The bill would speed crossing of Amtrak trains like the "Maple Leaf," (above) which runs from NYC to Toronto and the "Adirondacker," which runs from NYC to Montreal. Photo: Diego Torres Silvestre, Creative Commons, some rights reserved

Dec 13, 2016 — Travel between the North Country and Canada could get easier soon. Congress has passed legislation meant to cut down on wait times and headaches at the border.

It’s called the preclearance bill. It expands a program that lets U.S. customs agents work across international lines, screening people before they reach border crossings. Business leaders and lawmakers in the North Country say this is a big win for the region.

There are already preclearance facilities at some airports in Canada. At Ottawa International Airport, for example, you can go through U.S. Customs before you fly to the United States.

This bill would expand that program, allowing it to happen at train stations. Right now, some Amtrak trains get held up at the border for an extra hour. Under this new program, you’d go through customs before the train even leaves the station.  

“Amtrak, we know, has specifically been just awaiting this authorization for U.S. Customs to pre-clear Amtrak passengers at Central Station in Montreal,” said Garry Douglas, president of the North Country Chamber of Commerce. He has fought for an expanded preclearance program for a long time. He said a more efficient border means more people and cash flowing into the North Country. He’s thrilled that the bill passed in both houses of Congress.

“It’s an evolution, and it’s a very historic one,” Douglas said. “It helps to secure and I think to further the kind of cooperation at the border that will continue to allow it to be the single biggest driving force in the economy of the North Country, which it absolutely already is.”

Douglas said Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik has been a champion on the issue. “This process will allow for an easier and accelerated trip while ensuring necessary protections for our national security,” Stefanik said of the bill on the House floor last week.

In addition to preclearance, the bill also says federal government employees working in Canada will be subject to U.S. law and legal protections.

This was a bipartisan effort. Democratic Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand celebrated the good news in a joint statement with Stefanik. It’s also a big deal for former Congressman Bill Owens, who was instrumental in laying the groundwork for strengthened ties with Canada. He said he’s “absolutely delighted.”

“I think this was very important. Also sends a great message to our Canadian counterparts and friends and I’m hopeful that they will proceed with their legislation,” Owens said.

This new cross-border agreement is taking shape at a time when president-elect Donald Trump has talked a lot about renegotiating or backing out of international deals like NAFTA, the Trans Pacific Partnership, the Iran nuclear deal, and the Paris climate agreement. And Trump has that authority.

But since this agreement already passed in both houses of Congress, Owens said it’s unlikely Trump can undo this one once President Obama signs off on it.

That’s expected to happen soon. Both Owens and Douglas are confident a similar bill will pass in the Canadian parliament, allowing Canadian border agents to work on the North Country side. Owens and Douglas hope the new border rules will finally become reality in early 2017.