Subterranean Border Defense Act
The Subterranean Border Defense Act would amend the FY2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA 2023) to require annual reports on counter illicit cross-border tunnel operations. Specifically, it adds the phrase “and annually thereafter” after the existing reference to the development of the strategic plan in Paragraph (2) of section 7134(a), ensuring that reporting on tunnel countermeasures is not a one-time or occasional activity but a continuing annual obligation. The bill does not create new programs or authorize spending; it codifies ongoing congressional oversight of the government’s efforts to detect and counter illicit border tunnels. In short, the bill strengthens ongoing transparency and accountability by mandating year-after-year reporting on how the government detects, disrupts, and counters illicit cross-border tunnels.
Key Points
- 1The bill is titled the Subterranean Border Defense Act.
- 2It amends Paragraph (2) of section 7134(a) of the FY2023 NDAA (6 U.S.C. 257 note) to insert “and annually thereafter,” creating a mandatory annual reporting requirement.
- 3The reporting concerns counter illicit cross-border tunnel operations.
- 4The act does not establish new programs or funding; it compels ongoing reporting from the existing framework.
- 5The measure has been introduced and referred to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs; sponsor is not identified in the provided text.