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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 10499 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                               H. R. 10499

  To establish a pilot program on home kenneling of canines for U.S. 
  Customs and Border Protection's Office of Field Operations, and for 
                            other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           December 18, 2024

 Mr. Menendez (for himself, Mrs. McIver, and Mr. Luttrell) introduced 
  the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Homeland 
                                Security

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
  To establish a pilot program on home kenneling of canines for U.S. 
  Customs and Border Protection's Office of Field Operations, and for 
                            other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``CBP Canine Home Kenneling Pilot 
Act''.

SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM ON CANINE HOME KENNELING PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Executive Assistant Commissioner of U.S. 
Customs and Border Protection's (CBP) Office of Field Operations (OFO) 
shall establish a pilot program (in this section referred to as the 
``pilot program'') to assess whether a canine home kenneling program 
would benefit the OFO, including both canine handlers and canines.
    (b) Guidance.--
            (1) In general.--Prior to establishing the pilot program, 
        the Executive Assistant Commissioner shall distribute written 
        guidance for Field Offices of OFO to use while implementing the 
        canine home kenneling pilot program.
            (2) Consultation.--In developing the guidance referred to 
        in paragraph (1), the Executive Assistant Commissioner shall 
        consult with the following entities:
                    (A) Components of the Department of Homeland 
                Security that utilize home kenneling.
                    (B) The Office of Health Security of the Department 
                of Homeland Security.
                    (C) Representatives of the National Treasury 
                Employees Union.
    (c) Training.--Prior to establishing the pilot program, the 
Executive Assistant Commissioner shall carry out the following:
            (1) Establish training for canine handlers participating in 
        the pilot program to take full responsibility of a canine's 
        daily care, including feeding, exercise, and medical needs.
            (2) Disseminate best practices for the integration of a 
        working canine into the canine handler's residence.
    (d) Requirements.--In carrying out the pilot program, the Executive 
Assistant Commissioner shall carry out the following:
            (1) Ensure that not fewer than ten ports of entry 
        participate in the pilot program.
            (2) Ensure that canines assigned to seaports, airports, and 
        land ports of entry in both urban and rural locations 
        participate in the pilot program.
            (3) Provide for the participation of canine handlers on a 
        voluntary basis.
            (4) Continue the pilot program for a period of not less 
        than two years.
            (5) Terminate the pilot program not more than three years 
        after the establishment of the pilot program.
    (e) Briefing and Report to Congress.--
            (1) Briefing.--Not later than one year after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, the Executive Assistant Commissioner 
        shall provide to the appropriate congressional committees a 
        briefing describing the guidance, training and requirements for 
        the pilot program.
            (2) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the termination 
        of the pilot program, the Executive Assistant Commissioner 
        shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a 
        report that includes the following:
                    (A) Information relating to the number and location 
                of participating canine teams.
                    (B) Findings of the pilot program, including a 
                cost-benefit, job performance, health, and wellbeing 
                analysis comparing use of home kenneling with 
                centralized kenneling practices.
                    (C) Recommendations regarding the continued use of 
                home kenneling for CBP Office of Field Operations.
    (f) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term 
        ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
                    (A) the Committee on Homeland Security in the House 
                of Representatives; and
                    (B) the Committee on Homeland Security and 
                Governmental Affairs in the Senate.
            (2) Home kenneling.--The term ``home kenneling'' means the 
        practice whereby canines used for Federal law enforcement 
        purposes are housed and cared for at the residences of their 
        assigned handlers instead of a centralized facility owned or 
        contracted by a Federal agency.
                                 <all>
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