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) to increase the number of field operations officers to specified levels. If the CBP does not adequately increase personnel, the Government Accountability Office must report on CBP hiring practices.
The CBP must 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]
[S. 2314 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2314

To increase the number of U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of 
Field Operations officers and support staff and to require reports that 
  identify staffing, infrastructure, and equipment needed to enhance 
                      security at ports of entry.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 17, 2018

Mrs. McCaskill (for herself, Mr. Tester, Ms. Heitkamp, and Ms. Harris) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
        Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To increase the number of U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of 
Field Operations officers and support staff and to require reports that 
  identify staffing, infrastructure, and equipment needed to enhance 
                      security at ports of entry.

    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 hire, train, and assign not fewer than 500 new Office 
of Field Operations officers above the current authorized level every 
fiscal year until the total number of Office of Field Operations 
officers equals the requirements identified each year in the Workload 
Staffing Model.
    (b) Support Staff.--The Commissioner is authorized to hire, train, 
and assign support staff, including technicians, to perform non-law 
enforcement administrative functions to support the new Office of Field 
Operations officers hired pursuant to subsection (a).
    (c) Traffic Forecasts.--In calculating the number of Office of 
Field Operations officers needed at each port of entry through the 
Workload Staffing Model, the Office of Field Operations 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.
    (d) Report on Workload Staffing Model Updates.--As part of the 
Annual Report on Staffing required under section 411(g)(5)(A) of the 
Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 211(g)(5)(A)), the Commissioner 
shall include information concerning the progress made toward meeting 
Office of Field Operations officer and support staff hiring targets, 
while accounting for attrition.
    (e) GAO Report.--If the Commissioner does not hire the 500 
additional Office of Field Operations officers authorized under 
subsection (a) in fiscal year 2020, or in any subsequent fiscal year in 
which the hiring requirements set forth in the Workload Staffing Model 
have not been achieved, the Comptroller General of the United States 
shall--
            (1) conduct a review of U.S. Customs and Border Protection 
        hiring practices to determine the reasons that such 
        requirements were not achieved and other issues related to 
        hiring by U.S. Customs and Border Protection; and
            (2) submit a report to the Committee on Homeland Security 
        and Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on 
        Homeland Security of the House of Representatives that 
        describes the results of the review conducted under paragraph 
        (1).

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 a 
report to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 
of the Senate and the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of 
Representatives that identifies--
            (1) infrastructure improvements at ports of entry that 
        would enhance the ability of Office of Field Operations 
        officers to interdict opioids and other drugs that are being 
        illegally transported into the United States, including a 
        description of circumstances at specific ports of entry that 
        prevent the implementation of technology used at other ports of 
        entry;
            (2) detection equipment that would improve the ability of 
        such Office of Field Operations officers to identify opioids, 
        including precursors and derivatives, that are being illegally 
        transported into the United States; and
            (3) safety equipment that would protect such Office of 
        Field Operations 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 
$69,520,000 for each of the fiscal years 2018 through 2024.
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