Skip to main content
CivicGate

HR 495
Passed House Re-checks Congress.gov for new actions and updates the bill's status, and fills in any sponsors, committees, or related bills that are missing. It does not re-pull sponsors/cosponsors/committees/related — those rarely change — and it skips all work if nothing has changed upstream, so it's cheap to click.

Subterranean Border Defense Act

Introduced Jan 16, 2025

Latest action (Mar 11, 2025) Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

Referred to
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Homeland Security Committee
Policy area
Immigration
Issues
Immigration
Legislative subjects (2)
Border security and unlawful immigrationGovernment information and archives

Summary

This bill requires annual reports on counter-illicit cross-border tunnel operations. The bill amends an existing requirement in the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 by adding a mandate for annual reports to continue beyond the initial development of a strategic plan. Previously, the law required development of a strategic plan for counter-illicit cross-border tunnel operations but did not specify ongoing annual reporting requirements. The bill extends the reporting requirement on an annual basis continuing forward. The reports would provide information on federal efforts to detect and respond to illegal cross-border tunnels used for illicit purposes.

AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.

Sponsor (1)
8 cosponsors

Money behind the sponsor

Top reported contributors to Elijah Crane’s campaign committee (2024 cycle) — who funds the bill’s sponsor, not a claim about this bill. Data from FEC.

  • NULL $235,256
  • REITRED $17,341
  • SITE DEVELOPMENT $16,377
  • AUTISM ACADEMY $10,969
  • SAULSBURY INDUSTRIES $9,900

Organizations whose employees gave the most — itemized individual contributions grouped by the donor’s reported employer (FEC Schedule A). Full finance for Elijah Crane → · Outside spending →

Actions (12)
  1. Mar 11, 2025 Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. · senate
  2. Mar 10, 2025 Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection. · house
  3. Mar 10, 2025 On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 402 - 1 (Roll no. 63). (text: CR H1046) · house
  4. Mar 10, 2025 Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 402 - 1 (Roll no. 63). (text: CR H1046)
  5. Mar 10, 2025 Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H1057-1058) · house
  6. Mar 10, 2025 At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed. · house
  7. Mar 10, 2025 DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 495. · house
  8. Mar 10, 2025 Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H1045-1046) · house
  9. Mar 10, 2025 Mr. Green (TN) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill. · house
  10. Jan 16, 2025 Referred to the Subcommittee on Border Security and Enforcement. · house
  11. Jan 16, 2025 Referred to the House Committee on Homeland Security. · house
  12. Jan 16, 2025 Introduced in House

How your representatives voted

Sign in to see how your own representatives voted on HR 495.

Roll-call votes (1)

How the chamber voted on this bill — the outcome, the tally by party, and every member's recorded position. A factual record.

More bills on these subjects (8)

Other bills that carry the most legislative subjects in common with this one (topical discovery — distinct from the procedural related bills above).

  • HR 9770 — Continuing Appropriations Act, 2027 (shares 2 subjects)
  • HR 7147 — Homeland Security and Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2026. (shares 2 subjects)
  • HR 7148 — Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 (shares 2 subjects)
  • HR 7006 — Financial Services and General Government and National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2026 (shares 2 subjects)
  • S 1071 — National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 (shares 2 subjects)
  • S 2296 — National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 (shares 2 subjects)
  • S 2882 — Continuing Appropriations and Extensions and Other Matters Act, 2026 (shares 2 subjects)
  • HR 3838 — Streamlining Procurement for Effective Execution and Delivery and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 (shares 2 subjects)

Similar bills (6)

Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.

  • S 4544 — Stop Fueling Cartel Violence Act · Introduced May 14, 2026 · Cong. 119 63%
  • HR 4071 — Combatting International Drug Trafficking and Human Smuggling Partnership Act of 2025 · Passed House Nov 20, 2025 · Cong. 119 63%
  • HR 318 — Border Safety and Security Act of 2025 · Introduced Jan 9, 2025 · Cong. 119 61%
  • HR 4176 — No Secret Police Act of 2025 · Introduced Jun 27, 2025 · Cong. 119 61%
  • S 850 — Northern Border Security Enhancement and Review Act · Introduced Nov 3, 2025 · Cong. 119 61%
  • S 3955 — Migrant Crime Reporting Act of 2026 · Introduced Feb 26, 2026 · Cong. 119 61%

Text versions (3)
  • Referred in Senate · Mar 11, 2025
  • Engrossed in House · Mar 10, 2025
  • Introduced in House · Jan 16, 2025

Full text

AN ACT

To require annual reports on counter illicit cross-border tunnel operations, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the “Subterranean Border Defense Act”.

SEC. 2. ANNUAL REPORTS ON COUNTER ILLICIT CROSS-BORDER TUNNEL OPERATIONS.

Paragraph (2) of section 7134(a) of the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (Public Law 117-263; 6 U.S.C. 257 note) is amended by inserting “and annually thereafter” after “development of the strategic plan”.

Passed the House of Representatives March 10, 2025.

Attest:

Clerk. 119th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 495

AN ACT

To require annual reports on counter illicit cross-border tunnel operations, and for other purposes.

Comments

Comments

Loading comments…