[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 7 (Tuesday, January 14, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Page S155]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 44. Ms. CORTEZ MASTO (for herself and Mrs. Blackburn) submitted an 
amendment intended to be proposed by her to the bill S. 5, to require 
the Secretary of Homeland Security to take into custody aliens who have 
been charged in the United States with theft, and for other purposes; 
which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the end of the bill, add the following:

     SEC. 4. JOINT OPERATIONS CENTERS.

       (a) Short Title.--This section may be cited as the 
     ``Advanced Border Coordination Act of 2025''.
       (b) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) Centers.--The term ``Centers'' means the Joint 
     Operations Centers established under subsection (c)(1).
       (2) Department.--The term ``Department'' means the 
     Department of Homeland Security.
       (3) Participating federal agency.--The term ``participating 
     Federal agency'' means--
       (A) the Department;
       (B) the Department of Defense;
       (C) the Department of Justice; and
       (D) any other Federal agency as the Secretary determines 
     appropriate.
       (4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of Homeland Security.
       (5) State.--The term ``State'' means each State of the 
     United States, the District of Columbia, and any territory or 
     possession of the United States.
       (c) Establishment of Joint Operations Centers.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than 6 months after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Department shall establish not 
     less than 2 Joint Operations Centers along the southern 
     border of the United States to provide unified coordination 
     centers, where law enforcement from multiple Federal, State, 
     local, and Tribal agencies can collaborate in accordance with 
     the purposes described in paragraph (2).
       (2) Matters covered.--The Centers shall provide centralized 
     operations hubs for matters relating to--
       (A) implementing coordination and communication for field 
     operations between participating Federal, State, local, and 
     Tribal agencies, as needed;
       (B) coordinating operations across participating Federal, 
     State, local, and Tribal agencies, as needed, including 
     ground, air, and sea or amphibious operations; and
       (C) coordinating and supporting border operations, 
     including deterring and detecting criminal activity relating 
     to--
       (i) transnational criminal organizations;
       (ii) illegal border crossings;
       (iii) the seizure of weapons;
       (iv) the seizure of drugs;
       (v) the seizure of high valued property;
       (vi) terrorism;
       (vii) human trafficking;
       (viii) drug trafficking; and
       (ix) such additional matters as the Secretary considers 
     appropriate.
       (3) Information sharing.--To ensure effective transmission 
     of information between participating Federal, State, local, 
     and Tribal agencies, for the purposes described in paragraph 
     (2), coordination and communication shall include--
       (A) Federal agencies sharing pertinent information with 
     participating State, local, and Tribal agencies through the 
     Centers; and
       (B) Federal agencies notifying participating State, local, 
     and Tribal agencies of operations occurring within the 
     jurisdictions of those agencies.
       (4) Workforce capabilities.--The Centers shall--
       (A) track and coordinate deployment of participating 
     personnel; and
       (B) coordinate training, as needed.
       (d) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary 
     shall consult with participating Federal agencies, and shall 
     seek feedback from participating State, local, and Tribal 
     agencies, to report to Congress--
       (1) a description of the efforts undertaken to establish 
     the Centers;
       (2) an identification of the resources used for the 
     operations of the Centers;
       (3) a description of the key operations coordinated and 
     supported by each Center;
       (4) a description of any significant interoperability and 
     communication gaps identified between participating Federal, 
     State, local, and Tribal agencies within each Center;
       (5) recommendations for improved coordination and 
     communication between participating Federal agencies in 
     developing and operating current and future Centers; and
       (6) other data as the Secretary determines appropriate.
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