H.R. 495 · Where this bill is now
In the Senate
Passed the House Mar 10, 2025. Received Mar 11, 2025; no Senate vote yet
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryRequires annual tunnel monitoring reports
Right now, the government only has to report once on its plan to stop illegal tunnels being dug under the border. This bill changes that to require U.S. Customs and Border Protection to report every year on how they're carrying out that plan to catch cross-border tunnel operations.
How it affects you
This doesn't directly change your daily life, but it does mean Congress will get regular updates on border tunnel enforcement instead of just a one-time report. If you're interested in how the government monitors the southern border, you'll have access to more frequent information about these efforts.
Read the official summary (Introduced in House, Jan 16, 2025)
Subterranean Border Defense Act
This bill requires recurring annual reporting by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on the implementation of a strategic plan to counter illicit cross-border tunnel operations. Currently, CBP is only required to report once no later than one year after the plan's development.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionH. R. 495
AN ACT
Subterranean Border Defense Act
Sponsor: Rep. Elijah Crane (R-AZ-2) · Introduced Jan 16, 2025 · Immigration · 3 versions of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Mar 11, 2025: “Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.”
How Congress voted
Official roll callsHouse · On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass · Mar 10, 2025
Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass Passed 402–1
| Party | Yes | No | Didn’t vote |
|---|---|---|---|
| Democrats | 194 | 1 | 19 |
| Republicans | 208 | 0 | 10 |
1 member voted against most of their party: 1 Democrats voted No.
Congress votes on whole bills and amendments, not on single sections.
Sections
The wording of this bill hasn’t changed across its 3 official versions.