SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Homeland Security 
Improvement Act’’. 
SEC. 2. STAKEHOLDER AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. 
(a) DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY BORDER 
OVERSIGHT COMMISSION.— 
(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established an 
independent commission, which shall be known as 
the ‘‘Department of Homeland Security Border 
Oversight Commission’’ (in this Act referred to as 
the ‘‘Commission’’). 
(2) ORGANIZATION.— 
(A) LEADERSHIP.—The Commission shall 
be led by a Chair and Vice Chair. 
(B) MEMBERSHIP.— 
(i) IN
GENERAL.—The Commission 
shall be composed of 30 members, rec-
ommended by Congress, in consultation 
with the President, who have expertise in 
migration, local crime indices, civil and 
human rights, community relations, cross- 
border trade and commerce, quality of life 
indicators, or other pertinent experience, of 
whom— 
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(I) 13 members shall be from the 
northern border region and shall in-
clude— 
(aa) two local government 
elected officials; 
(bb) two local law enforce-
ment officials; 
(cc) two civil rights advo-
cates; 
(dd) one business represent-
ative; 
(ee) one higher education 
representative; 
(ff) one representative of a 
faith community; 
(gg) two representatives of 
the U.S. Border Patrol; and 
(hh) two tribal officials; and 
(II) 17 members shall be from 
the southern border region and shall 
include— 
(aa) three local government 
elected officials; 
(bb) three local law enforce-
ment officials; 
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(cc) three civil rights advo-
cates; 
(dd) two business represent-
atives; 
(ee) one higher education 
representative; 
(ff) one representative of a 
faith community; 
(gg) two representatives of 
the U.S. Border Patrol; and 
(hh) two tribal officials. 
(ii) CHAIR, VICE CHAIR.—The mem-
bers of the Commission shall elect a Chair 
and a Vice Chair from among its members 
by a majority vote of at least 16 members. 
(iii) TERMS OF SERVICE.—The Chair 
and Vice Chair of the Commission shall 
serve for terms of four years. Members of 
the Commission shall serve for terms of 
four years. 
(iv) APPOINTMENT DEADLINE.—Mem-
bers of the Commission shall be appointed 
not later than 180 days after the date of 
the enactment of this Act. 
(3) MEETINGS.— 
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(A) COMMISSION.—The Commission shall 
meet at least semiannually, and may convene 
additional meetings as necessary. 
(B) SUBCOMMITTEES.—The northern bor-
der and southern border subcommittees shall 
meet at least quarterly, and may convene addi-
tional meetings as necessary. 
(4) DUTIES.—The Commission, and the north-
ern border and southern border subcommittees, 
shall— 
(A) develop recommendations for improve-
ments regarding border enforcement policies, 
strategies, and programs that take into consid-
eration their impact on border communities; 
(B) evaluate policies, strategies, and pro-
grams of Federal agencies operating along the 
northern and southern borders to— 
(i) protect— 
(I) due process; 
(II) the civil and human rights of 
border residents and visitors; and 
(III) private property rights of 
land owners; 
(ii) reduce the number of migrant 
deaths; and 
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(iii) improve the safety of agents and 
officers of U.S. Customs and Border Pro-
tection and U.S. Immigration and Customs 
Enforcement; 
(C) develop recommendations for improve-
ments regarding the safety of agents and offi-
cers of U.S. Customs and Border Protection 
and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforce-
ment when such agents and officers are in the 
field; and 
(D) evaluate training, including estab-
lishing training courses related to management 
and leadership skills for supervisors in each 
U.S. Border Patrol sector, at each port of entry 
on the northern and southern borders, and at 
each U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforce-
ment field office and the extent to which super-
visory and management personnel practices at 
U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. 
Immigration and Customs Enforcement encour-
age and facilitate workforce development for 
agents and officers, promote agent and officer 
field safety, and post-FLETC training of border 
enforcement personnel in accordance with sec-
tion 6. 
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(5) ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out the du-
ties specified in paragraph (5), the Commission 
shall take into consideration any recommenda-
tions and evaluations agreed upon by the north-
ern border and southern border subcommittees. 
(B) 
SUBCOMMITTEE
REPORTS.—The 
northern border and southern border sub-
committees shall annually submit to the Chair 
and Vice Chair of the Commission a publicly 
available report containing the recommenda-
tions and evaluations of the subcommittees pur-
suant to paragraph (5). 
(6) PROHIBITION
ON
COMPENSATION.—Mem-
bers of the Commission and the northern border and 
southern border subcommittees may not receive pay, 
allowances, or benefits from the Government by rea-
son of their service on the Commission or the sub-
committees. 
(b) HEARINGS AND EVIDENCE.—The Commission or, 
on the authority of the Commission, any subcommittee or 
member thereof, may, for the purpose of carrying out this 
Act hold such hearings, and sit and act at such times and 
places, take such testimony, receive such evidence, and ad-
minister such oaths as the Commission or such designated 
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subcommittee or designated member determines necessary 
to carry out its duties under subsection (a)(5). 
(c) SAVINGS PROVISION.—Nothing in this Act may 
be construed as affecting in any manner the investigative 
and disciplinary procedures of U.S. Customs and Border 
Protection, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, 
or the Department of Homeland Security with respect to 
agents and officers of U.S. Customs and Border Protec-
tion or U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. 
(d) REPORTS.— 
(1) ANNUAL REPORTS.—The Commission shall 
annually submit to the Secretary of Homeland Secu-
rity a publicly available report containing informa-
tion on the activities, findings, and recommendations 
of the Commission, including the northern border 
and southern border subcommittees, for the pre-
ceding year. 
(2) CONGRESSIONAL NOTIFICATION.—The Sec-
retary of Homeland Security shall brief the Com-
mittee on Homeland Security and the Committee on 
the Judiciary of the House of Representatives and 
the Committee on Homeland Security and Govern-
mental Affairs and the Committee on the Judiciary 
of the Senate on each report required under para-
graph (1). 
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SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE OFFICE OF THE OMBUDS-
MAN FOR BORDER AND IMMIGRATION RE-
LATED CONCERNS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 452 of the Homeland Se-
curity Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 272) is amended to read 
as follows: 
‘‘SEC. 452. OMBUDSMAN FOR BORDER AND IMMIGRATION 
RELATED CONCERNS. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—There shall be within the De-
partment an Ombudsman for Border and Immigration Re-
lated Concerns (in this section referred to as the ‘Ombuds-
man’). The individual appointed as Ombudsman shall have 
a background in immigration or civil liberties law or law 
enforcement. The Ombudsman shall report directly to the 
Secretary. 
‘‘(b) ORGANIZATIONAL INDEPENDENCE.—The Sec-
retary shall take appropriate action to ensure the inde-
pendence of the Ombudsman’s office from other officers 
or employees of the Department engaged in border secu-
rity or immigration activities. 
‘‘(c) STAFFING.—The Secretary shall take appro-
priate action to ensure that the Ombudsman’s office is 
sufficiently staffed and resourced to carry out its duties 
effectively and efficiently. 
‘‘(d) FUNCTIONS.—The functions of the Ombudsman 
shall be as follows: 
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‘‘(1) To establish an independent, neutral, and 
appropriately confidential process to receive, inves-
tigate, resolve, and provide redress, including immi-
gration relief, monetary damages, or any other ac-
tion determined appropriate, for complaints, griev-
ances, or requests for assistance from individuals, 
associations, and employers regarding the border se-
curity and immigration activities of the Department. 
‘‘(2) To conduct inspections of the facilities, in-
cluding privately-owned or operated contract facili-
ties, of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. 
Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and United 
States Citizenship and Immigration Services. 
‘‘(3) To assist individuals and families who 
have been victims of crimes committed by aliens un-
lawfully present in the United States or of violence 
near the United States border, and individuals and 
families impacted by situations in which the Depart-
ment has exercised force against an individual, in-
cluding by use of a firearm, taser, explosive device, 
chemical agent, baton, projectile, blunt instrument, 
body part, canine, or vehicle. 
‘‘(4) To identify areas in which individuals, as-
sociations, and employers have identified concerns 
with respect to interacting with U.S. Customs and 
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Border Protection, U.S. Immigration and Customs 
Enforcement, or United States Citizenship and Im-
migration Services. 
‘‘(5) To propose changes in the administrative 
practices of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, 
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and 
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services 
to mitigate problems identified under this section. 
‘‘(6) To review, examine, and make rec-
ommendations regarding the border security and im-
migration and enforcement activities of U.S. Cus-
toms and Border Protection, U.S. Immigration and 
Customs Enforcement, and United States Citizen-
ship and Immigration Services. 
‘‘(7) To establish a uniform and standardized 
complaint process regarding complaints against any 
individual employed by U.S. Customs and Border 
Protection or U.S. Immigration and Customs En-
forcement for violations of standards of professional 
conduct. Such complaint process shall have the fol-
lowing components: 
‘‘(A) Require that all complaints receive an 
independent review and investigation completed 
not later than one year from the date of receipt 
of each such complaint. 
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‘‘(B) Require that complainants receive 
written confirmation of receipt of their com-
plaints not later than 60 days from the date of 
receipt of each such complaint, and a written 
summary regarding the outcome of such com-
plaints not later than 30 days after the review 
and investigation under subparagraph (A) is 
complete, including findings of fact, rec-
ommended action, and available redress. 
‘‘(C) Feature a centralized multilingual on-
line complaint form that includes street ad-
dress, toll-free telephone number, and electronic 
mailbox address to permit an individual to file 
an immigration or border-related complaint and 
submit supporting evidence through the portal 
of choice of any such individual. Multilingual 
information relating to such form shall be visi-
ble at ports of entry and at U.S. Border Patrol 
interior checkpoints. 
‘‘(D) Include procedures for referring com-
plaints to the Office for Civil Rights and Civil 
Liberties, Office of the Inspector General, or 
other appropriate agency of the Department. 
‘‘(E) Establish a publicly accessible na-
tional, standardized database capable of track-
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‘‘(B) consult with border communities on 
the development of policies, directives, and pro-
grams of the U.S. Border Patrol, the Office of 
Field Operations, and U.S. Immigration and 
Customs Enforcement; and 
‘‘(C) receive feedback from border commu-
nities on the performance of the U.S. Border 
Patrol, the Office of Field Operations, and U.S. 
Immigration and Customs Enforcement. 
‘‘(3) MEMBERSHIP.—Each Liaison Office shall 
be comprised of equal representation from the bor-
der community and U.S. Customs and Border Pro-
tection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforce-
ment, including at least: 
‘‘(A) One member of the community in 
which each U.S. Border Patrol sector is located 
who has expertise in migration, local public 
safety, civil and human rights, the local commu-
nity, or community relations. 
‘‘(B) One member of an Indian tribe (as 
such term is defined in section 4(e) of the In-
dian Self-Determination and Education Assist-
ance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304(e)) or tribal organi-
zation. 
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