Title: Border and Port Security Act
Policy area: Foreign Trade and International Finance

Summary:
Border and Port Security Act
This bill requires U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), every fiscal year, to hire, train, and assign at least 500 new officers 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 Workload Staffing Model developed by the CBP.
The CBP shall, every fiscal year, hire, train, and assign specified levels of new agricultural specialists, full-time investigators within its Office of Professional Responsibility, and support staff, including technicians, to perform non-law enforcement administrative functions.
In calculating the number of officers needed at each port of entry through the Workload Staffing Model, the Office of Field Operations of the CBP shall: (1) rely on data collected regarding the inspections and other activities conducted at each such port of entry; and (2) consider volume from seasonal surges, other projected changes in commercial and passenger volumes, the most current commercial forecasts, and other relevant information.
The bill amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to require CBP's annual report on staffing to include information on how many agricultural specialists are assigned to each field office and port of entry and information concerning the progress made toward meeting officer, agricultural specialist, and support staff hiring targets, while accounting for attrition.
The CBP must also report on infrastructure and equipment needed to prevent the illegal transportation of opioids and other drugs through U.S. ports of entry.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4940 Introduced in House (IH)]

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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. 
 Barragan, 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 
   determined 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 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.

    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 and Port Security Act''.

SEC. 2. ADDITIONAL U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION 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 requirements identified each year in the Workload Staffing 
Model developed by the Commissioner.
    (b) Agricultural Specialists.--The Commissioner 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 developed 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 within the Office of Professional Responsibility of 
U.S. Customs and Border Protection until the total number of 
investigators enables the Office to fulfill its mission proportionate 
to the number of new personnel hired in accordance with subsections (a) 
and (b).
    (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 inspections and 
        other activities conducted at each such port of entry; and
            (2) consider volume from seasonal surges, other projected 
        changes in commercial and passenger volumes, 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 ``models'';
            (2) by inserting ``agricultural specialists,'' before ``and 
        support personnel''; and
            (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 accounting 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 specialists authorized under subsection (b), and in any 
subsequent fiscal year in which the staffing levels specified in the 
Workload Staffing Model or Agriculture Resource Allocation 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 Border Protection 
        hiring policies and processes to identify 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 contributing to 
        attrition within the workforce of such Office; and
            (3) 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 describes 
        the results of the review and consideration under paragraphs 
        (1) and (2), respectively, and that contains recommendations to 
        enhance the likelihood of achieving such staffing levels.

SEC. 3. PORTS OF ENTRY INFRASTRUCTURE ENHANCEMENT REPORT.

    Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment 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. Customs and Border Protection 
        officers to detect, interdict, disrupt, and prevent fentanyl, 
        other synthetic opioids, and other narcotics and psychoactive 
        substances and associated contraband from entering the United 
        States, including a description of circumstances in which 
        effective technology in use at 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 potential 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.
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