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H.R. 495

U.S. House•In Senate Committee

Summary

H.R. 495, the Subterranean Border Defense Act, was introduced in the House on Jan 16, 2025 by Rep. Elijah Crane (R) with 8 co-sponsors. It was referred to Homeland Security And Governmental Affairs, and last saw action on Mar 11, 2025: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

Record

Text

H.R. 495 has 8 co-sponsors and 1 roll call.

hb495/engrossed-in-house.txt
119 HR 495 EH: Subterranean Border Defense Act
 U.S. House of Representatives
 text/xml
 EN
 Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.
 I
 119th CONGRESS  1st Session
 H. R. 495
 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 AN ACT
To require annual reports on counter illicit cross-border tunnel operations, and for other purposes.
1.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the   Subterranean Border Defense Act  .
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.  Kevin F. McCumber,  Clerk.

Tracker

The tracker indicates the progress of this legislation as it moves through the legislative process.

  1. Introduced2025-01-16
  2. Passed House2025-03-10
  3. Passed Senate
  4. Conference
  5. To President
  6. Became Law

CRS Summary

The summaries are the Congressional Research Service’s, one per stage. Read them in full.

Introduced in House Jan 16, 2025

hb495/introduced-in-house.md

Shown Here:
Introduced in House (01/16/2025)

Subterranean Border Defense Act

This bill requires recurring annual reporting by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on the implementation of a strategic plan to counter illicit cross-border tunnel operations. Currently, CBP is only required to report once no later than one year after the plan's development.

Sponsors

Rep. Elijah Crane (R) sponsors H.R. 495, and 8 members have co-sponsored it, 6 of them from the day it was introduced.

Committees

H.R. 495 went before 3 committees: Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Border Security and Enforcement Subcommittee and Homeland Security.

Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
Referred To · Mar 11, 2025 · 444 Bills
Border Security and Enforcement Subcommittee
Border Security and Enforcement Subcommittee
Referred to · Jan 16, 2025 · 73 Bills
Homeland Security
Homeland Security
Referred To · Jan 16, 2025 · 6 Bills

Actions

H.R. 495 has taken 12 actions since Jan 16, 2025, the latest on Mar 11, 2025.

ChamberAction
Mar 11, 2025
Senate
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
Mar 10, 202516:01
House
Mr. Green (TN) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
Mar 10, 202516:01
House
Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H1045-1046)
Mar 10, 202516:01
House
DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 495.
Mar 10, 202516:08
House
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.

Votes

H.R. 495 went to 1 roll call in the House, the latest on Mar 10, 2025 at 402–1.

ChamberQuestion
Yea
Nay
Mar 10, 2025
House
On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass
402
1

Titles

H.R. 495 goes by 6 titles, 3 of them short titles.

  • To require annual reports on counter illicit cross-border tunnel operations, and for other purposes. — Official Titles from EH (Engrossed in House) bill text
  • Subterranean Border Defense Act — Short Titles from RFS (Referred to Senate) bill text
  • Subterranean Border Defense Act — Short Title(s) as Passed House
  • Subterranean Border Defense Act — Display Title
  • Subterranean Border Defense Act — Short Title(s) as Introduced
  • To require annual reports on counter illicit cross-border tunnel operations, and for other purposes. — Official Title as Introduced

Lobbying

1 client hired 1 firm and 1 registered lobbyist who named H.R. 495 in 1 quarterly filing, 2026. Reported under the Lobbying Disclosure Act; a filing’s income covers everything its registrant worked that quarter, so the amounts below are the filings’, not this bill’s.

Filed under Defense.

Clients

Who paid to be heard, by how many filings named the bill.

ClientBusinessStateFirmsFilingsReported
ALLISON TRANSMISSION INCORPORATED—Virginia11$30K

Firms

Registrants who filed on the bill, by filings.

RegistrantClientsFilingsReported
C. BAKER CONSULTING, INC.11$30K

Lobbyists

Named on the filings that cite the bill.

LobbyistFirmsClientsFilings
CALEB BAKER111

Filings

The documents themselves, on the Senate’s Lobbying Disclosure site, largest reported first.

ClientRegistrantPeriodReportedDocument
ALLISON TRANSMISSION INCORPORATEDC. BAKER CONSULTING, INC.2026 second_quarter$30K2nd Quarter - Report

Classification

The Congressional Research Service files H.R. 495 under Immigration, one of its 31 policy areas, and gives it 2 legislative subjects.

CRS Subjects

CRS assigns every bill one policy area from its 31; H.R. 495’s is Immigration.

hr495/policy-areas.txt
ImmigrationAgriculture and FoodAnimalsArmed Forces and National SecurityArts, Culture, ReligionCivil Rights and Liberties, Minority IssuesCommerceCongressCrime and Law EnforcementEconomics and Public FinanceEducationEmergency ManagementEnergyEnvironmental ProtectionFamiliesFinance and Financial SectorForeign Trade and International FinanceGovernment Operations and PoliticsHealthHousing and Community DevelopmentInternational AffairsLabor and EmploymentLawNative AmericansPublic Lands and Natural ResourcesScience, Technology, CommunicationsSocial WelfareSports and RecreationTaxationTransportation and Public WorksWater Resources Development

Legislative Subjects

H.R. 495 carries 2 of CRS’s legislative subjects, from Border security and unlawful immigration to Government information and archives.

hr495/subjects.txt
Border security and unlawful immigrationGovernment information and archives

Constitutional authority

The clause the sponsor cites as Congress’s power to enact H.R. 495, as entered in the Congressional Record.

[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 9 (Thursday, January 16, 2025)][House]From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]By Mr. CRANE:H.R. 495.Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuantto the following:Article I, Section 8, Clause 18:The Congress shall have Power . . . To make all Laws whichshall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution theforegoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by thisConstitution in the Government of the United States, or inany Department or Officer thereof.[Page H222]

Source: congress.gov · legiscan.com