Title: Protecting America's Food and Agriculture Act of 2019
Policy area: Agriculture and Food

Summary:
Protecting America's Food and Agriculture Act of 2019
This bill authorizes U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), every fiscal year, to hire, train, and assign 240 new agricultural specialists until the total number of specialists equals and sustains the requirements identified each year in the Agriculture Resource Allocation Model.
The CBP may also hire, train, and assign support staff to assist the specialists and specified levels of agricultural canine teams.
In calculating the number of specialists needed at each port of entry through the Agriculture Resource Allocation Model, the Office of Field Operations of the CBP must (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.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4482 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4482

To increase the number of CBP Agriculture Specialists and support staff 
     in the Office of Field Operations of U.S. Customs and Border 
                  Protection, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 24, 2019

    Mr. Vela (for himself, Mr. Peterson, Mr. Gonzalez of Texas, Mr. 
  Carbajal, Mr. Costa, and Mrs. Axne) introduced the following bill; 
   which was referred to the Committee on Homeland Security, and in 
     addition to the Committee on 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 CBP Agriculture Specialists and support staff 
     in the Office of Field Operations of U.S. Customs and Border 
                  Protection, 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 ``Protecting America's Food and 
Agriculture Act of 2019''.

SEC. 2. FINDING.

    Congress finds that--
            (1) it is in the national security interest of the United 
        States to ensure that the Nation's food supply is sufficiently 
        protected; and
            (2) a vital part of such protection is the availability of 
        adequate resources at the border to conduct inspections of 
        incoming food and agricultural goods.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term 
        ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
                    (A) the Committee on Homeland Security and 
                Governmental Affairs of the Senate;
                    (B) the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and 
                Forestry of the Senate;
                    (C) the Committee on Homeland Security of the House 
                of Representatives; and
                    (D) the Committee on Agriculture of the House of 
                Representatives.
            (2) CBP.--The term ``CBP'' means U.S. Customs and Border 
        Protection.

SEC. 4. ADDITIONAL U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION PERSONNEL.

    (a) CBP Agriculture Specialists.--The Commissioner of U.S. Customs 
and Border Protection may hire, train, and assign 240 new CBP 
Agriculture Specialists above the current attrition level during every 
fiscal year until the total number of CBP Agriculture Specialists 
equals and sustains the requirements identified each year in the 
Agriculture Resource Allocation Model.
    (b) Mission and Operational Support Staff.--
            (1) In general.--The Commissioner of U.S. Customs and 
        Border Protection may hire, train, and assign support staff to 
        support CBP Agriculture Specialists.
            (2) CBP agriculture technicians.--The Commissioner of U.S. 
        Customs and Border Protection may hire, train, and assign 200 
        new CBP Agriculture Technicians during each fiscal year until 
        the total number of CBP Agriculture Technicians equals and 
        sustains the requirements identified each year in the Mission 
        and Operational Support Resource Allocation Model.
    (c) CBP Agriculture Canine Teams.--The Commissioner of U.S. Customs 
and Border Protection may hire, train, and assign 20 new CBP 
agriculture canine teams during each of the first 3 fiscal years 
beginning after the date of the enactment of this Act.
    (d) Traffic Forecasts.--In calculating the number of CBP 
Agriculture Specialists needed at each port of entry through the 
Agriculture Resource Allocation 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.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--
            (1) CBP agriculture specialists.--There is authorized to be 
        appropriated to carry out subsection (a)--
                    (A) $29,900,000 for fiscal year 2020;
                    (B) $36,100,000 for fiscal year 2021; and
                    (C) $40,500,000 for fiscal year 2022.
            (2) CBP agriculture technicians.--There is authorized to be 
        appropriated to carry out subsection (b)--
                    (A) $11,000,000 for fiscal year 2020;
                    (B) $25,000,000 for fiscal year 2021; and
                    (C) $38,000,000 for fiscal year 2022.
            (3) CBP agriculture canine teams.--There is authorized to 
        be appropriated to carry out subsection (c)--
                    (A) $3,500,000 for fiscal year 2020;
                    (B) $7,400,000 for fiscal year 2021; and
                    (C) $12,200,000 for fiscal year 2022.
            (4) Training.--There is authorized to be appropriated for 
        training costs associated with the new CBP personnel and canine 
        teams hired pursuant to subsections (a), (b), and (c) 
        $6,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2020, 2021, and 2022.

SEC. 5. GAO STUDY, BRIEFING, AND REPORT.

    (a) Study.--The Comptroller General of the United States, after 
consultation with the appropriate congressional committees, shall 
conduct a review of the efforts of the Department of Homeland Security, 
the Department of Agriculture, and other Federal agencies to address 
risks to the agricultural supply that analyzes--
            (1) interagency coordination and the distribution of 
        responsibilities among Federal agencies with respect to the 
        inspection of agricultural commodities entering the United 
        States;
            (2) the effectiveness of such inspection responsibilities 
        among Federal agencies; and
            (3) the training provided to, and working conditions of, 
        CBP Agriculture Specialists.
    (b) Briefing.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall brief the 
appropriate congressional committees regarding the results of the study 
conducted pursuant to subsection (a).
    (c) Report.--Not later than 90 days after the briefing required 
under subsection (b), the Comptroller General shall complete the study 
required under subsection (a) and make the results of the study 
available to the public.
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