I 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1655 

To enhance the safety of ports of entry in the United States, and for 

other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 19, 2009 

Mr. REYES (for himself, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. RODRIGUEZ, Mr. ORTIZ, Mr. FILNER, Mr. TEAGUE, Mr. CUELLAR, Ms. GIFFORDS, Mr. BILBRAY, Mr. 

ROHRABACHER, Mr. MITCHELL, Mr. PASTOR of Arizona, Mr. HINOJOSA, 

Mr. ABERCROMBIE, Mr. DOGGETT, Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas, Ms. 

JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Mr. LANGEVIN, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Mr. ROTHMAN of New Jersey, Mr. STUPAK, Mr. BACA, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Mrs. 

DAVIS of California, Mr. GONZALEZ, Mr. HONDA, Mr. KLEIN of Florida, 

Mr. MCINTYRE, Mr. RUPPERSBERGER, and Mr. SIRES) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Homeland Security, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, Agriculture, 

and Transportation and Infrastructure, 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 

A BILL 

To enhance the safety of ports of entry in the United States, 

and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Putting Our Resources 

5 Towards Security (PORTS) Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. INCREASE IN NUMBER OF CUSTOMS AND BORDER 

2 PROTECTION OFFICERS. 

3 (a) CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION OFFI4 CERS.—During the 5-year period between fiscal years 

5 2010 and 2014, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall, 

6 subject to the availability of appropriations for such pur7 pose, increase by not fewer than 5,000 the total number 

8 of full-time, active-duty Customs and Border Protection 

9 Officers within United States Customs and Border Protec10 tion for posting at United States ports of entry above the 

11 number of such officers for which funds were made avail12 able during fiscal year 2009. 

13 (b) AGRICULTURE SPECIALISTS.—During the 5-year 

14 period between fiscal years 2010 and 2014, the Secretary 

15 of Homeland Security shall, subject to the availability of 

16 appropriations for such border security purposes, increase 

17 by not fewer than a total of 1,200 the number of full18 time Customs and Border Protection agriculture special19 ists for United States ports of entry above the number 

20 of such support personnel for which funds were made 

21 available during fiscal year 2009. 

22 (c) BORDER SECURITY SUPPORT PERSONNEL.— 

23 During the 5-year period between fiscal years 2010 and 

24 2014, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall, subject 

25 to the availability of appropriations for such purpose, in26 crease by not fewer than a total of 350 the number of 


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1 full-time border security support personnel for United 

2 States ports of entry above the number of such support 

3 personnel for which funds were made available during fis4 cal year 2009. 

5 SEC. 3. IMPROVING PORTS OF ENTRY FOR BORDER SECU6 RITY AND OTHER PURPOSES. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be appro8 priated to the Administrator of the General Services Ad9 ministration $1,000,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2010 

10 through 2014 to make improvements to existing ports of 

11 entry in the United States to improve border security and 

12 for other purposes. 

13 (b) PRIORITY.—In making improvements described 

14 in subsection (a), the Administrator of the General Serv15 ices Administration, in coordination with the Commis16 sioner of Customs and Border Protection, shall give pri17 ority to the ports of entry that the Administrator deter18 mines are in most need of repair to improve border secu19 rity and for other purposes in accordance with port of 

20 entry infrastructure assessment studies required in section 

21 603 of title VI, division E, of the Consolidated Appropria22 tions Act of 2008 (Public Law 101–161). 

Æ 


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