S. 853 (109th): North American Cooperative Security Act

the Fast and Secure Trade program (referred to in this subsection as FAST) at major crossings, and the progress made in implementing the Fast and Secure Trade program at all remaining commercial crossings between Canada and the United States;

marketing programs to promote enrollment in FAST;

finding ways and means of increasing participation in FAST; and

the implementation of FAST at the international border between Mexico and the United States.

reduce waiting times at international border crossings through low-risk land ports of entry facilitating programs, including the status of the Secure Electronic Network for Travelers Rapid Inspection program (referred to in this section as SENTRI) and the NEXUS program;

measure and report wait times for commercial and non-commercial traffic at the land ports, and establish compatible performance standards for operating under normal security alert conditions; and

identify, develop, and deploy new technologies to—

priority ports of entry;

plans to expand dedicated lanes and approaches and improve border infrastructure in order to meet the objectives of FAST;

the development of a strategic plan for expanding the number of dedicated FAST lanes at major crossings at the international border between Mexico and the United States; and

an inventory of border transportation infrastructure in major transportation corridors.

technical and biometric standards based on best practices and consistent with international standards for the issuance, authentication, validation, and repudiation of travel documents, including—

working with the Governments of Canada and Mexico to encourage foreign governments to enact laws controlling alien smuggling and trafficking, use, and manufacture of fraudulent travel documents and information sharing;

applying the necessary pressures and support to ensure that other countries meet proper travel document standards and are equally committed to travel document verification before transit to other countries, including the United States; and

providing technical assistance for the development and maintenance of a national database built upon identified best practices for biometrics associated with visa and travel documents.

immigration lookout data on high risk individuals by implementing the Statement of Mutual Understanding on Information Sharing, which was signed by Canada and the United States in February 2003; and

immigration fraud trends and analysis, including asylum and document fraud.

enhancing consultation among visa issuing officials at consulates or embassies of Canada, Mexico, and the United States throughout the world to share information, trends, and best practices on visa flows;

comparing the procedures and policies of Canada and the United States related to visitor visa processing, including—

converging the list of visa waiver countries;

providing technical assistance for the development and maintenance of a national database built upon identified best practices for biometrics associated with immigration violators;

developing and implementing a North American immigration security strategy that works toward the development of a common security perimeter by enhancing technical assistance for programs and systems to support advance automated reporting and risk targeting of international passengers;

the progress made toward sharing information on lost and stolen passports on a real-time basis among immigration or law enforcement officials of the Governments of Canada, Mexico, and the United States; and

the progress made by the Department of State in collecting 10 fingerprints from all visa applicants.

to share information on third country nationals who have overstayed in either country; and

that respect the privacy laws of each country.

bilateral agreements between Canada and the United States and between Mexico and the United States to govern the sharing of terrorist watch list data and to comprehensively enumerate the uses of such data by the governments of each country;

establishing appropriate linkages between Canada, Mexico, and the United States Terrorist Screening Center; and

working to explore with foreign governments the establishment of a multilateral watch list mechanism that would facilitate direct coordination between the country that identifies an individual as an individual included on a watch list, and the country that owns such list, including procedures that satisfy the security concerns and are consistent with the privacy and other laws of each participating country.

information sharing and law enforcement cooperation, especially in areas of currency smuggling, money laundering, alien smuggling and trafficking in alcohol, firearms, and explosives;

implementing the Canada-United States Firearms Trafficking Action Plan;

the feasibility of formulating a firearms trafficking action plan between Mexico and the United States;

developing a joint threat assessment on organized crime between Canada and the United States;

the feasibility of formulating a joint threat assessment on organized crime between Mexico and the United States;

developing mechanisms to exchange information on findings, seizures, and capture of individuals transporting undeclared currency; and

developing and implementing a plan to combat the transnational threat of illegal drug trafficking.

reviewing existing counterterrorism efforts and coordination to maximize effectiveness; and

identifying best practices regarding the sharing of information and intelligence.

exploring the formation of law enforcement teams that include personnel from the United States and Mexico, and appropriate procedures from such teams; and

assessing the threat and risk of the St. Lawrence Seaway System and the Great Lakes and developing appropriate marine enforcement programs based on the integrated border team framework.

mapping relationships among key regulatory and border officials to ensure effective cooperation in planning and responding to a biosecurity threat; and

working jointly in support of the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002 (Public Law 107–188; 116 Stat. 594) to develop a regime that employs a risk management approach to the movement of foods and food products in our countries and across our shared border, and which builds upon and harmonizes with customs processes.

identifying opportunities to increase cooperation to prevent smuggling of nuclear or radioactive materials, including improving export controls for all materials identified on the high-risk sources list maintained by the International Atomic Energy Agency;

working collectively with other countries to install radiation detection equipment at foreign land crossings to examine cargo destined for North America;

enhancing border controls through effective technical cooperation and other forms of cooperation to—

enhancing physical protection of nuclear facilities in North America through effective technical and other forms of cooperation; and

developing a program on physical protection for Mexican nuclear installations that increases the level of the nuclear security culture of those responsible for the physical protection of nuclear installations and transport of nuclear material.

increase reliable energy supplies for the region’s needs and development;

streamline and update regulations concerning energy;

promote energy efficiency, conservation, and technologies;

work with the Governments of Canada and Mexico to develop a North American energy alliance to bolster our collective security by increased reliance on North American energy sources; and

work with the Government of Mexico to—

harmonizing external tariffs on a sector-by-sector basis to the lowest prevailing rate consistent with multilateral obligations, with the goal of creating a long-term common external tariff;

accelerating and expanding the implementation of existing smart border actions plans to facilitate intra-North American travel and commerce;

working with Mexican authorities to devise a set of policies designed to stimulate the Mexican economy that—

working to support the development of Mexican industries, job growth, and appropriate improvements to social services.

control alien smuggling and trafficking;

prevent the use and manufacture of fraudulent travel documents; and

share relevant information with Mexico, Canada, and the United States.

the Joint Interagency Task Force South;

the Permanent Joint Board on Defense;

joint-staff talks; and

senior Army border talks;

developing bilateral and trilateral capabilities and coordination mechanisms to address common threats along shared borders; and

work together to clearly define the term threats to only encompass military or defense-related threats, rather than other threats to homeland security;