[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 115 (Thursday, July 11, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Page S4649]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 2297. Ms. HASSAN (for herself and Mr. Lankford) submitted an 
amendment intended to be proposed by her to the bill S. 4638, to 
authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2025 for military activities 
of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for 
defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military 
personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which 
was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the end of subtitle B of title X, add the following:

     SECTION 1014. ENHANCING SOUTHBOUND INSPECTIONS TO COMBAT 
                   CARTELS.

       (a) Short Title.--This section may be cited as the 
     ``Enhancing Southbound Inspections to Combat Cartels Act''.
       (b) Definitions.--In this section:
       (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.
       (c) Additional Inspection Equipment and Infrastructure.--
       (1) Imaging systems.--The Commissioner of U.S. Customs and 
     Border Protection is authorized--
       (A) to purchase up to 50 additional non-intrusive imaging 
     systems; and
       (B) to procure additional associated supporting 
     infrastructure.
       (2) Deployment.--The systems and infrastructure purchased 
     or otherwise procured pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be 
     deployed along the Southern Border for the primary purpose of 
     inspecting any persons, conveyances, or modes of 
     transportation traveling from the United States to Mexico.
       (3) Alternative equipment.--The Commissioner of U.S. 
     Customs and Border Protection is authorized to procure 
     additional infrastructure or alternative inspection equipment 
     that the Commissioner deems necessary for the purpose of 
     inspecting any persons, conveyances, or modes of 
     transportation traveling from the United States to Mexico.
       (4) Sunset.--Paragraphs (1) and (3) shall cease to have 
     force and effect beginning on the date that is 5 years after 
     the date of the enactment of this Act.
       (d) Additional Homeland Security Investigations Personnel 
     for Investigations of Southbound Smuggling.--
       (1) HSI special agents.--The Director of U.S. Immigration 
     and Customs Enforcement shall hire, train, and assign--
       (A) not fewer than 100 new Homeland Security Investigations 
     special agents to primarily assist with investigations 
     involving the smuggling of currency and firearms from the 
     United States to Mexico; and
       (B) not fewer than 100 new Homeland Security Investigations 
     special agents to assist with investigations involving the 
     smuggling of contraband, human trafficking and smuggling 
     (including that of children), drug smuggling, and 
     unauthorized entry into the United States from Mexico.
       (2) 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 paragraph (1).
       (e) Report.--
       (1) 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--
       (A) identifies the resources provided, including equipment, 
     personnel, and infrastructure, and the annual budget to carry 
     out outbound and inbound inspections, including, to the 
     extent practicable, resources specifically used for 
     inspections of any individuals and modes of transportation--
       (i) from the United States to Mexico or to Canada; and
       (ii) from Mexico or Canada into the United States.
       (B) describes the operational cadence of all outbound and 
     inbound inspections of individuals and conveyances traveling 
     from the United States to Mexico or to Canada and from Mexico 
     or Canada into the United States, described as a percentage 
     of total encounters or as the total number of inspections 
     conducted;
       (C) describes any plans that would allow for the use of 
     alternative inspection sites near a port of entry;
       (D) includes an estimate of--
       (i) the number of vehicles and conveyances that can be 
     inspected with up to 50 additional non-intrusive imaging 
     systems dedicated to southbound inspections;
       (ii) the number of vehicles and conveyances that can be 
     inspected with up to 50 additional non-intrusive imaging 
     systems that may be additionally dedicated to inbound 
     inspections along the southwest border; and
       (iii) the number of additional investigations and seizures 
     that will occur based on the additional equipment and 
     inspections; and
       (E) assesses the capability of inbound inspections by 
     authorities of the Government of Mexico, in cooperation with 
     United States law enforcement agencies, to detect and 
     interdict the flow of illicit weapons and currency being 
     smuggled--
       (i) from the United States to Mexico; and
       (ii) from Mexico into the United States.
       (2) Classification.--The report submitted pursuant to 
     paragraph (1), or any part of such report, may be classified 
     or provided with other appropriate safeguards to prevent 
     public dissemination.
       (f) Minimum Mandatory Southbound Inspection Requirement.--
       (1) Requirement.--Not later than March 30, 2027, the 
     Secretary of Homeland Security shall ensure, to the extent 
     practicable, that not fewer than 10 percent of all 
     conveyances and other modes of transportation traveling from 
     the United States to Mexico are inspected before leaving the 
     United States.
       (2) Authorized inspection activities.--Inspections required 
     pursuant to paragraph (1) may include nonintrusive imaging, 
     physical inspections by officers or canine units, or other 
     means authorized by the Secretary of Homeland Security.
       (3) Report on additional inspections capabilities.--Not 
     later than March 30, 2028, the Secretary of Homeland Security 
     shall submit a report to the appropriate congressional 
     committees that--
       (A) assesses the Department of Homeland Security's timeline 
     and resource requirements for increasing inspection rates to 
     between 15 and 20 percent of all conveyances and modes of 
     transportation traveling from the United States to Mexico; 
     and
       (B) includes estimates for the numbers of additional 
     investigations and seizures the Department expects if such 
     inspection rates are so increased.
       (g) Currency and Firearms Seizures Quarterly Report.--
       (1) 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 out of the United 
     States.
       (2) Contents.--Each report submitted pursuant to paragraph 
     (1) shall include, for the most recent 90-day period for 
     which such information is available--
       (A) the total number of currency seizures that occurred 
     from outbound inspections at United States ports of entry;
       (B) the total dollar amount associated with the currency 
     seizures referred to in subparagraph (A);
       (C) the total number of firearms seized from outbound 
     inspections at United States ports of entry;
       (D) the total number of ammunition rounds seized from 
     outbound inspections at United States ports of entry; and
       (E) the total number of incidents of firearm seizures and 
     ammunition seizures that occurred at United States ports of 
     entry.
                                 ______