,,ii  #aaith ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #dbgj  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,march #bf1    
#bjbf,mr4 ,kelly introduced the         
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on ,foreign 
,relations  ,a ,,bill  ,to provide for  
the establishment of a binational rapid 
response protocol for serious crimes    
committed against ,united ,states       
citizens in ,mexico1 and for other      
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,nicholas ,douglas  
,quets ,united ,states-,mexico ,rapid   
,response for ,victims of ,crime ,act4  
#b4 ,findings ,congress finds the       
following3 7#a7 ,on ,october #ah1 #bjbd1
 while traveling in the ,mexican state  
of ,sonora near ,puerto ,peasco1        
,nicholas ,quets was targeted by armed  
criminals associated with the ,sinaloa  
,cartel and the #ca-year-old ,american  
was tragically shot and killed in a     
violent attack4  7#b7 ,the brutal murder
 of ,nicholas ,quets reflects the       

ongoing threat posed by transnational   
criminal organizations and cartel       
violence in the region4  7#c7 ,the      
violence perpetrated by drug cartels and
 other criminal organizations endangers 
innocent civilians1 undermines the rule 
of law1 and threatens the safety of     
,united ,states citizens traveling      
abroad4  7#d7 ,binational coordination  
in investigations like that of ,nicholas
 ,quets' death can often be delayed or  
incomplete1 which may deny the          
administration of justice for victims   
and their families4  7#e7 ,each year1   
millions of ,united ,states citizens    
travel to ,mexico for tourism1 work1 and
 family purposes4  7#f7 ,in certain     
cases involving serious crimes1         
including homicide1 kidnapping1 and     
organized criminal violence1 delays or  
gaps in coordination between authorities
 may hinder investigations and the      
delivery of justice for victims and     
their families4  7#g7 ,enhanced         
binational coordination1 communication1 

and investigative cooperation is        
essential to ensure effective responses 
to serious crimes involving ,united     
,states citizens in ,mexico4  #c4 ,sense
 of ,congress ,it is the sense of       
,congress that a robust1 binational     
rapid response protocol is necessary to 
ensure efficient communication and      
coordination between ,united ,states and
 ,mexican authorities when responding to
 serious crimes involving ,united       
,states citizens in ,mexico4  #d4       
,definitions ,in this ,act3 7#a7        
,appropriate congressional committees   
,the term appropriate congressional     
committees means-- 7,a7 the ,committee  
on ,foreign ,relations of the ,senate2  
7,b7 the ,committee on the ,judiciary of
 the ,senate2  7,c7 the ,committee on   
,foreign ,affairs of the ,house of      
,representatives2 and  7,d7 the         
,committee on the ,judiciary of the     
,house of ,representatives4  7#b7       
,serious crimes ,the term serious crimes
 includes-- 7,a7 homicides and          

suspicious deaths2  7,b7 kidnappings and
 abductions2  7,c7 disappearances2  7,d7
 violent crimes involving1 or suspected 
to be involving1 organized criminal     
groups or cartels2 and  7,e7 other      
violent crimes designated by the        
,secretary of ,state4  #e4 ,binational  
rapid response protocol  7a7 ,in general
 ,the ,secretary of ,state1 in          
coordination with the ,attorney         
,general1 shall engage with the         
,government of ,mexico to negotiate and 
establish a binational rapid response   
protocol for serious crimes committed   
against ,united ,states citizens in     
,mexico 7referred to in this section as 
the ,protocol74  7b7 ,purpose ,the      
,protocol shall aim to ensure timely    
coordination between ,united ,states and
 ,mexican authorities in responding to  
and investigating serious crimes        
committed against ,united ,states       
citizens in ,mexico4  7c7 ,recommended  
elements ,in negotiating the ,protocol1 
the ,secretary of ,state shall seek to  

include procedures that provide-- 7#a7  
mechanisms for the prompt notification  
of relevant ,united ,states and ,mexican
 authorities when a serious crime       
involving a ,united ,states citizen     
occurs2  7#b7 secure and reliable       
communication channels between          
designated law enforcement and          
diplomatic authorities in both          
countries2  7#c7 procedures to ensure   
the timely securing of crime scenes and 
the protection of relevant physical     
evidence2  7#d7 agreed-upon standards   
and procedures for preserving and       
documenting evidence in a manner that   
supports potential prosecutions in      
either country's jurisdiction2  7#e7    
procedures to facilitate the timely     
sharing of investigative leads1         
intelligence1 and forensic information  
between ,united ,states and ,mexican    
authorities1 consistent with the laws of
 each country2  7#f7 the designation of 
appropriate points of contact within the
 ,government of ,mexico and procedures  

to facilitate requests for international
 extradition and timely coordination for
 extradition to ,united ,states2  7#g7  
the designation of appropriate points of
 contact within relevant ,united ,states
 and ,mexican agencies responsible for  
coordinating responses to incidents     
covered by the ,protocol2  7#h7 the     
designation of a point of contact within
 the ,united ,states ,government        
responsible for communicating with the  
victim or the victim's family and       
providing timely updates regarding      
investigative developments and available
 assistance2  7#i7 procedures for       
coordination between ,united ,states    
consular officials and ,mexican         
authorities regarding support for       
victims and their families2 and  7#aj7  
opportunities for joint training1       
planning1 or exercises to ensure        
effective implementation of the         
,protocol4  #f4 ,reports to ,congress   
7a7 ,progress report ,not later than    
#ahj days after the date of the         

enactment of this ,act1 and annually    
thereafter until the binational rapid   
response protocol described in section  
#e is established1 the ,secretary of    
,state shall submit a report to the     
appropriate congressional committees    
that describes-- 7#a7 the progress made 
toward negotiating such protocol2  7#b7 
the status of cooperation with the      
,government of ,mexico relating to      
crimes against ,united ,states citizens 
while they are in ,mexico2 and  7#c7 any
 additional legislative or diplomatic   
steps the ,secretary determines would   
improve coordination and accountability 
in such cases4  7b7 ,implementation     
report ,not later than #ahj days after  
the establishment of the binational     
rapid response protocol described in    
section #e1 and annually thereafter1 the
 ,secretary of ,state shall submit a    
report to the appropriate congressional 
committees that describes-- 7#a7 the    
status of the implementation of such    
protocol2  7#b7 actions taken by ,united

 ,states and ,mexican authorities under 
the protocol2  7#c7 the extent to which 
the protocol has improved coordination  
in covered cases2 and  7#d7 any         
recommendations for improving the       
protocol4  #g4 ,rules of construction   
,nothing in this ,act may be construed--
 7#a7 to limit the sovereignty of the   
,united ,states or of ,mexico2  7#b7 to 
require the ,government of ,mexico to   
adopt investigative procedures          
inconsistent with existing ,mexican law2
 or  7#c7 to alter the existing         
authorities of ,united ,states law      
enforcement or consular officials4