Border Transportation Efficiency Act
Bill: S.1514 | Sponsor: Sen. Heinrich, Martin (D-NM)
Policy area: Immigration

Summary:
Border Transportation Efficiency Act
This bill directs Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to establish a program to expedite detainee transport to processing facilities.
Under the program, CBP shall ensure that at least 300 border patrol agents that have commercial driver's licenses with passenger endorsements are assigned to remote border patrol stations. CBP shall also ensure that for specified geographical sectors (1) a certain number of border patrol agents with commercial driver's licenses are serving on each shift, and (2) a certain number of buses are assigned.

To expedite detainee transport to border patrol processing facilities.

    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 ``Border Transportation Efficiency 
Act''.

SEC. 2. COMMERCIAL DRIVER PROGRAM.

    (a) Defined Term.--In this section, the term ``remote border patrol 
station'' means a U.S. Border Patrol station located in an area within 
the United States along the international border between the United 
States and Mexico that is not within an area defined and designated by 
the Bureau of the Census as an urbanized area.
    (b) Establishment.--The Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border 
Protection shall establish a program to expedite detainee transport to 
border patrol processing facilities by ensuring, beginning not later 
than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, that--
            (1) not fewer than 300 U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned 
        to remote border patrol stations have a commercial driver's 
        license with a passenger endorsement for detainee transport;
            (2) in each of the El Paso, Laredo, Rio Grande Valley, San 
        Diego, Yuma, and Tucson U.S. Border Patrol Sectors--
                    (A) not fewer than 5 U.S. Border Patrol agents with 
                a commercial driver's license are available during 
                every shift; and
                    (B) not fewer than 5 buses are assigned to the 
                sector; and
            (3) in each of the Big Bend, Del Rio, and El Centro U.S. 
        Border Patrol Sectors--
                    (A) not fewer than 2 U.S. Border Patrol agents with 
                a commercial driver's license are available during 
                every shift; and
                    (B) not fewer than 3 buses are assigned to the 
                sector.
    (c) Relocation.--Buses assigned to specific U.S. Border Patrol 
sectors pursuant to subsection (b) may be relocated to other sectors in 
response to changing migration patterns.
    (d) Reducing Wait Times at Remote U.S. Border Patrol Stations.--The 
Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection shall ensure that 
sufficient buses are available in each U.S. Border Patrol sector to 
avoid subjecting detainees to long wait times at remote border patrol 
stations.
    (e) Use of Official Duty Time.--A U.S. Border Patrol agent shall be 
credited with work time for the process of obtaining and maintaining a 
commercial driver's license under subsection (b).
    (f) Reports to Congress.--The Secretary of Homeland Security shall 
submit quarterly reports regarding the average length of detainees' 
stay at U.S. Border Patrol stations to--
            (1) the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 
        Affairs of the Senate; and
            (2) the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of 
        Representatives.
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