Subterranean Border Defense Act

The bill would amend the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 to require U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to report to Congress on its counter illicit cross-border tunnel operations plan every year, rather than only once. The change is accomplished by inserting "and annually thereafter" into the existing reporting provision.

The bill would not create a new strategic plan, alter the content of required reports, or change any other aspect of CBP's tunnel-detection or border-security authorities. It makes only the single textual amendment needed to convert the existing one-time deadline into a recurring obligation.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which would be required to produce annual reports rather than a single report. Congressional committees that conduct oversight of border security would receive the recurring reports. Indirectly, border communities and law enforcement agencies concerned with illicit cross-border tunnel activity could benefit from more consistent congressional oversight.

If enacted, CBP would face a standing annual reporting obligation rather than a one-time deadline, giving Congress a regular window into how the agency is implementing its counter-tunnel strategy. Without recurring reports, oversight gaps could allow implementation problems to go undetected between Congresses.

CBP would be required to submit reports to Congress annually following development of its counter illicit cross-border tunnel strategic plan. No rulemaking is required — the change is self-executing as a statutory amendment. No new grant cycle, enforcement mechanism, or phase-in is established; compliance consists solely of producing and transmitting the annual report.