Official Summary

9/23/2011--Introduced.Border Infrastructure and Jobs Act of 2011 - Establishes the United States-Mexico Economic Partnership Commission, which shall review and examine cross-border trade policies, strategies, and programs with Mexico. Directs the Secretary of Commerce to establish a grants

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Official Summary

9/23/2011--Introduced.Border Infrastructure and Jobs Act of 2011 - Establishes the United States-Mexico Economic Partnership Commission, which shall review and examine cross-border trade policies, strategies, and programs with Mexico. Directs the Secretary of Commerce to establish a grants program to develop and expand trusted shipper programs for small- and medium-sized businesses to facilitate border commerce. Authorizes appropriations for FY2013 to:
(1) the General Services Administration (GSA) for planning, management, and construction of United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) owned land border ports of entry along the U.S.-Mexico border and for the installation of renewable energy retrofits at such ports of entry;
(2) the International Boundary and Water Commission for planning, management, and construction of the International Outfall Interceptor and the Nogales Wash Channel;
(3) the Federal Highway Administration (FHA) for improvements to existing transportation and supporting infrastructure along the border, for construction of highways and related safety and enforcement facilities related to international trade with Mexico, and for international coordination of transportation planning, programming, and border operations with Mexico; and
(4) the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for integrated fixed towers, remote video cameras, hand-held devices, mobile systems, and other technologies in Arizona. Requires the DHS Secretary:
(1) during FY2013, to increase the number of full-time active duty CBP officers, agriculture specialists, and border security support personnel for such ports of entry, with priority to the Tucson Sector; and
(2) to develop and annually update a Southwest Border Strategy for Security and Prosperity to facilitate trade and maintain operational control over such ports of entry. Directs the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to establish a grants program to develop and revitalize small businesses located along the border. Prohibits an executive agency from awarding a contract unless 30% of the labor for the performance of the contract is performed by a local subcontractor, with exceptions.

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