To establish the position of Northern Border Coordinator in the Department of Homeland Security.

February 13, 2003

Ms. SLAUGHTER (for herself, Mr. MCHUGH, Mr. WALSH, Mr. MCNULTY, Mr. HOUGHTON, Mrs. MALONEY, Ms. HOOLEY of Oregon, Ms. NORTON, Mr. RODRIGUEZ, and Mr. BISHOP of New York) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Select Committee on Homeland Security, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, Transportation and Infrastructure, and Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

To establish the position of Northern Border Coordinator in the Department of Homeland Security.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. NORTHERN BORDER COORDINATOR.

(a) IN GENERAL- Title IV of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (Public Law 107-296) is amended--

(1) in section 402, by redesignating paragraph (8) as paragraph (9) and by inserting after paragraph (7) the following:

`(8) Increasing the security of the border between the United States and Canada and the ports of entry located along that border, and improving the coordination among the agencies responsible for maintaining that security.'; and

(2) in subtitle C, by adding at the end the following:

`SEC. 431. NORTHERN BORDER COORDINATOR.

`(a) IN GENERAL- There shall be within the Directorate of Border and Transportation Security the position of Northern Border Coordinator, who shall be appointed by the Secretary and who shall report directly to the Under Secretary for Border and Transportation Security.

`(b) RESPONSIBILITIES- The Northern Border Coordinator shall be responsible for--

`(1) increasing the security of the border, including ports of entry, between the United States and Canada;

`(2) improving the coordination among the agencies responsible for the security described under paragraph (1);

`(3) serving as the primary liaison with State and local governments and law enforcement agencies regarding security along the border between the United States and Canada; and

`(4) serving as a liaison with the Canadian government on border security.'.

(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT- Section 1(b) of such Act is amended in the table of contents by inserting after the item relating to section 430 the following:

`Sec. 431. Northern Border Coordinator.'.

END