U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE

WASHINGTON : 

1 

49–010 

" ! SENATE 

114TH CONGRESS

1st Session 

REPORT

2015

114–116 

Calendar No. 196 

BORDER JOBS FOR VETERANS ACT OF 2015 

R E P O R T 

OF THE

COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY AND 

GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS 

UNITED STATES SENATE 

TO ACCOMPANY

S. 1603 

TO ACTIVELY RECRUIT MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES WHO 

ARE SEPARATING FROM MILITARY SERVICE TO SERVE AS 

CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION OFFICERS 

AUGUST 5, 2015.—Ordered to be printed 


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(II) 

COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS 

RON JOHNSON, Wisconsin, Chairman 

JOHN MCCAIN, Arizona 

ROB PORTMAN, Ohio 

RAND PAUL, Kentucky 

JAMES LANKFORD, Oklahoma 

MICHAEL B. ENZI, Wyoming 

KELLY AYOTTE, New Hampshire 

JONI ERNST, Iowa 

BEN SASSE, Nebraska 

THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware 

CLAIRE MCCASKILL, Missouri 

JON TESTER, Montana 

TAMMY BALDWIN, Wisconsin 

HEIDI HEITKAMP, North Dakota 

CORY A. BOOKER, New Jersey 

GARY C. PETERS, Michigan 

KEITH B. ASHDOWN, Staff Director 

CHRISTOPHER R. HIXON, Chief Counsel 

DAVID S. LUCKEY, Director of Homeland Security 

WILLIAM H.W. MCKENNA, Chief Counsel for Homeland Security 

BROOKE N. ERICSON, Deputy Chief Counsel for Homeland Security 

GABRIELLE A. BATKIN, Minority Staff Director 

JOHN P. KILVINGTON, Minority Deputy Staff Director 

MARY BETH SCHULTZ, Minority Chief Counsel 

STEPHEN R. VIN ̃ A, Minority Chief Counsel for Homeland Security 

HOLLY A. IDELSON, Minority Senior Counsel 

LAURA W. KILBRIDE, Chief Clerk 


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Calendar No. 196 

114TH CONGRESS SENATE REPORT " ! 1st Session 114–116 

BORDER JOBS FOR VETERANS ACT OF 2015 

AUGUST 5, 2015.—Ordered to be printed 

Mr. JOHNSON, from the Committee on Homeland Security and 

Governmental Affairs, submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany S. 1603] 

The Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, 

to which was referred the bill (S. 1603) to actively recruit members 

of the Armed Forces who are separating from military service to 

serve as Customs and Border Protection Officers, having considered 

the same, reports favorably thereon with an amendment and recommends that the bill, as amended, do pass. 

CONTENTS 

Page 

I. Purpose and Summary ............................................................................... 1 

II. Background and Need for the Legislation ................................................ 2 

III. Legislative History ...................................................................................... 3 

IV. Section-by-Section Analysis ........................................................................ 4 

V. Evaluation of Regulatory Impact ............................................................... 5 

VI. Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate ............................................. 5 

VII. Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported ........................ 6 

I. PURPOSE AND SUMMARY

The purpose of S. 1603, the Border Jobs for Veterans Act of 2015, 

is to assist the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in 

filling open Customs and Border Protection Officer (CBPO) positions by actively recruiting members of the Armed Forces who are 

separating from military service. This bill will require DHS and the 

Department of Defense (DOD) to identify positions in the Armed 

Forces that have transferable requirements, qualifications, and duties to those required for CBPOs and to establish a program that 

will help inform separating service members of CBPO opportunities, as well as streamline interagency transfers of relevant background investigations and security clearances. 


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1 U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, About CBP, 

available at http://www.cbp.gov/about. 2 U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, CBP Opens 

Announcement to Hire Additional 2,000 Officers (2014), available at http://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/national-media-release/2014-05-01-000000/cbp-opens-announcement-hire-additional–2000. 3 Id. 

4 Budget Hearing—United States Customs and Border Protection: Hearing Before the House 

Comm. on Appropriations Subcomm. on Homeland Security, 113th Cong. (2014) (testimony of 

Gil Kerlikowske, Commissioner, Customs and Border Protection), available at, http:// 

docs.house.gov/meetings/AP/AP15/20140402/102009/HHRG-113-AP15-Wstate-KerlikowskeR20140402.pdf. 5 U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Field 

Operations, Resource Optimization Strategy (2015). 6Testimony of Gil Kerlikowske, supra note 4. 7 National Center for Risk and Economic Analysis of Terrorism Events (CREATE), The Impact 

on the U.S. Economy on Changes in Wait Times at Ports of Entry (2013), available at http:// 

research.create.usc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1183&context=nonpublished_reports; see also 

National Center for Risk and Economic Analysis of Terrorism Events (CREATE), Analysis of 

Primary Inspection Wait Time at U.S. Ports of Entry (2014), available at http://research.create.usc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1184&context=nonpublished_reports. 8See Vivian C. Jones & Lisa Seghetti, U.S. Customs and Border Protection: Trade Facilitation, 

Enforcement, and Security, Congressional Research Service, 4 (2015). 9Testimony of Gil Kerlikowske, supra note 4. 10Pub. L. No. 133–76. 11Testimony of Gil Kerlikowske, supra note 4. 

II. BACKGROUND AND THE NEED FOR LEGISLATION

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), within DHS, is 

charged with safeguarding U.S. borders to protect the public from 

terrorists and other threats while facilitating the Nation’s global 

economic competitiveness by enabling lawful international trade 

and travel.1 CBPOs are stationed along our nation’s ports of entry 

(POEs), and are responsible for detecting and preventing unlawful 

entries of people or goods into the U.S., while also enabling legitimate trade and travel.2 CBPOs must enforce more than 400 laws 

related to the admissibility of individuals, contraband, agricultural 

pests and diseases, and trade.3 In Fiscal Year (FY) 2013, CBP processed more than 362 million passengers in the land, sea, and air 

environments at 329 distinct ports of entry.4 Between FY2009 and 

FY2014, the U.S. saw a 22 percent increase in air travelers, and 

the U.S. expects air travel to grow four to five percent annually for 

the next several years.5

Additionally, in FY2013, CBP collected $42.5 billion in revenue 

and processed $2.38 trillion in trade.6 The National Center for Risk 

and Economic Analysis of Terrorism Events (CREATE), a DHS 

Center of Excellence, has issued multiple reports finding that the 

staffing levels at U.S. POEs impacts wait times, which directly impact the economy.7 Another study commissioned by the Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration found that 

in 2008, delays at POEs at the U.S.-Mexico border cost the U.S. 

economy 26,000 jobs, $600 million in lost tax revenue, and $5.8 billion in lost economic output.8 According to CBP, 2,000 additional 

CBPOs will lead to the creation of approximately 66,000 new jobs 

and increase the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the U.S. by up 

to $4 billion.9

Recognizing both the economic and national security interests involved in fully staffing U.S. POEs, Congress appropriated funding 

for 2,000 new CBPOs in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 

2014, bringing the congressionally funded staffing target to 23,775 

officers for FY2015.10 However, as of February 22, 2014, CBP 

maintained a workforce of only 21,891 CBPOs.11 Due to attrition 


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12Data Provided to Committee Staff by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency (June 

2, 2015). 13 U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, CBP Opens 

Announcement to Hire Additional 2,000 Officers (2014), available at http://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/national-media-release/2014-05-01-000000/cbp-opens-announcement-hire-additional-2000. 14See Securing the Border: Understanding Threats and Strategies for the Northern Border: 

Hearing Before the Comm. on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, 114th Cong. (2015). 15Data Provided to Committee Staff by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency (June 

23, 2015). 16Transition Assistance Program: Hearing Before the House Armed Services Comm., 

Subcomm. on Military Personnel, 113th Cong. (2013) (Testimony of Dr. Susan Kelly, Director 

of Transitions to Veterans Program Office, Department of Defense). 17 Id. 

and the time it takes to bring on new officers, CBP has only realized a net gain of 818 officers since 2013.12

Based on CBP’s Workload Staffing Model, newly hired CBPOs 

will be stationed in 44 ports and 18 states, including Los Angeles, 

Detroit, Buffalo, Houston, Dallas, Chicago, Las Vegas, Laredo, 

Nogales, and New Orleans.13 Members of the Homeland Security 

and Governmental Affairs Committee have expressed concerns during Committee hearings about the need to fill these positions, particularly in remote areas like North Dakota.14 According to CBP, 

the POEs of Portal, North Dakota and Pembina, North Dakota will 

each receive additional staffing once CBP is able to bring new 

CBPOs on board.15

On the other hand, the DOD anticipates that approximately 

250,000 to 300,000 service members will separate from the Armed 

Forces annually over the next four years.16 Moreover, approximately 19 percent of enlisted personnel—27 percent within the 

Army and Marines—separate from active duty from occupational 

fields that do not easily translate to the civilian sector, leading to 

high levels of unemployment among our veterans.17

To assist DHS in the hiring of CBPOs, and to assist veterans in 

finding employment, this bill seeks to actively recruit separating 

service members of the Armed Forces, who have similar skillsets 

to those serving as CBPOs. This bill provides for partnerships between DHS and DOD to identify opportunities for reciprocity related to hiring, ensures the streamlining of interagency transfers of 

relevant background investigations and security clearances to expedite hiring, and requires both agencies to take an active role in 

educating separating service members about CBPO opportunities. 

As noted in the Congressional Budget Office report for this bill, 

CBP is currently carrying out activities similar to those required 

by the bill. 

III. LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

Senators Flake, Johnson, McCain, and Schumer introduced S. 

1603 on June 17, 2015, and the bill was referred to the Committee 

on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. The Committee 

considered S. 1603 at a business meeting on June 24, 2015. 

Chairman Johnson offered a substitute amendment, with technical corrections and a sunset to the reporting requirement. The 

Committee adopted the amendment and ordered the bill, as amended, reported favorably, both by voice vote. Senators present for both 

votes were: Johnson, McCain, Lankford, Ayotte, Ernst, Sasse, Carper, Tester, Baldwin, and Heitkamp. 


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IV. SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS OF THE ACT, AS REPORTED

Section 1. Short title 

This section provides the bill’s short title, the ‘‘Border Jobs for 

Veterans Act of 2015.’’ 

Section 2. Findings 

This section provides findings by Congress that— 

(1) CBPOs at U.S. ports of entry carry out critical law enforcement duties; 

(2) It is in the national interest for U.S. ports of entry to be 

adequately staffed in a timely fashion and for DHS to meet 

congressionally funded staffing targets; 

(3) An estimated 250,000 to 300,000 members of the Armed 

Forces separate from military service each year; and 

(4) Recruiting efforts and expedited hiring procedures should 

be undertaken to ensure qualified separating service members 

are aware of and partake in opportunities to fill vacant CBPO 

positions. 

Section 3. Expedited hiring of appropriate separating service members 

This section requires the Secretary of Homeland Security, in conjunction with the Secretary of Defense, to identify positions in the 

Armed Forces that have transferable requirements, qualifications, 

and duties to those required for CBPOs and to consider hiring 

qualified candidates in such identified positions who are eligible for 

veterans’ recruitment appointment. 

Section 4. Establishing a program for recruiting service members 

separating from military service for Customs and Border Protection Officer vacancies 

This section requires the Secretary of Homeland Security, in conjunction with the Secretary of Defense, to establish a program 

within 180 days that actively recruits members of the Armed 

Forces separating from military service to serve as CBPOs. 

The program will, among other things, include CBPO opportunities as part of DOD job assistance efforts, place appropriate DHS 

officials at recruiting events and job fairs involving separating service members, provide partnership opportunities for CBP field offices and military bases in the same region, require DHS and DOD 

to identify opportunities for reciprocity related to steps in hiring to 

minimize the time required to hire qualified applicants, and require DHS and DOD to ensure streamlined interagency transfers 

of relevant background investigation and security clearances. 

Section 5. Report to Congress 

This section requires the Secretary of Homeland Security and 

Secretary of Defense jointly to submit a report to Congress 180 

days after the date of the enactment of the bill, and for three successive years, describing the program, actions taken by the departments, the number of separating service members made aware of 

CBPO vacancies, and the number of CBPO positions filled pursuant to this program. 


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Section 6. Rules of construction 

This section ensures that nothing in this bill may be construed 

to affect existing Federal veterans’ hiring preferences or Federal 

hiring authorities or to authorize appropriations to carry out the 

provisions of the bill. 

V. EVALUATION OF REGULATORY IMPACT

Pursuant to the requirements of paragraph 11(b) of rule XXVI of 

the Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee has considered 

the regulatory impact of this bill and determined that the bill will 

have no regulatory impact within the meaning of the rules. The 

Committee agrees with the Congressional Budget Office’s statement that the bill contains no intergovernmental or private-sector 

mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act 

(UMRA) and would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal governments. 

VI. CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE COST ESTIMATE

JULY 21, 2015. 

Hon. RON JOHNSON, 

Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, U.S. Senate, Washington, DC. 

DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: The Congressional Budget Office has prepared the enclosed cost estimate for S. 1603, the Border Jobs for 

Veterans Act of 2015. 

If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be pleased 

to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Mark Grabowicz. 

Sincerely, 

KEITH HALL. 

Enclosure. 

S. 1603—Border Jobs for Veterans Act of 2015 

S. 1603 would require the Department of Homeland Security 

(DHS), with assistance from the Department of Defense (DoD), to 

establish a program to recruit members of the armed forces who 

are leaving the military to serve as Customs and Border Protection 

(CBP) officers. The program would include placing DHS officials at 

certain recruiting events and conducting outreach efforts to educate 

certain members of the armed forces about available jobs with 

CBP. The bill also would require DHS and DoD to report annually 

to the Congress about the progress of the program. 

Based on the cost of similar activities, CBO estimates that implementing S. 1603 would cost less than $500,000 annually; any 

spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds. 

CBP is currently carrying out activities similar to those required 

by the bill, and the agency employs a significant number of veterans of the armed forces. Enacting the legislation would not affect 

direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do 

not apply. 

S. 1603 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would 

not affect the budgets of state, local, or tribal governments. 


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The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Mark Grabowicz. The 

estimate was approved by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy Assistant 

Director for Budget Analysis. 

VII. CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW MADE BY THE BILL, AS REPORTED

Because this legislation would not repeal or amend any provision 

of current law, it would make no changes in existing law within the 

meaning of clauses (a) and (b) of paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the 

Standing Rules of the Senate. 

Æ 


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