H.R. 8689

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8689 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8689

To authorize to be established an Office of Export Controls and Border 
Security within the Bureau of Arms Control and Nonproliferation of the 
Department of State, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

May 7, 2026

Mr. Jackson of Texas introduced the following bill; which was referred 
to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To authorize to be established an Office of Export Controls and Border 
Security within the Bureau of Arms Control and Nonproliferation of the 
Department of State, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Strategic Export Controls and Border 
Security Enhancement Act''.

SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

It is the sense of Congress that the Department of State plays a 
central role in advancing the foreign policy and national security 
interests of the United States by--
(1) engaging in diplomacy to promote compliance with United 
States nonproliferation objectives and to strengthen 
responsible trade in strategic and dual-use items;
(2) strengthening cooperation with allies, partners, and 
multilateral institutions to prevent the proliferation of 
weapons of mass destruction and related materials and 
technologies, including their delivery systems, through 
implementation of export controls and enhanced border security 
and customs enforcement;
(3) enhancing the capacity of foreign governments in 
developing and implementing strategic trade control systems 
consistent with United States foreign policy objectives and 
national security; and
(4) supporting an Office of Export Controls and Border 
Security within the Bureau of Arms Control and Nonproliferation 
of the Department of State as a core instrument of United 
States nonproliferation, export control, and border security 
assistance, including by sustaining cooperation in priority 
regions to strengthen strategic trade controls, customs 
enforcement capacity, and interdiction of proliferation-
sensitive goods and related technologies, including dual-use 
items.

SEC. 3. OFFICE OF EXPORT CONTROLS AND BORDER SECURITY.

(a) Establishment.--There is authorized to be established, within 
the Bureau of Arms Control and Nonproliferation of the Department of 
State, an Office of Export Controls and Border Security, (in this Act 
referred to as the ``Office''), to perform such functions as the Under 
Secretary for Arms Control and International Security, or a designee, 
may prescribe.
(b) Purpose.--The purpose of the Office program shall be to advance 
United States foreign policy and national security objectives by 
strengthening the capabilities of partner countries to protect United 
States-origin critical technologies and proliferation-sensitive goods 
and related technologies, including dual-use items, from diversion, 
unauthorized transfer, or misuse.
(c) Activities.--In carrying out the purpose described under 
subsection (b), the Office should, as appropriate--
(1) support the development and implementation of legal and 
regulatory frameworks, licensing systems, and enforcement 
capabilities governing the export, reexport, and in-country 
transfer of proliferation-sensitive goods and related 
technologies, including dual-use items;
(2) strengthen partner country capacity to prevent 
diversion, unauthorized transfer, or misuse of proliferation-
sensitive goods and related technologies, including dual-use 
items, end-uses and end-users that the Office determines may 
increase the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and 
related materials and technologies;
(3) enhance the ability of partner countries to detect and 
interdict diversion, unauthorized transfer, or misuse of 
proliferation-sensitive goods and related technologies, 
including dual-use items, at borders, ports of entry, and other 
transit points, including through training, technical 
assistance, and the provision of appropriate equipment;
(4) assist in--
(A) securing international trade of goods that may 
increase the proliferation of weapons of mass 
destruction and related materials and technologies; and
(B) disrupting networks that may increase the 
proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and 
related materials and technologies; and
(5) carry out such other activities as the Under Secretary 
for Arms Control and International Security determines 
appropriate to advance the purposes of the Office.

SEC. 4. EXPORT CONTROLS AND BORDER SECURITY STRATEGY.

(a) In General.--The Secretary of State, acting through the Office 
of Export Controls and Border Security, and in consultation with the 
heads of each other relevant Federal department or agency the Secretary 
determines appropriate, shall develop and implement a strategy to align 
and enhance United States foreign assistance in export controls to 
strengthen their effectiveness, reduce evasion risks, prevent 
diversion, unauthorized transfer, or misuse of proliferation-sensitive 
goods and related technologies, including dual-use items, and promote 
secure and resilient global supply chains.
(b) Elements.--The strategy should include, as appropriate--
(1) coordination across any other relevant Federal 
department or agency to ensure alignment with respect to export 
controls and border security programs;
(2) coordination with interagency and foreign government 
assistance programs, to identify and address gaps in global 
export controls enforcement that may be exploited by state and 
non-state actors, and to strengthen border security, customs 
enforcement, and controls at ports of entry;
(3) identification of priority regions, countries, and 
transit hubs where the risk of diversion, unauthorized 
transfer, or misuse of proliferation-sensitive goods and 
related technologies is significant to inform cooperation under 
this section;
(4) engagement with allies, partners, and multilateral 
entities to promote interoperable border security standards, 
customs modernization, secure trade corridors, and regional 
cooperation, in coordination with other Bureaus of the 
Department of State, including the Bureau of International 
Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs and the Bureau of 
International Organizations; and
(5) use of artificial intelligence tools, and other 
advanced analytics tools to enhance the effectiveness of the 
Office's activities, including risk identification and support 
for customs enforcement in recipient countries.
(c) Report to Congress.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, in consultation with the 
heads of other relevant Federal departments or agencies, shall submit 
to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and 
the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate a report containing 
the results of the strategy.
(d) Form of Report.--The strategy shall be submitted in 
unclassified form, but may include a classified annex if necessary to 
protect national security interests.
(e) Intra-Departmental Coordination.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of State may establish 
procedures to ensure the coordination, integration, and 
deconfliction of border security assistance programs conducted 
by--
(A) the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law 
Enforcement Affairs;
(B) the Bureau of Counterterrorism;
(C) the Bureau of Arms Control and 
Nonproliferation; and
(D) any other relevant bureau or office of the 
Department of State the Secretary determines is engaged 
in such activities.
(2) Elements.--The procedures under this subsection should 
include, as appropriate, measures to--
(A) align assistance programs with United States 
foreign policy and national security objectives, while 
seeking to minimize potential duplication;
(B) establish mechanisms for joint planning, 
deconfliction, implementation, and evaluation of border 
security and export control assistance programs, where 
appropriate;
(C) promote efficient use of resources, including 
coordination of training, equipment, and capacity-
building activities in support of United States foreign 
policy and national security objectives; and
(D) require periodic review of any potential 
overlapping activities of programs in priority regions.

SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.

In this Act:
(1) The term ``proliferation-sensitive goods and related 
technologies'' means items, materials, software, or technology 
that could contribute to the development, production, 
acquisition, stockpiling, or use of weapons of mass destruction 
or their means of delivery, or that otherwise present a risk of 
diversion or misuse for proliferation purposes.
(2) The term ``dual-use'' has the meaning given in section 
1742 of the Export Control Reform Act of 2018 (50 U.S.C. 4801).
<all>