[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 129 (Friday, September 21, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6664-S6665]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
JAIME ZAPATA BORDER ENFORCEMENT SECURITY TASK FORCE ACT
Mr. PRYOR. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed
to consideration of Calendar No. 497, H.R. 915.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
The legislative clerk read as follows:
A bill (H.R. 915) to establish a Border Enforcement
Security Task Force program to enhance border security by
fostering coordinated efforts among Federal, State, and local
border and law enforcement officials to protect United States
border cities and communities from trans-national crime,
including violence associated with drug trafficking, arms
smuggling, illegal alien trafficking and smuggling, violence,
and kidnapping along and across the international borders of
the United States, and for other purposes.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill
which has been reported from the Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs, with an amendment to strike all after the
enacting clause and insert in lieu thereof the following:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Jaime Zapata Border
Enforcement Security Task Force Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND DECLARATION OF PURPOSES.
Congress finds the following:
(1) The Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) overriding
mission is to lead a unified national effort to protect the
United States. United
[[Page S6665]]
States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is the
largest investigative agency within DHS and is charged with
enforcing a wide array of laws, including laws related to
securing the border and combating criminal smuggling.
(2) Mexico's northern border with the United States has
experienced a dramatic surge in border crime and violence in
recent years due to intense competition between Mexican drug
cartels and criminal smuggling organizations that employ
predatory tactics to realize their profits.
(3) Law enforcement agencies at the United States northern
border also face challenges from transnational smuggling
organizations.
(4) In response, DHS has partnered with Federal, State,
local, tribal, and foreign law enforcement counterparts to
create the Border Enforcement Security Task Force (BEST)
initiative as a comprehensive approach to addressing border
security threats. These multi-agency teams are designed to
increase information-sharing and collaboration among the
participating law enforcement agencies.
(5) BEST teams incorporate personnel from ICE, United
States Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the Drug
Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol,
Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATFE), the Federal Bureau
of Investigation (FBI), the United States Coast Guard (USCG),
and the U.S. Attorney's Office (USAO), along with other key
Federal, State and local law enforcement agencies.
(6) Foreign law enforcement agencies participating in BEST
include Mexico's Secretaria de Seguridad Publica (SSP), the
Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), the Ontario Provincial
Police (OPP), and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).
SEC. 3. BORDER ENFORCEMENT SECURITY TASK FORCE.
(a) In General.--Subtitle C of title IV of the Homeland
Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 231 et seq.) is amended by
adding at the end the following:
``SEC. 432. BORDER ENFORCEMENT SECURITY TASK FORCE.
``(a) Establishment.--There is established within the
Department a program to be known as the Border Enforcement
Security Task Force (referred to in this section as `BEST').
``(b) Purpose.--The purpose of BEST is to establish units
to enhance border security by addressing and reducing border
security threats and violence by--
``(1) facilitating collaboration among Federal, State,
local, tribal, and foreign law enforcement agencies to
execute coordinated activities in furtherance of border
security, and homeland security; and
``(2) enhancing information-sharing, including the
dissemination of homeland security information among such
agencies.
``(c) Composition and Establishment of Units.--
``(1) Composition.--BEST units may be comprised of
personnel from--
``(A) U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement;
``(B) U.S. Customs and Border Protection;
``(C) the United States Coast Guard;
``(D) other Department personnel, as appropriate
``(E) other Federal agencies, as appropriate;
``(F) appropriate State law enforcement agencies;
``(G) foreign law enforcement agencies, as appropriate;
``(H) local law enforcement agencies from affected border
cities and communities; and
``(I) appropriate tribal law enforcement agencies.
``(2) Establishment of units.--The Secretary is authorized
to establish BEST units in jurisdictions in which such units
can contribute to BEST missions, as appropriate. Before
establishing a BEST unit, the Secretary shall consider--
``(A) whether the area in which the BEST unit would be
established is significantly impacted by cross-border
threats;
``(B) the availability of Federal, State, local, tribal,
and foreign law enforcement resources to participate in the
BEST unit;
``(C) the extent to which border security threats are
having a significant harmful impact in the jurisdiction in
which the BEST unit is to be established, and other
jurisdictions in the country; and
``(D) whether or not an Integrated Border Enforcement Team
already exists in the area in which the BEST unit would be
established.
``(3) Duplication of efforts.--In determining whether to
establish a new BEST unit or to expand an existing BEST unit
in a given jurisdiction, the Secretary shall ensure that the
BEST unit under consideration does not duplicate the efforts
of other existing interagency task forces or centers within
that jurisdiction.
``(d) Operation.--After determining the jurisdictions in
which to establish BEST units under subsection (c)(2), and in
order to provide Federal assistance to such jurisdictions,
the Secretary may--
``(1) direct the assignment of Federal personnel to BEST,
subject to the approval of the head of the department or
agency that employs such personnel; and
``(2) take other actions to assist Federal, State, local,
and tribal entities to participate in BEST, including
providing financial assistance, as appropriate, for
operational, administrative, and technological costs
associated with the participation of Federal, State, local,
and tribal law enforcement agencies in BEST.
``(e) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date on
which BEST is established under this section, and annually
thereafter for the following 5 years, the Secretary shall
submit a report to Congress that describes the effectiveness
of BEST in enhancing border security and reducing the drug
trafficking, arms smuggling, 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.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents under
section 1(b) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C.
101(b)) is amended by inserting after the item relating to
section 431 the following:
``Sec. 432. Border Enforcement Security Task Force.''.
Mr. PRYOR. I ask unanimous consent the committee-reported substitute
amendment be agreed to and the bill as amended be read a third time.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The committee amendment in the nature of a substitute was ordered to
be engrossed and the bill read a third time.
Mr. PRYOR. I know of no further debate on the bill.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. If there is no further debate, the question is
on passage of the measure.
The bill (H.R. 915), as amended, was read the third time and passed.
Mr. PRYOR. I ask unanimous consent the motion to reconsider be laid
upon the table with no intervening action or debate and any related
statements be printed in the Record as if read.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
____________________