`[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1517 Reported in House (RH)]

                                                 Union Calendar No. 218
111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1517

                      [Report No. 111-373, Part I]

To allow certain U.S. Customs and Border Protection employees who serve 
 under an overseas limited appointment for at least 2 years, and whose 
service is rated fully successful or higher throughout that time, to be 
    converted to a permanent appointment in the competitive service.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 16, 2009

    Mr. Engel (for himself and Mr. King of New York) introduced the 
    following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Homeland 
Security, and in addition to the Committee on Oversight and Government 
 Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 
   each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the 
                jurisdiction of the committee concerned

                           December 14, 2009

 Additional sponsors: Mr. Bilirakis, Mrs. Miller of Michigan, and Ms. 
                               Richardson

                           December 14, 2009

   Reported from the Committee on Homeland Security with an amendment
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]





                           December 14, 2009

 Committee on Oversight and Government Reform discharged; committed to 
the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered 
                             to be printed
 [For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on March 
                               16, 2009]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To allow certain U.S. Customs and Border Protection employees who serve 
 under an overseas limited appointment for at least 2 years, and whose 
service is rated fully successful or higher throughout that time, to be 
    converted to a permanent appointment in the competitive service.


 


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

SECTION 1. DEFINITIONS.

    For purposes of this Act--
            (1) the term ``Commissioner'' means the Commissioner of 
        U.S. Customs and Border Protection;
            (2) the term ``U.S. Customs and Border Protection'' means 
        U.S. Customs and Border Protection of the Department of 
        Homeland Security;
            (3) the term ``competitive service'' has the meaning given 
        such term by section 2102 of title 5, United States Code; and
            (4) the term ``overseas limited appointment'' means an 
        appointment under--
                    (A) subpart B of part 301 of title 5 of the Code of 
                Federal Regulations, as in effect on January 1, 2008; 
                or
                    (B) any similar antecedent or succeeding authority, 
                as determined by the Commissioner.

SEC. 2. AUTHORITY TO CONVERT CERTAIN OVERSEAS LIMITED APPOINTMENTS TO 
              PERMANENT APPOINTMENTS.

    (a) In General.--Notwithstanding chapter 33 of title 5, United 
States Code, or any other provision of law relating to the examination, 
certification, and appointment of individuals in the competitive 
service, the Commissioner may convert an employee serving under an 
overseas limited appointment within U.S. Customs and Border Protection 
to a permanent appointment in the competitive service within U.S. 
Customs and Border Protection, if--
            (1) as of the time of conversion, the employee has 
        completed at least 2 years of current continuous service under 
        1 or more overseas limited appointments; and
            (2) the employee's performance has, throughout the period 
        of continuous service referred to in paragraph (1), been rated 
        at least fully successful or the equivalent.
An employee whose appointment is converted under the preceding sentence 
acquires competitive status upon conversion.
    (b) Indemnification and Privileges.--
            (1) Indemnification.--The United States shall, in the case 
        of any individual whose appointment is converted under 
        subsection (a), indemnify and hold such individual harmless 
        from any claim arising from any event, act, or omission--
                    (A) that arises from the exercise of such 
                individual's official duties, including by reason of 
                such individual's residency status, in the foreign 
                country in which such individual resides at the time of 
                conversion,
                    (B) for which the individual would not have been 
                liable had the individual enjoyed the same privileges 
                and immunities in the foreign country as an individual 
                who either was a permanent employee, or was not a 
                permanent resident, in the foreign country at the time 
                of the event, act, or omission involved, and
                    (C) that occurs before, on, or after the date of 
                the enactment of this Act,
        including any claim for taxes owed to the foreign country or a 
        subdivision thereof.
            (2) Services and payments.--
                    (A) In general.--In the case of any individual 
                whose appointment is converted under subsection (a), 
                the United States shall provide to such individual 
                (including any dependents) services and monetary 
                payments--
                            (i) equivalent to the services and monetary 
                        payments provided to other Customs and Border 
                        Protection employees in similar positions (and 
                        their dependents) in the same country of 
                        assignment by international agreement, an 
                        exchange of notes, or other diplomatic policy; 
                        and
                            (ii) for which such individual (including 
                        any dependents) was not eligible by reason of 
                        such individual's overseas limited appointment.
                    (B) Applicability.--Services and payments under 
                this paragraph shall be provided to an individual 
                (including any dependents) to the same extent and in 
                the same manner as if such individual had held a 
                permanent appointment in the competitive service 
                throughout the period described in subsection (a)(1). 
                The preceding sentence shall, in the case of any 
                individual, be effective as of the first day of the 
                period described in subsection (a)(1) with respect to 
                such individual.
    (c) Guidance on Implementation.--The Commissioner shall implement 
the conversion of an employee serving under an overseas limited 
appointment to a permanent appointment in the competitive service in a 
manner that--
            (1) meets the operational needs of the U.S. Customs and 
        Border Protection; and
            (2) to the greatest extent practicable, is not disruptive 
        to the employees affected under this Act.
                                                 Union Calendar No. 218

111th CONGRESS

  1st Session

                               H. R. 1517

                      [Report No. 111-373, Part I]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

To allow certain U.S. Customs and Border Protection employees who serve 
 under an overseas limited appointment for at least 2 years, and whose 
service is rated fully successful or higher throughout that time, to be 
    converted to a permanent appointment in the competitive service.

_______________________________________________________________________

                           December 14, 2009

   Reported from the Committee on Homeland Security with an amendment

                           December 14, 2009

 Committee on Oversight and Government Reform discharged; committed to 
the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered 
                             to be printed`