missions in the Great 
                        Lakes region; and</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (ii) in coordination with the 
                        Center and relevant offices and components of 
                        the Department, shall evaluate requirements and 
                        make recommendations to support the operations 
                        of large unmanned aircraft systems based at the 
                        Center.</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) Northern border domain awareness.--In 
                order to coordinate with the Center and support its 
                operations, the Air and Marine Operations Center shall 
                establish a unit at the Center to provide the Center 
                the capability--</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (i) to support air and maritime 
                        domain awareness and information sharing 
                        efforts along the northern border;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (ii) to provide dedicated 
                        monitoring of northern border systems; 
                        and</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (iii) to lead, in coordination 
                        with other U.S. Customs and Border Protection 
                        components, Federal, State, tribal, local, and 
                        international governments, and private sector 
                        partners, the Center's efforts to track and 
                        monitor legitimate cross-border traffic 
                        involving unmanned aircraft and unmanned 
                        aircraft systems.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (6) Counter-unmanned aircraft systems.--The Center 
        shall support counter-unmanned aircraft systems operations 
        along the northern border to respond to the increased use of 
        unmanned aircraft systems.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (7) Privacy and civil rights.--The Center, in 
        collaboration with the Chief Privacy Officer and the Office for 
        Civil Rights and Civil Liberties of the Department, shall 
        ensure that operations and practices of the Center comply with 
        the privacy and civil rights policies of the Department and its 
        components.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (e) Annual Reporting.--Not later than 180 days after the 
establishment of the Center, and annually thereafter, the Secretary 
shall submit a report to the Committee on Homeland Security and 
Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Homeland 
Security of the House of Representatives that describes the activities 
of the Center during the most recently concluded fiscal year, 
including--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) personnel levels;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) additional resources that are needed to 
        support the operations of the Center and northern border 
        operations of the Department; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) any additional assets or authorities that are 
        needed to increase security and domain awareness along the 
        northern border.</DELETED>

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Northern Border Coordination Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Center.--The term ``Center'' means the Northern Border 
        Coordination Center established pursuant to section 3.
            (2) Department.--The term ``Department'' means the 
        Department of Homeland Security.
            (3) Northern border.--The term ``northern border'' means 
        the international border between the United States and Canada.
            (4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Homeland Security.

SEC. 3. NORTHERN BORDER COORDINATION CENTER.

    (a) Establishment.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish the Northern 
Border Coordination Center.
    (b) Purpose.--The purpose of the Center shall be to serve as the 
Department's forward deployed centralized coordination center for 
operations, domain awareness, information sharing, intelligence, 
training, and stakeholder engagement with Federal, State, tribal, 
local, and international government partners along the northern border 
of the United States. The Center shall be placed along the northern 
border at a location that is collocated with an existing U.S. Border 
Patrol sector headquarters, an Air and Marine Operations branch, and a 
United States Coast Guard air station, and other existing Department 
activities.
    (c) Components.--
            (1) In general.--The Center shall collocate personnel and 
        activities of--
                    (A) U.S. Customs and Border Protection, including 
                U.S. Border Patrol and Air and Marine Operations;
                    (B) the United States Coast Guard;
                    (C) U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's 
                Homeland Security Investigations;
                    (D) other components and offices of the Department 
                that the Secretary determines to be necessary, 
                including to support the training, technology testing, 
                and development described in subsection (d); and
                    (E) additional Federal, State, tribal, local, and 
                international government partners, as the Secretary 
                determines to be necessary and appropriate to support 
                the coordination of operations described in this Act.
    (d) Functions.--The Center shall perform the functions described in 
this subsection in addition to any other functions assigned by the 
Secretary.
            (1) Northern border strategy.--The Center, in collaboration 
        with relevant offices and components of the Department, shall--
                    (A) serve as a coordination mechanism for 
                operational components for the implementation, 
                evaluation, and updating of the Northern Border 
                Strategy and any successor strategy; and
                    (B) support the development of best practices and 
                policies for personnel at the northern border to 
                support such implementation.
            (2) Training.--The Center shall serve as a training 
        location to support the delivery of training or exercises for 
        Department personnel and Federal, State, tribal, local, and 
        international government partners.
            (3) Metrics.--The Center, in collaboration with relevant 
        offices and components of the Department, shall coordinate the 
        development and tracking of border security metrics for the 
        northern border.
            (4) Resource and technological needs and challenges.--The 
        Center, in collaboration with relevant offices and components 
        of the Department, shall--
                    (A) identify resource and technological needs or 
                challenges affecting security along the northern 
                border; and
                    (B) serve as a testing ground and demonstration 
                location for the testing of border security technology, 
                including determining such technology's suitability and 
                performance in the northern border and maritime 
                environments.
            (5) Air and marine operations.--
                    (A) Quick reaction capabilities.--In support of the 
                Center, U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Air and 
                Marine Operations--
                            (i) shall establish and maintain capability 
                        that is collocated with the Center and 
                        available for quick deployment in support of 
                        the northern border missions, U.S. Customs and 
                        Border Protection, and the Department, 
                        including missions in the Great Lakes region; 
                        and
                            (ii) in coordination with the Center and 
                        relevant offices and components of the 
                        Department, shall evaluate requirements and 
                        make recommendations to support the operations 
                        of large unmanned aircraft systems based at the 
                        Center.
                    (B) Northern border domain awareness.--In order to 
                coordinate with the Center and support its operations, 
                the Air and Marine Operations Center shall collocate 
                personnel and resources with the Center to enhance the 
                Department's capabilities to--
                            (i) support air and maritime domain 
                        awareness and information sharing efforts along 
                        the northern border;
                            (ii) provide dedicated monitoring of 
                        northern border systems; and
                            (iii) lead, in coordination with other U.S. 
                        Customs and Border Protection components, 
                        Federal, State, tribal, local, and 
                        international governments, and private sector 
                        partners, the Center's efforts to track and 
                        monitor legitimate cross-border traffic 
                        involving unmanned aircraft and unmanned 
                        aircraft systems.
            (6) Counter-unmanned aircraft systems.--Pursuant to 
        policies established by the Secretary, the Center shall support 
        counter-unmanned aircraft systems operations along the northern 
        border to respond to the increased use of unmanned aircraft 
        systems. Such support may involve development, testing, and 
        evaluation of technologies.
            (7) Privacy and civil rights.--The Center, in collaboration 
        with the Chief Privacy Officer and the Office for Civil Rights 
        and Civil Liberties of the Department, shall ensure that 
        operations and practices of the Center comply with the privacy 
        and civil rights policies of the Department and its components.
    (e) Annual Reporting.--Not later than 180 days after the 
establishment of the Center, and annually thereafter, the Secretary 
shall submit a report to the Committee on Homeland Security and 
Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Homeland 
Security of the House of Representatives that describes the activities 
of the Center during the most recently concluded fiscal year, 
including--
            (1) personnel levels;
            (2) additional resources that are needed to support the 
        operations of the Center and northern border operations of the 
        Department; and
            (3) any additional assets or authorities that are needed to 
        increase security and domain awareness along the northern 
        border.
    (f) Temporary Duty Assignments.--The Secretary shall submit a 
quarterly report to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 
Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Homeland Security of the 
House of Representatives regarding temporary duty assignments of U.S. 
Border Patrol agents during the reporting period, including--
            (1) the number of agents on temporary duty assignment;
            (2) the duration of the temporary duty assignment; and
            (3) the sectors from which the agents were assigned.
    (g) Rule of Construction.--The Center established pursuant to 
subsection (a) shall be established separate and distinct from the 
Secretary's authorities under section 708 of the Homeland Security Act 
of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 348).
                                                       Calendar No. 257

118th CONGRESS

  1st Session

                                S. 2291

                          [Report No. 118-119]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

  To establish the Northern Border Coordination Center, and for other 
                               purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                           November 30, 2023

                       Reported with an amendment