II 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2835 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 29, 2015 

Received 

AN ACT 

To actively recruit members of the Armed Forces who are 

separating from military service to serve as Customs 

and Border Protection officers. 

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


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Border Jobs for Vet3 erans Act of 2015’’. 

4 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

5 Congress finds the following: 

6 (1) Customs and Border Protection officers at 

7 United States ports of entry carry out critical law 

8 enforcement duties associated with screening foreign 

9 visitors, returning United States citizens, and im10 ported cargo entering the United States. 

11 (2) It is in the national interest for United 

12 States ports of entry to be adequately staffed with 

13 Customs and Border Protection officers in a timely 

14 fashion, including meeting the congressionally fund15 ed staffing target of 23,775 officers for fiscal year 

16 2015. 

17 (3) An estimated 250,000 to 300,000 members 

18 of the Armed Forces separate from military service 

19 every year. 

20 (4) Recruiting efforts and expedited hiring pro21 cedures must be enhanced to ensure that individuals 

22 separating from military service are aware of, and 

23 partake in, opportunities to fill vacant Customs and 

24 Border Protection officer positions. 


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1 SEC. 3. EXPEDITED HIRING OF APPROPRIATE SEPARATING 

2 SERVICE MEMBERS. 

3 The Secretary of Homeland Security shall consider 

4 the expedited hiring of qualified candidates who have the 

5 ability to perform the essential functions of the position 

6 of a Customs and Border Protection officer and who are 

7 eligible for a veterans recruitment appointment authorized 

8 under section 4214 of title 38, United States Code. 

9 SEC. 4. ENHANCEMENTS TO EXISTING PROGRAMS TO RE10 CRUIT SERVICE MEMBERS SEPARATING 

11 FROM MILITARY SERVICE FOR CUSTOMS AND 

12 BORDER PROTECTION OFFICER VACANCIES. 

13 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Homeland Secu14 rity, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, and 

15 acting through existing programs, authorities, and agree16 ments, where applicable, shall enhance the efforts of the 

17 Department of Homeland Security to recruit members of 

18 the Armed Forces who are separating from military serv19 ice to serve as Customs and Border Protection officers. 

20 (b) ELEMENTS.—The enhanced recruiting efforts 

21 under subsection (a) shall— 

22 (1) include Customs and Border Protection offi23 cer opportunities in relevant job assistance efforts 

24 under the Transition Assistance Program; 

25 (2) place U.S. Customs and Border Protection 

26 officials or other relevant Department of Homeland 


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1 Security officials at recruiting events and jobs fairs 

2 involving members of the Armed Forces who are 

3 separating from military service; 

4 (3) provide opportunities for local U.S. Customs 

5 and Border Protection field offices to partner with 

6 military bases in the region; 

7 (4) include outreach efforts to educate members 

8 of the Armed Forces with Military Occupational 

9 Specialty Codes and Officer Branches, Air Force 

10 Specialty Codes, Naval Enlisted Classifications and 

11 Officer Designators, and Coast Guard competencies 

12 that are transferable to the requirements, qualifica13 tions, and duties assigned to Customs and Border 

14 Protection officers of available hiring opportunities 

15 to become Customs and Border Protection officers; 

16 (5) identify shared activities and opportunities 

17 for reciprocity related to steps in hiring Customs 

18 and Border Protection officers with the goal of mini19 mizing the time required to hire qualified applicants; 

20 (6) ensure the streamlined interagency transfer 

21 of relevant background investigations and security 

22 clearances; and 

23 (7) include such other elements as may be nec24 essary to ensure that members of the Armed Forces 

25 who are separating from military service are aware 


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1 of opportunities to fill vacant Customs and Border 

2 Protection officer positions. 

3 SEC. 5. REPORT TO CONGRESS. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 

5 date of the enactment of this Act, and by December 31 

6 of each of the next 3 years thereafter, the Secretary of 

7 Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretary of 

8 Defense, shall submit a report to the Committee on Home9 land Security and the Committee on Armed Services of 

10 the House of Representatives and the Committee on 

11 Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and the 

12 Committee on Armed Services of the Senate that includes 

13 a description and assessment of the efforts of the Depart14 ment of Homeland Security to hire members of the Armed 

15 Forces who are separating from military service as Cus16 toms and Border Protection officers under section 4. 

17 (b) CONTENT.—The report required under subsection 

18 (a) shall include— 

19 (1) a detailed description of the efforts to im20 plement section 4, including— 

21 (A) elements of the enhanced recruiting ef22 forts and the goals associated with such ele23 ments; and 

24 (B) a description of how the elements and 

25 goals referred to in subparagraph (A) will assist 


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1 in meeting statutorily mandated staffing levels 

2 and agency hiring benchmarks; 

3 (2) a detailed description of the efforts that 

4 have been undertaken under section 4; 

5 (3) the estimated number of separating service 

6 members made aware of Customs and Border Pro7 tection officer vacancies; 

8 (4) the number of Customs and Border Protec9 tion officer vacancies filled with separating service 

10 members; and 

11 (5) the number of Customs and Border Protec12 tion officer vacancies filled with separating service 

13 members under Veterans Recruitment Appointment 

14 authorized under section 4214 of title 38, United 

15 States Code. 

16 SEC. 6. RULES OF CONSTRUCTION. 

17 Nothing in this Act may be construed— 

18 (1) as superseding, altering, or amending exist19 ing Federal veterans’ hiring preferences or Federal 

20 hiring authorities; or 


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1 (2) to authorize the appropriation of additional 

2 amounts to carry out this Act. 

Passed the House of Representatives September 28, 

2015. 

Attest: KAREN L. HAAS, 

Clerk. 


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