,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #djd  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the
 ,,united ,,states  ,february #g1       
#bjai,mr4 ,heinrich 7for himself and    
,mr4 ,udall7 introduced the following   
bill2 which was read twice and referred 
to the ,committee on ,homeland ,security
 and ,governmental ,affairs  ,a ,,bill  
,to require the ,commissioner of ,u4,s4 
,customs and ,border ,protection to     
acquire and enhance technology and      
assets in rural or remote areas near the
 southern border and to establish an    
,agent ,mobility ,demonstration         
,program4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,remote ,areas      
,border ,security ,enhancements ,act4   
#b4 ,defined term ,in this ,act1 the    
term rural or remote area means an area 
within the ,united ,states along the    
international border between the ,united
 ,states and ,mexico that is not within 
an area defined and designated by the   
,bureau of the ,census as an urbanized  
area4  #c4 ,border security enhancements

 in mountainous1 high desert1 and       
backcountry terrain  7a7 ,in general    
,notwithstanding section #ajb of the    
,illegal ,immigration ,reform and       
,immigrant ,responsibility ,act of #aiif
 7#h ,u4,s4,c4 #aajc note2 ,public ,law 
#ajd-bjh71 the ,secretary of ,homeland  
,security may not begin the construction
 of any infrastructure project          
7including a pedestrian fence1 vehicle  
barrier1 levee1 gate1 wall1 fence1 road1
 or port of entry7 along the            
international border between the ,united
 ,states and ,mexico until--  7#a7 the  
,comptroller ,general of the ,united    
,states conducts a study that evaluates 
the need for enhanced technology and    
maintenance on existing equipment and   
other resources in rural or remote      
areas1 prioritizing mountainous1 high   
desert1 and backcountry areas1 including
 the estimated costs for carrying out   
the activities described in paragraph   
7#b72 and  7#b7 the ,commissioner of    
,u4,s4 ,customs and ,border             

,protection-- 7,a7 increases the use of 
advanced detection and surveillance     
technology2  7,b7 acquires fixed and    
mobile technology assets1 including     
night vision technology2  7,c7 increases
 and improves interoperable             
communications2  7,d7 acquires and      
deploys such additional horses and      
off-road vehicles1 including all-terrain
 vehicles1 as may be necessary to       
provide for enhanced security in rural  
or remote areas near the international  
border between the ,united ,states and  
,mexico2  7,e7 increases and upgrades   
facilities to the extent necessary to   
accommodate personnel and asset needs1  
including horse patrol facilities2 and  
7,f7 performs any maintenance and care  
that may be necessary to preserve the   
operational capability of all           
mountainous1 high desert1 and           
backcountry assets1 including technology
 assets1 vehicles1 forward operating    
bases1 and horse patrol facilities4  7b7
 ,requirements ,in carrying out         

subsection 7a71 the ,commissioner       
shall-- 7#a7 consult with agents in the 
field2 and  7#b7 prioritize the         
deployment of such technology based on  
the needs of remote stations and forward
 operating bases in rural or remote     
areas near the international border     
between the ,united ,states and ,mexico4
  #d4 ,report ,not later than #a year   
after the date of the enactment of this 
,act1 the ,commissioner shall submit a  
report to the appropriate congressional 
committees that describes the           
implementation of section #c1           
including--  7#a7 the assets deployed in
 rural or remote areas near the         
international border between the ,united
 ,states and ,mexico2 and  7#b7 the     
expenditures incurred to acquire and    
deploy such assets4  #e4 ,agent         
,mobility ,demonstration ,program  7a7  
,in general ,the ,secretary of ,homeland
 ,security shall establish a #e-year    
pilot program in the ,el ,paso ,sector1 
to be known as the ,agent ,mobility     

,program1 under which agents assigned   
within the ,el ,paso ,sector may        
laterally transfer to a designated1     
hard-to-fill station within the ,el     
,paso ,sector for a period of at least  
#c years4  7b7 ,completion of service   
,any agent who completes #c years of    
service at a hard-to-fill station to    
which he or she transferred under the   
program established under paragraph     
7#a7--  7#a7 shall be presented to the  
selecting officer as a preferred agent2 
and  7#b7 shall be eligible to transfer 
to #a of #c border patrol stations in   
the ,el ,paso ,sector of his or her     
choice that has an opening at the time  
of such transfer4  #f4 ,authorization of
 appropriations ,in addition to amounts 
otherwise authorized to be appropriated1
 there is authorized to be appropriated1
 to ,u4,s4 ,customs and ,border         
,protection1 the amount determined to be
 necessary under the study required     
under section #c7;a77#a7 to carry out   
the activities described in section     

#c7;a77#b74