Joint criminal opioid and darknet enforcement task force

(a) Establishment (1) In general There is established in the Federal Bureau of Investigation an interagency program that shall be known as the Joint Criminal Opioid and Darknet Enforcement Task Force. (2) Director The task force shall be headed by a Director, who shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. (b) Purpose The purpose of the task force shall be to detect, disrupt, and dismantle illicit marketplaces. (c) Components (1) Representatives The task force shall include representatives from— (A) the Federal Bureau of Investigation; (B) the Drug Enforcement Administration; (C) the United States Postal Inspection Service; (D) Immigration and Customs Enforcement; (E) the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; (F) Homeland Security Investigations; (G) United States Customs and Border Protection; (H) the Department of Defense; (I) the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network; and (J) the Department of Justice. (2) Consultation The Director may consult with any State, Tribal, local, or international department or agency the Director determines necessary to carry out the purpose of the task force described in subsection (b). (d) Duties and functions To further the purpose of the task force described in subsection (b), the task force shall— (1) engage in— (A) proactive and reactive investigations; and (B) forensic and cyberforensic examinations; (2) provide forensic and cyberforensic, technical, preventive, and investigative training and assistance to— (A) prosecutors; and (B) law enforcement agencies; (3) develop best practices to assist Federal, State, Tribal, and local law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, and others, as appropriate, in the collection of evidence in order to determine and investigate possible nexuses to the dark web and virtual assets, including— (A) evidence logging; (B) evidence maintenance; and (C) evidence sharing; (4) develop multijurisdictional and multiagency responses and partnerships with Federal, international, local, and other law enforcement agencies, as appropriate, by— (A) establishing procedures for information sharing; (B) establishing lists of recommended specialized equipment and tools to investigate and prosecute the distribution of illicit drugs, goods, and services on the dark web; and (C) helping the agencies acquire the necessary knowledge, personnel, and specialized equipment to investigate and prosecute the distribution of illegal drugs, goods, and services through the dark web; (5) create novel investigative approaches to— (A) target emerging technologies that facilitate the distribution of opioids through illicit marketplaces on the dark web; and (B) build forensic capacity and expertise to meet the challenges posed by the technologies; (6) enhance collaboration and coordination with international partners; and (7) engage in any other activities the Director determines necessary to carry out the duties of the task force. (e) Guidance and training The task force shall provide guidance and training to officers and employees of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other Federal, international, and other law enforcement agencies, as appropriate, relating to— (1) techniques and procedures to— (A) recognize evidence or potential evidence relating to the dark web; and (B) identify and recognize patterns and practices relating to the distribution of illegal drugs, services, and goods through the dark web; (2) the types of information that should be collected and recorded in information technology systems used by the Federal Bureau of Investigation to help— (A) identify administrators and operators of illicit marketplaces; (B) identify vendors, buyers, and other individuals involved in the distribution of opioids through illicit marketplaces; and (C) detect, disrupt, and dismantle illicit marketplaces; (3) procedures for systematic and routine information sharing within the Federal Bureau of Investigation and between Federal, State, Tribal, and local law enforcement agencies; and (4) any other training or guidance the Director determines necessary to carry out the duties of the task force. (f) Report Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, acting through the Director, shall submit to the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate and the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives a report, which shall include, for the previous year— (1) a summary of the activities and accomplishments of the task force; (2) a description of the investigative methods used by the task force, including an assessment of the effectiveness of the methods; (3) information on investigation and prosecution performance measures for the task force, including— (A) the number of investigations the task force conducted or assisted; (B) the number of illicit marketplaces detected, disrupted, or dismantled as a result of an investigation conducted or assisted by the task force; (C) the number of arrests relating to an investigation conducted or assisted by the task force; and (D) statistics that account for the disposition of investigations by the task force that did not result in an arrest or a prosecution; (4) an assessment of partnerships between the task force and other Federal, State, Tribal, and local law enforcement agencies, including the effectiveness of guidance and training provided by the task force to personnel of other Federal, State, Tribal, and law enforcement agencies; (5) an evaluation of the collaboration and coordination between the task force and international partners; (6) recommendations for additional congressional or legislative action, as appropriate, that would be useful or necessary to achieve the purpose of the task force described in subsection (b); (7) a summary of how transactions involving the distribution of illegal drugs, goods, and services through the dark web are financed; (8) a description of a plan to increase the capacity to investigate the distribution of illegal drugs, goods, and services through the dark web; and (9) recommendations for additional congressional or legislative action, as appropriate, that would improve the efforts of Federal agencies to detect, disrupt, and dismantle illicit marketplaces, including efforts to identify individuals and groups involved in the distribution of illegal drugs, goods, and services through the dark web. (g) Funding The Director shall carry out this section using amounts otherwise made available to the Attorney General. (h) Sunset This section shall cease to have force or effect on the date that is 5 years after the date of enactment of this Act.