I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 8652 

To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish a pilot program 

to hire transitioning servicemembers to be Border Patrol agents. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 7, 2024 

Mr. CAREY (for himself and Mr. PANETTA) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Homeland Security, and in addition to the Committees on Armed Services, and Veterans’ Affairs, 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 direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish 

a pilot program to hire transitioning servicemembers to 

be Border Patrol agents. 

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 ‘‘Veterans Border Pa5 trol Training Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. BORDER PATROL SKILLBRIDGE PILOT PROGRAM. 

7 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 180 days after 

8 the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 


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1 Homeland Security, in collaboration with the Secretary of 

2 Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, shall estab3 lish an interdepartmental pilot program through which the 

4 Department of Homeland Security shall use the Depart5 ment of Defense SkillBridge Program to train and hire 

6 transitioning servicemembers as Border Patrol agents for 

7 U.S. Customs and Border Protection. 

8 (b) EMPLOYMENT SKILLS TRAINING.—In carrying 

9 out the pilot program established pursuant to subsection 

10 (a), the Secretary of Homeland Security, in collaboration 

11 with the Secretary of Defense, shall use the authorities 

12 available under section 1143 of title 10, United States 

13 Code, to train and facilitate the transition of members of 

14 the armed forces to service as Border Patrol agents. 

15 SEC. 3. ANNUAL REPORTS. 

16 Not later than 1 year after the pilot program is estab17 lished pursuant to section 2(a), and annually thereafter 

18 until the date referred to in section 4, the Secretary of 

19 Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretary of 

20 Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, shall sub21 mit a report to the Committee on Homeland Security and 

22 Governmental Affairs of the Senate, the Committee on 

23 Armed Services of the Senate, the Committee on Veterans’ 

24 Affairs of the Senate, the Committee on Homeland Secu25 rity of the House of Representatives, the Committee on 


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1 Armed Services of the House of Representatives, and the 

2 Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Rep3 resentatives that includes for the reporting period— 

4 (1) the number of participants in the pilot pro5 gram; 

6 (2) the number of eligible participants who ap7 plied to be part of the pilot program; and 

8 (3) the number of pilot program participants 

9 who are— 

10 (A) members the Armed Forces; 

11 (B) reserve members of the Armed Forces; 

12 (C) commissioned officers or non-commis13 sioned officers; 

14 (D) enlisted members of the Armed 

15 Forces; 

16 (E) veterans; 

17 (F) spouses of such members of the Armed 

18 Forces or veterans; and 

19 (G) dependents of such members of the 

20 Armed Forces or veterans. 

21 SEC. 4. SUNSET DATE. 

22 The pilot program established pursuant to section 2 

23 shall be terminated on the date that is 5 years after the 

24 date on which such program is established. 

Æ 


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