I 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1655 
To enhance the safety of ports of entry in the United States, and for 
other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 19, 2009 
Mr. REYES (for himself, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. RODRIGUEZ, Mr. ORTIZ, Mr. FIL-
NER, Mr. TEAGUE, Mr. CUELLAR, Ms. GIFFORDS, Mr. BILBRAY, Mr. 
ROHRABACHER, Mr. MITCHELL, Mr. PASTOR of Arizona, Mr. HINOJOSA, 
Mr. ABERCROMBIE, Mr. DOGGETT, Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas, Ms. 
JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Mr. LANGEVIN, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Mr. ROTH-
MAN of New Jersey, Mr. STUPAK, Mr. BACA, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Mrs. 
DAVIS of California, Mr. GONZALEZ, Mr. HONDA, Mr. KLEIN of Florida, 
Mr. MCINTYRE, Mr. RUPPERSBERGER, and Mr. SIRES) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Homeland Secu-
rity, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, Agriculture, 
and Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently 
determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provi-
sions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To enhance the safety of ports of entry in the United States, 
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 ‘‘Putting Our Resources 
Towards Security (PORTS) Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. INCREASE IN NUMBER OF CUSTOMS AND BORDER 
PROTECTION OFFICERS. 
(a) CUSTOMS
AND BORDER PROTECTION OFFI-
CERS.—During the 5-year period between fiscal years 
2010 and 2014, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall, 
subject to the availability of appropriations for such pur-
pose, increase by not fewer than 5,000 the total number 
of full-time, active-duty Customs and Border Protection 
Officers within United States Customs and Border Protec-
tion for posting at United States ports of entry above the 
number of such officers for which funds were made avail-
able during fiscal year 2009. 
(b) AGRICULTURE SPECIALISTS.—During the 5-year 
period between fiscal years 2010 and 2014, the Secretary 
of Homeland Security shall, subject to the availability of 
appropriations for such border security purposes, increase 
by not fewer than a total of 1,200 the number of full- 
time Customs and Border Protection agriculture special-
ists for United States ports of entry above the number 
of such support personnel for which funds were made 
available during fiscal year 2009. 
(c) BORDER SECURITY SUPPORT PERSONNEL.— 
During the 5-year period between fiscal years 2010 and 
2014, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall, subject 
to the availability of appropriations for such purpose, in-
crease by not fewer than a total of 350 the number of 
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full-time border security support personnel for United 
States ports of entry above the number of such support 
personnel for which funds were made available during fis-
cal year 2009. 
SEC. 3. IMPROVING PORTS OF ENTRY FOR BORDER SECU-
RITY AND OTHER PURPOSES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be appro-
priated to the Administrator of the General Services Ad-
ministration $1,000,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2010 
through 2014 to make improvements to existing ports of 
entry in the United States to improve border security and 
for other purposes. 
(b) PRIORITY.—In making improvements described 
in subsection (a), the Administrator of the General Serv-
ices Administration, in coordination with the Commis-
sioner of Customs and Border Protection, shall give pri-
ority to the ports of entry that the Administrator deter-
mines are in most need of repair to improve border secu-
rity and for other purposes in accordance with port of 
entry infrastructure assessment studies required in section 
603 of title VI, division E, of the Consolidated Appropria-
tions Act of 2008 (Public Law 101–161). 
Æ 
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