I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 4482 

To increase the number of CBP Agriculture Specialists and support staff 

in the Office of Field Operations of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, 

and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 24, 2019 

Mr. VELA (for himself, Mr. PETERSON, Mr. GONZALEZ of Texas, Mr. 

CARBAJAL, Mr. COSTA, and Mrs. AXNE) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Homeland Security, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, 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 increase the number of CBP Agriculture Specialists and 

support staff in the Office of Field Operations of U.S. 

Customs and Border Protection, and for other purposes. 

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 ‘‘Protecting America’s 

5 Food and Agriculture Act of 2019’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDING. 

7 Congress finds that— 


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1 (1) it is in the national security interest of the 

2 United States to ensure that the Nation’s food sup3 ply is sufficiently protected; and 

4 (2) a vital part of such protection is the avail5 ability of adequate resources at the border to con6 duct inspections of incoming food and agricultural 

7 goods. 

8 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

9 In this Act: 

10 (1) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMIT11 TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com12 mittees’’ means— 

13 (A) the Committee on Homeland Security 

14 and Governmental Affairs of the Senate; 

15 (B) the Committee on Agriculture, Nutri16 tion, and Forestry of the Senate; 

17 (C) the Committee on Homeland Security 

18 of the House of Representatives; and 

19 (D) the Committee on Agriculture of the 

20 House of Representatives. 

21 (2) CBP.—The term ‘‘CBP’’ means U.S. Cus22 toms and Border Protection. 


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1 SEC. 4. ADDITIONAL U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTEC2 TION PERSONNEL. 

3 (a) CBP AGRICULTURE SPECIALISTS.—The Commis4 sioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection may hire, 

5 train, and assign 240 new CBP Agriculture Specialists 

6 above the current attrition level during every fiscal year 

7 until the total number of CBP Agriculture Specialists 

8 equals and sustains the requirements identified each year 

9 in the Agriculture Resource Allocation Model. 

10 (b) MISSION AND OPERATIONAL SUPPORT STAFF.— 

11 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Commissioner of U.S. 

12 Customs and Border Protection may hire, train, and 

13 assign support staff to support CBP Agriculture 

14 Specialists. 

15 (2) CBP AGRICULTURE TECHNICIANS.—The 

16 Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protec17 tion may hire, train, and assign 200 new CBP Agri18 culture Technicians during each fiscal year until the 

19 total number of CBP Agriculture Technicians equals 

20 and sustains the requirements identified each year in 

21 the Mission and Operational Support Resource Allo22 cation Model. 

23 (c) CBP AGRICULTURE CANINE TEAMS.—The Com24 missioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection may 

25 hire, train, and assign 20 new CBP agriculture canine 


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1 teams during each of the first 3 fiscal years beginning 

2 after the date of the enactment of this Act. 

3 (d) TRAFFIC FORECASTS.—In calculating the num4 ber of CBP Agriculture Specialists needed at each port 

5 of entry through the Agriculture Resource Allocation 

6 Model, the Office of Field Operations shall— 

7 (1) rely on data collected regarding the inspec8 tions and other activities conducted at each such 

9 port of entry; and 

10 (2) consider volume from seasonal surges, other 

11 projected changes in commercial and passenger vol12 umes, the most current commercial forecasts, and 

13 other relevant information. 

14 (e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

15 (1) CBP AGRICULTURE SPECIALISTS.—There is 

16 authorized to be appropriated to carry out sub17 section (a)— 

18 (A) $29,900,000 for fiscal year 2020; 

19 (B) $36,100,000 for fiscal year 2021; and 

20 (C) $40,500,000 for fiscal year 2022. 

21 (2) CBP AGRICULTURE TECHNICIANS.—There 

22 is authorized to be appropriated to carry out sub23 section (b)— 

24 (A) $11,000,000 for fiscal year 2020; 

25 (B) $25,000,000 for fiscal year 2021; and 


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1 (C) $38,000,000 for fiscal year 2022. 

2 (3) CBP AGRICULTURE CANINE TEAMS.—There 

3 is authorized to be appropriated to carry out sub4 section (c)— 

5 (A) $3,500,000 for fiscal year 2020; 

6 (B) $7,400,000 for fiscal year 2021; and 

7 (C) $12,200,000 for fiscal year 2022. 

8 (4) TRAINING.—There is authorized to be ap9 propriated for training costs associated with the new 

10 CBP personnel and canine teams hired pursuant to 

11 subsections (a), (b), and (c) $6,000,000 for each of 

12 the fiscal years 2020, 2021, and 2022. 

13 SEC. 5. GAO STUDY, BRIEFING, AND REPORT. 

14 (a) STUDY.—The Comptroller General of the United 

15 States, after consultation with the appropriate congres16 sional committees, shall conduct a review of the efforts 

17 of the Department of Homeland Security, the Department 

18 of Agriculture, and other Federal agencies to address risks 

19 to the agricultural supply that analyzes— 

20 (1) interagency coordination and the distribu21 tion of responsibilities among Federal agencies with 

22 respect to the inspection of agricultural commodities 

23 entering the United States; 

24 (2) the effectiveness of such inspection respon25 sibilities among Federal agencies; and 


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1 (3) the training provided to, and working condi2 tions of, CBP Agriculture Specialists. 

3 (b) BRIEFING.—Not later than 1 year after the date 

4 of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall 

5 brief the appropriate congressional committees regarding 

6 the results of the study conducted pursuant to subsection 

7 (a). 

8 (c) REPORT.—Not later than 90 days after the brief9 ing required under subsection (b), the Comptroller Gen10 eral shall complete the study required under subsection (a) 

11 and make the results of the study available to the public. 

Æ 


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