S. 1199 — Introduced in Senate

II 115th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 1199 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES May 22, 2017Mrs. McCaskill introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs A BILL To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to reauthorize the Border Enforcement Security Task Force program within the Department of Homeland Security, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Border Enforcement Security Task Force Reauthorization Act of 2017. 2. Modified instructions (a) Updated considerations for the establishment of units Section 432(c)(2) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 240(c)) is amended— (1) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking shall consider and inserting shall apply risk-based criteria that takes into consideration; (2) in subparagraph (A), by inserting , including threats posed by transnational criminal organizations before the semicolon at the end; (3) in subparagraph (C), by striking and at the end; (4) in subparagraph (D), by striking the period at the end and inserting a semicolon; and (5) by adding at the end the following: (E) the extent to which the BEST unit would advance the Department’s homeland and border security strategic priorities and related objectives; and (F) whether departmental Joint Task Force operations established pursuant to section 708 and other joint cross-border initiatives would be enhanced, improved, or otherwise assisted by the BEST unit. . (b) Port security Section 432(c) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, as amended by subsection (a), is further amended by adding at the end the following: (4) Port security BEST units A BEST unit established pursuant to paragraph (2) with a port security nexus shall be composed of at least 1 member of each of the following: (A) The Coast Guard Investigative Service. (B) The geographically responsible Coast Guard Sector Intelligence Office. . (c) Updated report elements Section 432(e) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 240(e)) is amended to read as follows: (e) Report Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this subsection, and annually thereafter for the following 5 years, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report that includes— (1) a description of the effectiveness of BEST in enhancing border security, disrupting and dismantling transnational criminal organizations, and reducing 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; (2) an assessment of how BEST enhances information-sharing, including the dissemination of homeland security information, among Federal, State, local, tribal, and foreign law enforcement agencies; (3) a description of how BEST advances the Department’s homeland and border security strategic priorities and effectiveness of BEST in achieving related objectives; and (4) an assessment of BEST’s joint operational efforts with departmental Joint Task Force operations established pursuant to section 708 and other joint cross-border initiatives. .