Sec. 3. Border tunnel detection
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Subtitle B of title IV of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 ( 6 U.S.C. 211 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new section: There is established within the Department a program to be known as the Border Tunnel Task Force program (referred to in this section as BTTF ). The purpose of BTTF established pursuant to subsection
(a)is to enhance and integrate border security efforts by identifying, reducing, and remediating cross-border tunnel related threats by— facilitating collaboration among Federal, State, local, and Tribal law enforcement agencies to execute coordinated activities; and enhancing information-sharing, including the dissemination of homeland security information, among such agencies. BTTF units may be comprised of personnel from the following: U.S. Customs and Border Protection, led by the U.S. Border Patrol. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, led by Homeland Security Investigations. Other Department components and offices, as appropriate. Other Federal, State, local, Tribal, and foreign law enforcement agencies, as appropriate. Other appropriate personnel at the discretion of the Secretary. The Secretary is authorized to establish BTTF units in regions in which the Secretary determines such units can contribute to the Department’s border security efforts to identify, reduce, and remediate cross-border tunnel threats. When establishing a BTTF unit, the Secretary shall apply risk-based criteria that takes into consideration the following: Whether the areas in which such BTTF units would be established are significantly impacted by cross-border tunnel threats. The availability of Federal, State, local, and Tribal law enforcement resources to participate in such BTTF units. Whether other similar joint cross-border tunnel detection initiatives already take place within the region in which the BTTF unit would be established. In determining whether to establish a new BTTF unit or to expand an existing BTTF unit in a given region, the Secretary shall ensure that the BTTF unit under consideration does not unnecessarily duplicate the efforts of other existing interagency task forces or centers within such jurisdiction. After determining the regions in which to establish BTTF units under subsection (c)(2), the Secretary may— direct the assignment of Federal personnel to such BTTF units; take other actions to assist Federal, State, local, and Tribal entities to participate in such BTTF units, including providing financial assistance, as appropriate, for operational, administrative, and technological costs associated with such participation; direct the development of policy and guidance necessary to identify, assess, and integrate the available partner resources in relevant border sector security assessments and resource planning documents; establish targets and performance measures for BTTF units; direct leadership of each BTTF unit to monitor progress on such targets and performance measures for each such unit; and dedicate appropriate research and development resources to improve cross-border tunnel detection and remediation capabilities. The Secretary shall coordinate BTTF activities with other similar border security and antiterrorism programs within the Department that handle matters relating to cross-border tunnel threat detection. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, U.S. Customs and Border Protection shall have immediate access to Federal land for the remediation of tunnels used to facilitate illicit cross-border activities across the international borders of the United States. Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary shall establish a pilot program to test and evaluate new and emerging technologies for the purpose of detection and remediation of cross-border tunnel threats. Not later than 180 days after the date on which BTTF is established and biannually thereafter for the following six years, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate a report that— describes targets and performance measures for BTTF units; describes the effectiveness of BTTF in fulfilling the purposes specified in subsection (b); identifies and assesses the impact of certain challenges on the sustainment of cross-border BTTF operations and planned corrective actions; identifies and assesses costs associated with BTTF units broken down by relevant categories designated at the Secretary’s discretion; identifies ways to support joint training for BTTF stakeholder agencies; identifies and assesses ways BTTF, IBET, and Border Enforcement Security Task Forces can better align operations, including interdiction and investigation activities; and identifies and assesses gaps in BTTF technological capability to detect cross-border tunnel threats. . The table of contents in section 1(b) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 419 the following new item: Sec. 420. Border Tunnel Task Forces. .
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Sec. 3
Border tunnel detection
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