114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1603 

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, 
2 

†S 1603 ES

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 qualified 

22 individuals separating from military service are 

23 aware of, and partake in, opportunities to fill vacant 

24 Customs and Border Protection Officer positions. 
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†S 1603 ES

1 SEC. 3. EXPEDITED HIRING OF APPROPRIATE SEPARATING 

2 SERVICE MEMBERS. 

3 (a) IDENTIFICATION OF TRANSFERABLE QUALIFICA4 TIONS.—Not later than 60 days after the date of the en5 actment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security, 

6 in conjunction with the Secretary of Defense, shall identify 

7 Military Occupational Specialty Codes and Officer 

8 Branches, Air Force Specialty Codes, Naval Enlisted Clas9 sifications and Officer Designators, and Coast Guard 

10 Competencies that are transferable to the requirements, 

11 qualifications, and duties assigned to Customs and Border 

12 Protection Officers. 

13 (b) HIRING.—The Secretary of Homeland Security 

14 shall consider hiring qualified candidates with the Military 

15 Occupational Specialty Codes, Air Force Specialty Codes, 

16 Naval Enlisted Classifications and Officer Designators, 

17 and Coast Guard Competencies identified as transferable 

18 under subsection (a) who are eligible for veterans recruit19 ment appointment authorized under section 4214 of title 

20 38, United States Code. 

21 SEC. 4. ENHANCEMENTS TO EXISTING PROGRAMS TO RE22 CRUIT SERVICE MEMBERS SEPARATING 

23 FROM MILITARY SERVICE FOR CUSTOMS AND 

24 BORDER PROTECTION OFFICER VACANCIES. 

25 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Homeland Secu26 rity, in conjunction with the Secretary of Defense, and act-
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†S 1603 ES

1 ing through existing programs, authorities, and agree2 ments, where applicable, shall enhance the efforts of the 

3 Department of Homeland Security to recruit members of 

4 the Armed Forces who are separating from military serv5 ice to serve as Customs and Border Protection Officers. 

6 (b) ELEMENTS.—The enhanced recruiting efforts 

7 under subsection (a) shall— 

8 (1) include Customs and Border Protection Of9 ficer opportunities in relevant job assistance efforts 

10 under the Transition Assistance Program; 

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

12 officials or other relevant Department of Homeland 

13 Security officials at recruiting events and jobs fairs 

14 involving members of the Armed Forces who are 

15 separating from military service; 

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

17 and Border Protection field offices to partner with 

18 military bases in the region; 

19 (4) include outreach efforts to educate members 

20 of the Armed Forces with Military Occupational 

21 Specialty Codes and Officer Branches, Air Force 

22 Specialty Codes, Naval Enlisted Classifications and 

23 Officer Designators, and Coast Guard Competencies 

24 that are transferable to the requirements, qualifica25 tions, and duties assigned to Customs and Border 
5 

†S 1603 ES

1 Protection Officers of available hiring opportunities 

2 to become Customs and Border Protection Officers; 

3 (5) require the Secretary of Homeland Security 

4 and the Secretary of Defense to work cooperatively 

5 to identify shared activities and opportunities for 

6 reciprocity related to steps in hiring U.S. Customs 

7 and Border Patrol officers with the goal of mini8 mizing the time required to hire qualified applicants; 

9 (6) require the Secretary of Defense and the 

10 Secretary of Homeland Security to work coopera11 tively to ensure the streamlined interagency transfer 

12 of relevant background investigations and security 

13 clearances; and 

14 (7) include such other elements as may be nec15 essary to ensure that members of the Armed Forces 

16 who are separating from military service are aware 

17 of opportunities to fill vacant Customs and Border 

18 Protection Officer positions. 

19 SEC. 5. REPORT TO CONGRESS. 

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

21 date of the enactment of this Act, and not later than De22 cember 31 of each of the 3 successive years, the Secretary 

23 of Homeland Security and the Secretary of Defense shall 

24 jointly submit a report to the appropriate congressional 

25 committees that includes a description and assessment of 
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†S 1603 ES

1 the efforts of the Department of Homeland Security to 

2 hire separating service members as Customs and Border 

3 Protection Officers. 

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

5 (a) shall include— 

6 (1) a detailed description of the proposed ef7 forts under section 4, including— 

8 (A) elements of the enhanced recruiting ef9 forts; 

10 (B) goals associated with those elements; 

11 and 

12 (C) a description of how the elements and 

13 goals will assist in meeting statutorily man14 dated staffing levels and agency hiring bench15 marks; 

16 (2) a detailed description of the efforts that 

17 have been undertaken under section 4; 

18 (3) the number of separating service members 

19 made aware of Customs and Border Protection Offi20 cer vacancies; 

21 (4) the Military Occupational Specialty Codes 

22 and Officer Branches, Air Force Specialty Codes, 

23 Naval Enlisted Classifications and Officer Designa24 tors, and Coast Guard Competencies identified as 
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†S 1603 ES

1 transferable under section 3(a) and a rationale for 

2 such identifications; 

3 (5) the number of Customs and Border Protec4 tion Officer vacancies filled with separating service 

5 members; and 

6 (6) the number of Customs and Border Protec7 tion Officer vacancies filled with separating service 

8 members under veterans recruitment appointment 

9 authorized under section 4214 of title 38, United 

10 States Code. 

11 SEC. 6. RULES OF CONSTRUCTION. 

12 Nothing in this Act may be construed— 

13 (a) to supersede, alter, or amend existing Federal vet14 erans’ hiring preferences or Federal hiring authorities; or 

15 (b) to authorize the appropriation of additional 

16 amounts to carry out this Act. 

Passed the Senate September 9, 2015. 

Attest: 

Secretary. 
114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1603 

AN ACT 

To actively recruit members of the Armed Forces 

as Customs and Border Protection Officers. who are separating from military service to serve