What This Bill Does · Plain English
Summary · Congress.gov
Trade Transparency Unit Strategy Act This bill requires a strategy and report related to the expansion of trade transparency units. Trade transparency units examine trade anomalies and financial irregularities associated with trade-based money laundering, customs fraud, contraband smuggling, and tax evasion. Specifically, the Department of Homeland Security must coordinate with the Departments of State, Commerce, and the Treasury to submit a strategy to Congress. This strategy must (1) expand information sharing between U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security Investigations of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, appropriate elements of the Department of Commerce, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network of the Department of the Treasury, and appropriate counterparts of foreign customs agencies through trade transparency units; and (2) improve intra-agency, interagency, and other multilateral information sharing with respect to these units. The Government Accountability Office must submit a report to Congress that includes an assessment of the strategy.
Action Timeline
2026-01-08
Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
2026-01-08
Introduced in House
2026-01-08
Introduced in House
Frequently Asked Questions
Did HR.6988 pass?
HR.6988 is still alive. Current stage: COMMITTEE. Pass likelihood: pending.
What does HR.6988 do?
Trade Transparency Unit Strategy Act This bill requires a strategy and report related to the expansion of trade transparency units. Trade transparency units examine trade anomalies and financial irregularities associated with trade-based money laundering, customs fraud, contraband smuggling, and tax evasion. Specifically, the Department of Homeland Security must coordinate with the Departments of State, Commerce, and the Treasury to submit a strategy to Congress. This strategy must (1) expand information sharing between U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security Investigations of U.…
Who sponsored HR.6988?
HR.6988 was sponsored by August Pfluger (R-Texas).
Full Bill Text
119 HR 6988 IH: Trade Transparency Unit Strategy Act U.S. House of Representatives 2026-01-08 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 2d Session H. R. 6988 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES January 8, 2026 Mr. Pfluger introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means A BILL To require a strategy for the expanded use of Trade Transparency Units. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Trade Transparency Unit Strategy Act . 2. Strategy for the expansion of Trade Transparency Units (a) Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that Trade Transparency Units are a critical bilateral and multilateral tool to identify, disrupt, and dismantle international money laundering networks. (b) Strategy (1) In General Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security, in coordination with the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Commerce, and the Secretary of the Treasury, shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a strategy to— (A) expand information sharing between U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security Investigations, appropriate elements of the Department of Commerce, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network of the Department of the Treasury, and appropriate counterparts of foreign customs agencies through Trade Transparency Units; and (B) improve intra-agency, inter-agency, and other multilateral information sharing with respect to Trade Transparency Units. (2) Form The strategy required by paragraph (1) shall be submitted in unclassified form and may contain a classified annex. (c) Comptroller General assessment Not later than 180 days after the submission of the strategy required by subsection (b), the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report that includes an assessment of the strategy required in subsection (b). (d) Appropriate congressional committees defined In this section, the term appropriate congressional committees means— (1) the Committee on Homeland Security, the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives; and (2) the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, the Committee on Foreign Relations, and the Committee on Finance of the Senate.
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