S 2291 — Northern Border Coordination Act

2291 ReportedEngrossed in Senate (RS)](ES)] <DOC> Calendar118th No.CONGRESS 2d Session S.

2572291 118th_______________________________________________________________________ CONGRESSAN 1stACT SessionTo S.establish the Northern Border Coordination Center, and for other purposes.

2291Be [Reportit No.enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1.

118-119] To establish the Northern Border Coordination Center, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________ IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES July 13, 2023 Mr.

Peters (for himself and Ms.

Collins) introduced the following bill;

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs November 30, 2023 Reported by Mr.

Peters, with an amendment [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To establish the Northern Border Coordination Center, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, <DELETED>SECTION 1.

SHORT TITLE.</DELETED> <DELETED> This Act may be cited as the ``Northern Border Coordination Act''.</DELETED> <DELETED>SEC.

2.

DEFINITIONS.</DELETED> <DELETED> In this Act:</DELETED> <DELETED> (1) Center.--The term ``Center'' means the Northern Border Coordination Center established pursuant to section 3.</DELETED> <DELETED> (2) C-UAS.--The term ``C-UAS'' means counter- unmanned aircraft systems.</DELETED> <DELETED> (3) Department.--The term ``Department'' means the Department of Homeland Security.</DELETED> <DELETED> (4) Northern border.--The term ``northern border'' means the international border between the United States and Canada.</DELETED> <DELETED> (5) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of Homeland Security.</DELETED> <DELETED> (6) Unmanned aircraft;

unmanned aircraft systems.--The terms ``unmanned aircraft'' and ``unmanned aircraft system'' have the meanings given such terms in section of title 49, United States Code.</DELETED> <DELETED>SEC.

3.

NORTHERN BORDER COORDINATION CENTER.</DELETED> <DELETED> (a) Establishment.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish the Northern Border Coordination Center.</DELETED> <DELETED> (b) Purpose.--The purpose of the Center shall be to serve as the Department's forward deployed centralized coordination center for operations, domain awareness, information sharing, intelligence, training, and stakeholder engagement with Federal, State, tribal, local, and international government partners along the northern border of the United States at a location that is collocated with an existing U.S.

Border Patrol sector headquarters, the U.S.

Border Patrol Northern Border Coordination Center, an Air and Marine Operations branch, and a United States Coast Guard air station.</DELETED> <DELETED> (c) Components.--</DELETED> <DELETED> (1) In general.--The Center shall collocate personnel and activities of--</DELETED> <DELETED> (A) U.S.

Customs and Border Protection, including U.S.

Border Patrol and Air and Marine Operations;</DELETED> <DELETED> (B) the United States Coast Guard;</DELETED> <DELETED> (C) Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers;</DELETED> <DELETED> (D) the Science and Technology Directorate;</DELETED> <DELETED> (E) other components and offices of the Department that the Secretary determines to be necessary;

and</DELETED> <DELETED> (F) additional Federal, State, tribal, local, and international government partners, as the Secretary determines to be necessary and appropriate to support operations described in this Act.</DELETED> <DELETED> (d) Functions.--The Center shall perform the functions described in this subsection in addition to any other functions assigned by the Secretary.</DELETED> <DELETED> (1) Northern border security strategy.--The Center, in collaboration with relevant offices and components of the Department, shall--</DELETED> <DELETED> (A) serve as a coordination mechanism for operational components for the implementation, evaluation, and updating of the Northern Border Security Strategy and any successor strategy;

and</DELETED> <DELETED> (B) support the development of best practices and policies for personnel at the northern border to support such implementation.</DELETED> <DELETED> (2) Training.--The Center shall serve as a training location to support the delivery of training or exercises for Department personnel and Federal, State, tribal, local, and international government partners.</DELETED> <DELETED> (3) Metrics.--The Center, in collaboration with relevant offices and components of the Department, shall coordinate the development and tracking of border security metrics for the northern border.</DELETED> <DELETED> (4) Resource and technological needs and challenges.--The Center, in collaboration with relevant offices and components of the Department, shall--</DELETED> <DELETED> (A) identify resource and technological needs or challenges affecting security along the northern border;</DELETED> <DELETED> (B) serve as a testing ground and demonstration location for the testing of border security technology, including determining such technology's suitability and performance in the northern border and maritime environments;

and</DELETED> <DELETED> (C) develop and test new technological capabilities to respond to the increased use of unmanned aircraft systems, including to specifically improve domain awareness along the northern border.</DELETED> <DELETED> (5) Air and marine operations.--</DELETED> <DELETED> (A) Quick reaction capabilities.--In support of the Center, U.S.

Customs and Border Protection's Air and Marine Operations--</DELETED> <DELETED> (i) shall establish and maintain capability that is collocated with the Center and available for quick deployment in support of the northern border missions of the Center, U.S.

Customs and Border Protection, and the Department, specifically missions in the Great Lakes region;

and</DELETED> <DELETED> (ii) in coordination with the Center and relevant offices and components of the Department, shall evaluate requirements and make recommendations to support the operations of large unmanned aircraft systems based at the Center.</DELETED> <DELETED> (B) Northern border domain awareness.--In order to coordinate with the Center and support its operations, the Air and Marine Operations Center shall establish a unit at the Center to provide the Center the capability--</DELETED> <DELETED> (i) to support air and maritime domain awareness and information sharing efforts along the northern border;</DELETED> <DELETED> (ii) to provide dedicated monitoring of northern border systems;

and</DELETED> <DELETED> (iii) to lead, in coordination with other U.S.

Customs and Border Protection components, Federal, State, tribal, local, and international governments, and private sector partners, the Center's efforts to track and monitor legitimate cross-border traffic involving unmanned aircraft and unmanned aircraft systems.</DELETED> <DELETED> (6) Counter-unmanned aircraft systems.--The Center shall support counter-unmanned aircraft systems operations along the northern border to respond to the increased use of unmanned aircraft systems.</DELETED> <DELETED> (7) Privacy and civil rights.--The Center, in collaboration with the Chief Privacy Officer and the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties of the Department, shall ensure that operations and practices of the Center comply with the privacy and civil rights policies of the Department and its components.</DELETED> <DELETED> (e) Annual Reporting.--Not later than 180 days after the establishment of the Center, and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall submit a report to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives that describes the activities of the Center during the most recently concluded fiscal year, including--</DELETED> <DELETED> (1) personnel levels;</DELETED> <DELETED> (2) additional resources that are needed to support the operations of the Center and northern border operations of the Department;

and</DELETED> <DELETED> (3) any additional assets or authorities that are needed to increase security and domain awareness along the northern border.</DELETED> SECTION 1.

(3) Northern border.--The term ``northern border'' meansmeans-- (A) the international border between the United States and Canada.Canada;

and (B) the maritime border between Alaska and the Russian Federation.

(6) Counter-unmanned aircraft systems.--Pursuantsystems.-- (A) In general.--Pursuant to policies established by the Secretary, theconsistent Centerwith shallsection support210G counter-unmannedof aircraft systems operations along the northernHomeland borderSecurity toAct respond to the increased use of unmanned2002 aircraft(6 systems.U.S.C.

124n), the Center shall support counter-unmanned aircraft systems operations along the northern border to respond to the increased use of unmanned aircraft systems.

(B) Rule of construction.--Nothing in this Act may be construed to provide additional authority related to detection, mitigation, research, development, or testing of unmanned aircraft systems or counter- unmanned aircraft systems.

(e)(8) AnnualNoncontiguous Reporting.--Notnorthern laterborder.--The thanCenter, 180in dayscollaboration afterwith therelevant establishmentoffices of the Center, and annuallycomponents thereafter,of the SecretaryDepartment, shallshall-- submit(A) aidentify report to the Committeespecific onchallenges Homelandthat Securityexist andalong Governmental Affairs of the Senatenoncontiguous andinternational theland Committeeborder onwith HomelandCanada Securityand of the Housemaritime ofborder Representativeswith thatRussia, describesincluding theresource, activitiestechnological ofchallenges, theand Centerdomain duringawareness; the most recently concluded fiscal year, including-- (1) personnel levels;

(B) ensure that dedicated personnel, including reachback support, are working to evaluate and address the challenges identified pursuant to subparagraph (A);

and (C) determine the feasibility of establishing a satellite facility of the Center to address the specific challenges identified pursuant to subparagraph (A).

(e) Annual Reporting.--Not later than 180 days after the establishment of the Center, and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall submit a report to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate, the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate, the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives, the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives that describes the activities of the Center during the most recently concluded fiscal year, including-- (1) personnel levels;

(f) Temporary Duty Assignments.--The Secretary shall submit a quarterly report to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the SenateSenate, andthe Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate, the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives regarding temporary duty assignments of U.S.

Calendar(h) No.Sunset.--This Act shall cease to be effective on the date that is 7 years after the date of the enactment of this Act.