S. 2107 

One Hundred Sixteenth Congress 

of the 

United States of America 

AT THE SECOND SESSION 

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Friday, 

the third day of January, two thousand and twenty 

An Act 

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. 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 

the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Protecting America’s Food and 

Agriculture Act of 2019’’. 

SEC. 2. FINDING. 

Congress finds that— 

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

States to ensure that the Nation’s food supply is sufficiently 

protected; and 

(2) a vital part of such protection is the availability of 

adequate resources at the border to conduct inspections of 

incoming food and agricultural goods. 

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

In this Act: 

(1) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES.—The term 

‘‘appropriate congressional committees’’ means— 

(A) the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate; 

(B) the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate; 

(C) the Committee on Homeland Security of the House 

of Representatives; and 

(D) the Committee on Agriculture of the House of 

Representatives. 

(2) CBP.—The term ‘‘CBP’’ means U.S. Customs and Border 

Protection. 

SEC. 4. ADDITIONAL U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION PERSONNEL. 

(a) CBP AGRICULTURE SPECIALISTS.—The Commissioner of U.S. 

Customs and Border Protection may hire, train, and assign 240 

new CBP Agriculture Specialists above the current attrition level 

during every fiscal year until the total number of CBP Agriculture 

Specialists equals and sustains the requirements identified each 

year in the Agriculture Resource Allocation Model. 

(b) MISSION AND OPERATIONAL SUPPORT STAFF.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—The Commissioner of U.S. Customs and 

Border Protection may hire, train, and assign support staff 

to support CBP Agriculture Specialists. 

(2) CBP AGRICULTURE TECHNICIANS.—The Commissioner 

of U.S. Customs and Border Protection may hire, train, and 

assign 200 new CBP Agriculture Technicians during each fiscal 

year until the total number of CBP Agriculture Technicians 

equals and sustains the requirements identified each year in 

the Mission and Operational Support Resource Allocation 

Model. 

(c) CBP AGRICULTURE CANINE TEAMS.—The Commissioner of 

U.S. Customs and Border Protection may hire, train, and assign 

20 new CBP agriculture canine teams during each of the first 

3 fiscal years beginning after the date of the enactment of this 

Act. 

(d) TRAFFIC FORECASTS.—In calculating the number of CBP 

Agriculture Specialists needed at each port of entry through the 

Agriculture Resource Allocation Model, the Office of Field Operations shall— 

(1) rely on data collected regarding the inspections and 

other activities conducted at each such port of entry; and 

(2) consider volume from seasonal surges, other projected 

changes in commercial and passenger volumes, the most current 

commercial forecasts, and other relevant information. 

(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

(1) CBP AGRICULTURE SPECIALISTS.—There is authorized 

to be appropriated to carry out subsection (a)— 

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

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

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

(2) CBP AGRICULTURE TECHNICIANS.—There is authorized 

to be appropriated to carry out subsection (b)— 

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

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

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

(3) CBP AGRICULTURE CANINE TEAMS.—There is authorized 

to be appropriated to carry out subsection (c)— 

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

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

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

(4) TRAINING.—There is authorized to be appropriated for 

training costs associated with the new CBP personnel and 

canine teams hired pursuant to subsections (a), (b), and (c) 

$6,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2020, 2021, and 2022. 

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

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

after consultation with the appropriate congressional committees, 

shall conduct a review of the efforts of the Department of Homeland 

Security, the Department of Agriculture, and other Federal agencies 

to address risks to the agricultural supply that analyzes— 

(1) interagency coordination and the distribution of responsibilities among Federal agencies with respect to the inspection 

of agricultural commodities entering the United States; 

(2) the effectiveness of such inspection responsibilities 

among Federal agencies; and 
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(3) the training provided to, and working conditions of, 

CBP Agriculture Specialists. 

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

enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall brief the 

appropriate congressional committees regarding the results of the 

study conducted pursuant to subsection (a). 

(c) REPORT.—Not later than 90 days after the briefing required 

under subsection (b), the Comptroller General shall complete the 

study required under subsection (a) and make the results of the 

study available to the public. 

Speaker of the House of Representatives. 

Vice President of the United States and

President of the Senate.