SEC. 2. STRATEGY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Home-
land Security, acting through the Chief Human Capital 
Officer of the Department of Homeland Security, the 
Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, 
and the Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs En-
forcement, shall issue a strategy and implementation plan, 
including benchmarks, to improve the hiring and retention 
of individuals by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and 
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in rural or 
remote areas relating to employment in such areas. 
(b) CONSIDERATIONS.—The strategy required under 
subsection (a) shall take into consideration the following: 
(1) Feedback from individuals who are U.S. 
Customs and Border Protection or U.S. Immigration 
and Customs Enforcement candidates or new hires 
at locations in rural or remote areas, including feed-
back on the quality of life in such areas for new 
hires and their families. 
(2) Feedback from U.S. Customs and Border 
Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs En-
forcement personnel, other than new hires, who are 
stationed at locations in rural or remote areas, in-
cluding feedback on the quality of life in such areas 
for such personnel and their families. 
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(3) Feedback from U.S. Customs and Border 
Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs En-
forcement personnel who have decided to separate 
from U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. 
Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as the case 
may be. 
(4) An assessment of existing Federal pro-
grams, including financial incentives and other com-
pensation-based flexibilities, regarding how to most 
effectively aid spouses and families of individuals 
who are candidates or new hires in a rural or remote 
area. 
(5) An assessment of Department of Homeland 
Security internship programs and the usefulness of 
such programs in improving hiring by the Secretary 
of Homeland Security in rural or remote areas. 
(c) PLAN.—The implementation plan required under 
subsection (a) shall— 
(1) include a pilot or other program, as appro-
priate, to address hiring and retention challenges 
faced by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and 
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in 
rural or remote areas; and 
(2) enhance strategic recruiting efforts of U.S. 
Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigra-
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tion and Customs Enforcement through relation-
ships with institutions of higher education (as such 
term is defined in section 102 of the Higher Edu-
cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002)), veterans 
transition and employment centers, and job place-
ment programs in regions that could assist in filling 
positions in rural or remote areas. 
(d) REPORT TO CONGRESS AND GAO.—Beginning on 
the date that is one year after the date of issuance of the 
strategy and implementation plan required under sub-
section (a) and for four years thereafter, the Secretary of 
Homeland Security shall report to the Committee on 
Homeland Security of the House of Representatives, the 
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Af-
fairs of the Senate, and the Comptroller General of the 
United States on the extent to which such strategy and 
implementation plan has improved the hiring and reten-
tion by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Im-
migration and Customs Enforcement of employees in rural 
or remote areas. 
(e) GAO ASSESSMENT.—Not later than 120 days 
after receiving each report required under subsection (d), 
the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit 
to the committees referred to in such subsection an assess-
ment of the effectiveness of U.S. Customs and Border 
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Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforce-
ment actions described in each such report, including rec-
ommendations for improvements as the Comptroller Gen-
eral determines appropriate. 
(f) RURAL OR REMOTE AREAS DEFINED.—For pur-
poses of this section, the term ‘‘rural or remote areas’’ 
means areas within the United States that are not within 
an area defined and designated as urbanized areas by the 
Bureau of the Census in the most recently completed de-
cennial census, and includes areas along the northern and 
southern borders. 
Æ 
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