Assessment of Counter-Subterranean Technologies

(a) Assessment Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter for each of the subsequent five years, the Director of the Combating Terrorism Technical Support Office of the Department of Defense, in coordination with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, shall convene and engagement with appropriate officials of the Department of Homeland Security, including the United States Border Patrol Subterranean Program Management Office, to— (1) identify Department of Defense-developed or Department of Defense-sponsored technologies, capabilities, and research efforts relevant to the detection, mapping, monitoring, or mitigation of subterranean threats; (2) assess opportunities to transition, adapt, test, or evaluate such technologies for operational use in detecting, monitoring, and countering illicit cross-border tunnel activity along the international borders of the United States; (3) identify opportunities for collaboration relating to research, development, testing, evaluation, and technology transition activities concerning counter-subterranean capabilities; and (4) identify barriers to interagency cooperation, technology transfer, testing, evaluation, or deployment of such capabilities. (b) Annual Report and briefing Not later than 90 days after each engagement required under subsection (a), the Director of the Combating Terrorism Technical Support Office shall submit a report and provide a briefing to the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate that includes a description of— (1) the technologies, capabilities, and research efforts discussed during the engagement; (2) opportunities identified for further research, development, testing, evaluation, transition, or operational assessment activities; (3) recommendations for improving coordination between the Department of Defense and Federal partners regarding counter-subterranean technologies; and (4) any legislative, regulatory, or administrative barriers affecting the development, transition, or deployment of counter-subterranean capabilities.