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Union Calendar No. 8 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1598 

[Report No. 116–22] 

To require the Secretary of Homeland Security to issue a strategy to improve 

hiring and retention of U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel 

in rural or remote areas, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 7, 2019 

Ms. TORRES SMALL of New Mexico (for herself and Mr. HURD of Texas) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 

Homeland Security 

MARCH 28, 2019 

Additional sponsor: Mr. CRENSHAW

MARCH 28, 2019 

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 

House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 

[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on March 7, 2019] 


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•HR 1598 RH

A BILL 

To require the Secretary of Homeland Security to issue 

a strategy to improve hiring and retention of U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel in rural or remote 

areas, and for other purposes. 


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•HR 1598 RH

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 ‘‘U.S. Customs and Bor5 der Protection Rural and Remote Hiring and Retention 

6 Strategy Act of 2019’’. 

7 SEC. 2. STRATEGY. 

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year after the 

9 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland 

10 Security, acting through the Chief Human Capital Officer 

11 of the Department of Homeland Security and the Commis12 sioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, shall issue 

13 a strategy and implementation plan, including bench14 marks, to improve the hiring and retention of individuals 

15 by the Commissioner in rural or remote areas relating to 

16 employment in such areas. 

17 (b) CONSIDERATIONS.—The strategy required under 

18 subsection (a) shall take into consideration the following: 

19 (1) Feedback from individuals who are U.S. Cus20 toms and Border Protection candidates or new hires 

21 at locations in rural or remote areas, including feed22 back on the quality of life in such areas for new hires 

23 and their families. 

24 (2) Feedback from U.S. Customs and Border 

25 Protection personnel, other than new hires, who are 


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•HR 1598 RH

1 stationed at locations in rural or remote areas, in2 cluding feedback on the quality of life in such areas 

3 for such personnel and their families. 

4 (3) Feedback from U.S. Customs and Border 

5 Protection personnel who have decided to separate 

6 from the agency. 

7 (4) An assessment of existing Federal programs, 

8 including financial incentives and other compensa9 tion-based flexibilities, regarding how to most effec10 tively aid spouses and families of individuals who are 

11 candidates or new hires in a rural or remote area. 

12 (5) An assessment of Department of Homeland 

13 Security internship programs and the usefulness of 

14 such programs in improving hiring by the Secretary 

15 of Homeland Security in rural or remote areas. 

16 (c) PLAN.—The implementation plan required under 

17 subsection (a) shall— 

18 (1) include a pilot or other program, as appro19 priate, to address hiring and retention challenges 

20 faced by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in 

21 rural or remote areas; and 

22 (2) enhance strategic recruiting efforts of U.S. 

23 Customs and Border Protection through relationships 

24 with institutions of higher education (as such term is 

25 defined in section 102 of the Higher Education Act 


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•HR 1598 RH

1 of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002)), veterans transition and 

2 employment centers, and job placement programs in 

3 regions that could assist in filling positions in rural 

4 or remote areas. 

5 (d) REPORT TO CONGRESS AND GAO.—Beginning on 

6 the date that is one year after the date of issuance of the 

7 strategy and implementation plan required under sub8 section (a) and for four years thereafter, the Secretary of 

9 Homeland Security shall report to the Committee on Home10 land Security of the House of Representatives, the Com11 mittee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of 

12 the Senate, and the Comptroller General of the United 

13 States on the extent to which such strategy and implementa14 tion plan has improved the hiring and retention by U.S. 

15 Customs and Border Protection of employees in rural or 

16 remote areas. 

17 (e) GAO ASSESSMENT.—Not later than 120 days after 

18 receiving each report required under subsection (d), the 

19 Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to 

20 the committees referred to in such subsection an assessment 

21 of the effectiveness of U.S. Customs and Border Protection 

22 actions described in each such report, including rec23 ommendations for improvements as the Comptroller Gen24 eral determines appropriate. 


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1 (f) RURAL OR REMOTE AREAS DEFINED.—For pur2 poses of this section, the term ‘‘rural or remote areas’’ 

3 means areas within the United States that are not within 

4 an area defined and designated as urbanized areas by the 

5 Bureau of the Census in the most recently completed decen6 nial census and include areas along the northern and south7 ern borders. 


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Union Calendar No. 8 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1598 

[Report No. 116–22] 

A BILL 

To require the Secretary of Homeland Security to 

purposes. sonnel in rural or remote areas, and for other of U.S. Customs and Border Protection perissue a strategy to improve hiring and retention 

MARCH 28, 2019 

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Comand ordered to be printed mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, 


pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS