I 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4940 
To increase the number of U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers 
and support staff, to require reports that identify staffing, infrastructure, 
and equipment needed to enhance security at ports of entry, and for 
other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 6, 2018 
Mr. VELA (for himself, Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, Mr. PAYNE, Ms. 
BARRAGA´N, Mrs. DEMINGS, Mr. CORREA, Ms. JACKSON LEE, and Miss 
RICE of New York) introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
the Committee on Homeland Security, and in addition to the Committees 
on Ways and Means, and Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently de-
termined 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 U.S. Customs and Border Protec-
tion officers and support staff, to require reports that 
identify staffing, infrastructure, and equipment needed 
to enhance security at ports of entry, and for other 
purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Border and Port Secu-
rity Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. ADDITIONAL U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTEC-
TION PERSONNEL. 
(a) OFFICERS.—The Commissioner of U.S. Customs 
and Border Protection shall every fiscal year hire, train, 
and assign not fewer than 500 new officers above the level 
as of September 30 of the immediately preceding fiscal 
year until the total number of officers equals the require-
ments identified each year in the Workload Staffing Model 
developed by the Commissioner. 
(b) AGRICULTURAL
SPECIALISTS.—The Commis-
sioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection shall every 
fiscal year hire, train, and assign not fewer than 100 new 
agricultural specialists above the level as of September 30 
of the immediately preceding fiscal year until the total 
number of officers equals the requirements identified each 
year in the Agriculture Resource Allocation Model devel-
oped by the Commissioner. 
(c) INVESTIGATORS.—The Commissioner of U.S. 
Customs and Border Protection shall every fiscal year 
hire, train, and assign 30 new full-time investigators with-
in the Office of Professional Responsibility of U.S. Cus-
toms and Border Protection until the total number of in-
vestigators enables the Office to fulfill its mission propor-
tionate to the number of new personnel hired in accord-
ance with subsections (a) and (b). 
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(d) SUPPORT STAFF.—The Commissioner of U.S. 
Customs and Border Protection is authorized to hire, 
train, and assign support staff, including technicians, to 
perform non-law enforcement administrative functions to 
support the new officers hired pursuant to subsection (a). 
(e) TRAFFIC FORECASTS.—In calculating the number 
of officers needed at each land, air, and maritime port of 
entry through the Workload Staffing Model, the Office of 
Field Operations of U.S. Customs and Border Protection 
shall— 
(1) rely on data collected regarding the inspec-
tions and other activities conducted at each such 
port of entry; and 
(2) consider volume from seasonal surges, other 
projected changes in commercial and passenger vol-
umes, the most current commercial forecasts, and 
other relevant information. 
(f) AMENDMENT.—Subparagraph (A) of section 
411(g)(5) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 
U.S.C. 211(g)(5)) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘model’’ and inserting ‘‘mod-
els’’; 
(2) by inserting ‘‘agricultural specialists,’’ be-
fore ‘‘and support personnel’’; and 
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(3) by inserting before the period at the end the 
following: 
‘‘, 
and 
information 
concerning 
the 
progress made toward meeting officer, agriculture 
specialist, and support staff hiring targets, while ac-
counting for attrition’’. 
(g) GAO REPORT.—If by September 30, 2020, the 
Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection has 
not hired at least 500 additional officers authorized under 
subsection (a) or at least 50 additional agriculture special-
ists authorized under subsection (b), and in any subse-
quent fiscal year in which the staffing levels specified in 
the Workload Staffing Model or Agriculture Resource Al-
location Model for the Office of Field Operations have not 
been achieved, the Comptroller General of the United 
States shall— 
(1) conduct a review of U.S. Customs and Bor-
der Protection hiring policies and processes to iden-
tify factors contributing to such levels not being 
achieved and any other issues related to hiring by 
U.S. Customs and Border Protection; 
(2) consider attrition levels within the Office of 
Field Operations to identify associated factors con-
tributing to attrition within the workforce of such 
Office; and 
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(3) submit to the Committee on Homeland Se-
curity of the House of Representatives and the Com-
mittee on Homeland Security and Governmental Af-
fairs of the Senate a report that describes the re-
sults of the review and consideration under para-
graphs (1) and (2), respectively, and that contains 
recommendations to enhance the likelihood of achiev-
ing such staffing levels. 
SEC. 3. PORTS OF ENTRY INFRASTRUCTURE ENHANCE-
MENT REPORT. 
Not later than 90 days after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and 
Border Protection shall submit to the Committee on 
Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and 
the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 
Affairs of the Senate a report that identifies— 
(1) infrastructure improvements at ports of 
entry that would enhance the ability of U.S. Cus-
toms and Border Protection officers to detect, inter-
dict, disrupt, and prevent fentanyl, other synthetic 
opioids, and other narcotics and psychoactive sub-
stances and associated contraband from entering the 
United States, including a description of cir-
cumstances in which effective technology in use at 
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certain ports of entry cannot be implemented at 
other ports of entry; 
(2) detection equipment that would improve the 
ability of such officers to identify such drugs and 
other dangers that are being illegally transported 
into the United States; and 
(3) safety equipment that would protect such 
officers from accidental exposure to such drugs or 
other dangers associated with the inspection of po-
tential drug traffickers. 
SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out 
this Act $82,775,000 in fiscal year 2018 and $93,095,000 
for each of the fiscal years 2019 through 2024. 
Æ 
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