,,ii #aaith ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 #dha ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,february #f 7legislative day1 ,february #e71 #bjbe,mr4 ,scott of ,south ,carolina 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,cassidy1 ,mr4 ,rounds1 and ,mr4 ,daines7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,finance ,a ,,bill ,to reprogram all remaining unobligated funds from the ,,irs enforcement account4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,securing our ,border ,act4 #b4 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,united ,states border security is paramount to the general welfare of our ,nation and ensures the efficient and meaningful flow of goods and individuals through legal means4 7#b7 ,during #bjbc1 an estimated #aje1jjg drug overdose deaths occurred in the ,united ,states4 7#c7 ,only #b percent of passenger vehicles and #bj percent of commercial vehicles crossing the southern border are scanned by nonintrusive inspection technology through a radiation portal monitor4 7#d7 ,during fiscal year #bjbc1 ,u4,s4 ,customs and ,border ,protection agents processed more than #a1jha1jcj passengers and pedestrians4 7#e7 ,limiting the amount of deadly illicit narcotics1 including fentanyl1 from entering the ,united ,states would reduce the number of ,americans who die annually from the use of such narcotics4 7#f7 ,because of the failure to update nonintrusive inspection technologies at land ports of entry along the southern border of the ,united ,states1 there has been an increase in the amount of illicit narcotics1 such as fentanyl1 being trafficked across the southern border4 7#g7 ,the amount of illicit drugs seized by ,u4,s4 ,customs and ,border ,protection along the southwest border was approximately-- 7,a7 #bda1jjj pounds during fiscal year #bjbc2 and 7,b7 #bge1jjj pounds during fiscal year #bjbd4 7#h7 ,u4,s4 ,customs and ,border ,protection agents had #b1ace1jje encounters along the southern border during fiscal year #bjbd1 including-- 7,a7 #a1bah1hhj single adults2 7,b7 #hjd1def family units2 and 7,c7 #aji1iih unaccompanied minors4 7#i7 ,according to the ,department of ,homeland ,security1 #gej migrants died attempting to cross the southern border during fiscal year #bjbb1 which is-- 7,a7 more migrant deaths than occurred in any previous fiscal year2 and 7,b7 more than #bjj more migrant deaths than the number of such deaths during fiscal year #bjba4 7#aj7 ,as of ,september #cj1 #bjbd1 the immigration court backlog was #c1eeh1iie cases4 7#aa7 ,since the end of fiscal year #bjai1 ,u4,s4 ,customs and ,border ,protection has reported #b1cga encounters with potential terrorists at ports of entry along the southern and northern borders4 7#ab7 ,according to ,u4,s4 ,customs and ,border ,protection onboard staffing data1 approximately #b1gjj additional ,u4,s4 ,customs and ,border ,protection officers need to be stationed at ,united ,states ports of entry to fully staff such ports4 7#ac7 ,due to shifting priorities1 construction delays1 a lack of available technology solutions1 and funding constraints1 most southern ,u4,s4 ,border ,patrol sectors still rely on obsolete systems or technologies4 #c4 ,funding for nonintrusive border inspections ,one-third of the unobligated balances 7as of the date of the enactment of this ,act7 from amounts made available under section #ajcja7a77;,a77ii7 of ,public ,law #aag-afi shall be transferred to ,u4,s4 ,customs and ,border ,protection during the period beginning on the date of the enactment of this ,act and ending on ,february #f1 #bjcd1 for nonintrusive inspection systems to achieve a #ajj percent nonintrusive inspection scanning rate at all northern border and southwest border land ports of entry by ,february #f1 #bjcd4 #d4 ,funding for border wall construction 7a7 ,in general ,two-thirds of the unobligated balances 7as of the date of the enactment of this ,act7 from amounts made available under section #ajcja7a77;,a77ii7 of ,public ,law #aag-afi shall be transferred to the ,department of ,homeland ,security during the period beginning on the date of the enactment of this ,act and ending on ,february #f1 #bjcd1 for activities related to the construction of a border wall system along the southwest international border of the ,united ,states4 7b7 ,quarterly reports ,the ,secretary of ,homeland ,security shall submit quarterly reports to the ,committee on ,appropriations of the ,senate1 the ,committee on ,finance of the ,senate1 the ,committee on ,homeland ,security and ,governmental ,affairs of the ,senate1 the ,committee on ,appropriations of the ,house of ,representatives1 the ,committee on ,ways and ,means of the ,house of ,representatives1 and the ,committee on ,homeland ,security of the ,house of ,representatives that contains-- 7#a7 an implementation plan with benchmarks related to stemming illegal immigration2 and 7#b7 cost estimates associated with border wall system construction4 #e4 ,authorization to provide bonuses to ,u4,s4 ,customs and ,border ,protection agents 7a7 ,recruitment bonuses 7#a7 ,in general ,subject to the approval of the ,secretary of ,homeland ,security1 the ,commissioner of ,u4,s4 ,customs and ,border ,protection may pay a recruitment bonus1 not to exceed #ae1jjj1 to each newly hired ,u4,s4 ,customs and ,border ,protection agent after-- 7,a7 the agent completes initial basic training2 and 7,b7 the execution of a written agreement described in paragraph 7#b74 7#b7 ,written agreement ,a written agreement described in this paragraph is a legally binding agreement between a newly hired agent and ,u4,s4 ,customs and ,border ,protection that-- 7,a7 specifies the amount of the bonus payment to be paid to such agent1 including the timing of such payment2 7,b7 the length of the period of service required to be completed before such agent is entitled to retain such payment2 and 7,c7 any other terms and conditions to which such payment is subject4 7b7 ,retention bonuses ,subject to the approval of the ,secretary of ,homeland ,security1 the ,commissioner of ,u4,s4 ,customs and ,border ,protection may pay annual retention bonuses1 not to exceed #ae percent of the agent's basic pay1 to ,u4,s4 ,border ,patrol agents after the completion of each year of satisfactory service1 as determined by the ,commissioner4 7c7 ,relocation bonus ,subject to the approval of the ,secretary of ,homeland ,security1 the ,commissioner of ,u4,s4 ,customs and ,border ,protection may pay a relocation bonus1 not to exceed #ae percent of the agent's annual basic pay1 to a ,u4,s4 ,customs and ,border ,protection agent who agrees to be transferred and to serve for not less than #c years at the new duty station4 7d7 ,limitation ,none of the bonuses paid to a ,u4,s4 ,customs and ,border ,protection agent pursuant to subsections 7a7 through 7c7 may be considered part of the basic pay of such agent for any purpose1 including for retirement or in computing a lump-sum payment to the agent for accumulated and accrued annual leave under section #eeea or #eeeb of title #e1 ,united ,states ,code4 #f4 ,treatment of aliens arriving from contiguous territory ,section #bce7;b77#b77;,c7 of the ,immigration and ,nationality ,act 7#h ,u4,s4,c4 #abbe7;b77#b77;,c77 is amended by striking may return and all that follows and inserting the following3 shall-- 7i7 return the alien to such territory1 or to a safe third country 7as described in section #bjh71 pending the completion of a proceeding under section #bdj2 or 7ii7 detain the alien for further consideration of an application for asylum1 which shall include a determination of credible fear of persecution4 4