,i  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #ehbh  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,february #aj1       
#bjbj,mrs4 ,lesko 7for herself1 ,ms4    
,torres ,small of ,new ,mexico1 and     
,mrs4 ,hartzler7 introduced the         
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,homeland ,security   
,a ,,bill  ,to support remediation of   
illicit cross-border tunnels1 and for   
other purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this 
,act may be cited as the ,,dhs ,illicit 
,cross-,border ,tunnel ,defense ,act4   
#b4 ,counter illicit cross-border tunnel
 operations  7a7 ,report on operations  
7#a7 ,in general ,not later than one    
year after the date of the enactment of 
this ,act and annually thereafter1 the  
,commissioner of ,u4,s4 ,customs and    
,border ,protection 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 on operations carried out to     

identify1 breach1 assess1 and remediate 
illicit cross-border tunnels1 including 
performance measures4  7#b7             
,authorization of appropriations ,there 
is authorized to be appropriated        
#a1jjj1jjj for each of fiscal years     
#bjba and #bjbb to carry out remediation
 operations described in paragraph 7#a74
  7b7 ,counter illicit cross-,border    
tunnel operations strategic plan  7#a7  
,in general ,not later than #ahj days   
after the date of the enactment of this 
,act1 the ,commissioner of ,u4,s4       
,customs and ,border ,protection shall  
develop a strategic plan to address the 
following3  7,a7 ,risk-based criteria to
 be used to prioritize the              
identification1 breach1 assessment1 and 
remediation of illicit cross-border     
tunnels4  7,b7 ,promote the use of      
innovative technologies to identify1    
breach1 assess1 and remediate illicit   
cross-border tunnels in a manner that1  
among other considerations1 reduces the 
impact of such activities on surrounding

 communities4  7,c7 ,processes to share 
relevant illicit cross-border tunnel    
location1 operations1 and technical     
information4  7,d7 ,indicators of       
specific types of illicit cross-border  
tunnels found in each ,u4,s4 ,border    
,patrol sector identified through       
operations to be periodically           
disseminated to ,u4,s4 ,border ,patrol  
sector chiefs to educate field          
personnel4  7,e7 ,a counter illicit     
cross-border tunnel operations resource 
needs assessment that includes          
consideration of the following3  7i7    
,technology needs4  7ii7 ,staffing      
needs1 including the following3  7,i7 ,a
 position description for counter       
illicit cross-border tunnel operations  
personnel4  7,,ii7 ,any specialized     
skills required of such personnel4      
7,,iii7 ,the number of such full time   
personnel1 disaggregated by ,u4,s4      
,border ,patrol sector4  7#b7 ,report to
 ,congress on strategic plan ,not later 
than one year after the issuance of the 

strategic plan required under paragraph 
7#a71 the ,commissioner of ,u4,s4       
,customs and ,border ,protection 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 on the 
implementation of paragraph 7#a74