The record

LegislationLegislation· Nov 2025
HR 4071 Passed House — in Senate

Sponsored by Michael Guest (R)

Combatting International Drug Trafficking and Human Smuggling Partnership Act of 2025

Lets U.S. border agents work with foreign governments to fight drug smuggling and human trafficking.

Tradeoff

Expands border agents' authority to operate in foreign countries under bilateral agreements. Also lets the U.S. pay settlement claims for damages caused by border agents abroad, up to five years after enactment.

What's in it

See official bill text

Costs less than $500,000 over 2025-2030 to implement claim payments for foreign operations.

The less-than-$500,000 federal cost is just the government's payout for settling tort claims — the policy's real impact is the authorization for to conduct joint drug trafficking and counterterrorism operations with foreign governments and the liability framework those operations create.

H.R. 4071, Combatting International Drug Trafficking and Human Smuggling Partnership Act of 2025 · Jul 2025

Passed the House by on November 19, 2025 — sitting in the Senate.

  1. House

    Introduced

    (Jun 23, 2025)

  2. House

    Committee on Homeland Security(Jun 23, 2025)

    The bill went to more than one committee at the same time.

  3. House

    The Committee on Homeland Security voted to send it to the floor

    Reported by (Jun 25, 2025)

    Committee report H. Rept. 119-323, Part I.

  4. House

    Passage of the bill

    Passed by (Nov 19, 2025)

    No individual votes were recorded.

  5. Senate

    Received from the House

    on Foreign Relations(Nov 20, 2025)