Title: CBP Hiring and Retention Innovation Act
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics

Summary:
CBP Hiring and Retention Innovation Act
This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to take certain actions to improve hiring and retention of U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel.
Specifically, DHS must (1) establish a council to develop initiatives for improving hiring and retention efforts; and (2) implement pilot programs, based on council initiatives and other relevant information, at least annually over the course of a five-year period. DHS must implement programs that focus on ports of entry or other duty stations, as well as U.S. Border Patrol duty locations, with severe workforce shortages, critical hiring needs, or retention challenges.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2813 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2813

 To establish a CBP Hiring and Retention Innovation Council to develop 
  ideas and initiatives to improve U.S. Customs and Border Protection 
 hiring and retention efforts and capabilities, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            November 7, 2019

Ms. Sinema (for herself and Mr. Hoeven) introduced the following bill; 
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security 
                        and Governmental Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To establish a CBP Hiring and Retention Innovation Council to develop 
  ideas and initiatives to improve U.S. Customs and Border Protection 
 hiring and retention efforts and capabilities, 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 ``CBP Hiring and Retention Innovation 
Act''.

SEC. 2. CBP HIRING AND RETENTION INNOVATION COUNCIL.

    (a) Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security, in 
conjunction with the Chief Human Capital Officer of the Department of 
Homeland Security, shall establish a CBP Hiring and Retention 
Innovation Council (referred to in this Act as the ``Council'') to 
develop ideas and initiatives to improve U.S. Customs and Border 
Protection hiring and retention efforts and capabilities.
    (b) Composition.--The Council shall include--
            (1) the Secretary of Homeland Security, or the Secretary's 
        designee, who shall serve as the Chair of the Council;
            (2) the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, 
        or the Commissioner's designee;
            (3) the Assistant Commissioner, Office of Human Resources 
        Management, Enterprise Services, or the Assistant 
        Commissioner's designee;
            (4) the Assistant Commissioner, Office of Finance, 
        Enterprise Services, or the Assistant Commissioner's designee;
            (5) appropriate representatives from labor groups 
        representing U.S. Customs and Border Protection employees;
            (6) other members, selected by the Secretary, who have the 
        requisite knowledge or expertise to help U.S. Customs and 
        Border Protection develop new hiring and retention strategies, 
        initiatives, and innovations, including--
                    (A) private sector human resource experts; and
                    (B) chief human capital officers, or their 
                designees, from other Federal agencies; and
            (7) U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials who have 
        experience related to the hiring and retention of employees, 
        including at least 1 representative from each of the following 
        groups:
                    (A) Border Patrol officials with experience along 
                the Southwest Border of the United States.
                    (B) Border Patrol officials with experience working 
                along the Northern Border of the United States.
                    (C) Office of Field Operations officials with 
                experience along the Southwest Border of the United 
                States.
                    (D) Office of Field Operations officials with 
                experience along the Northern Border of the United 
                States.
                    (E) Air and Marine Operations officials with 
                experience along the land borders of the United States.
                    (F) Air and Marine Operations officials with 
                experience along the marine borders of the United 
                States.
                    (G) Office of Field Operations officials with 
                experience at ports of entry in the interior of the 
                United States.
                    (H) U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials 
                with experience working along the maritime borders in 
                the southeastern region of the United States.

SEC. 3. CBP HIRING AND RETENTION PILOT PROGRAMS.

    (a) In General.--During the 5-year period beginning on the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall 
carry out pilot programs to develop improved strategies to improve U.S. 
Customs and Border Protection hiring and retention capabilities and 
programs in order to meet its staffing needs.
    (b) Required Pilot Programs.--Of the pilot programs carried out 
under subsection (a)--
            (1) at least 1 pilot program shall focus on ports of entry 
        or other duty stations experiencing severe workforce shortages, 
        critical hiring needs, or retention challenges; and
            (2) at least 1 pilot program shall focus on U.S. Border 
        Patrol duty locations experiencing severe workforce shortages, 
        critical hiring needs, or retention challenges.
    (c) Other Requirements.--In carrying out pilot programs under this 
section, the Secretary shall--
            (1) examine the findings of the Council to determine which 
        initiatives or strategies developed by the Council should be 
        tested in a pilot program;
            (2) examine the data collected through the exit survey 
        given to all departing U.S. Customs and Border Protection 
        employees to inform the development of pilot programs;
            (3) beginning not later than 180 days after the 
        establishment of the Council, commence at least 1 U.S. Customs 
        and Border Protection hiring or retention pilot program every 
        fiscal year; and
            (4) execute pilot programs in the locations that the 
        Secretary determines will provide the most accurate assessment 
        of the effectiveness of the pilot programs.
    (d) Considerations.--The Secretary shall consider, consistent with 
existing law, developing pilot programs under this section that 
examine--
            (1) the effectiveness of alternative or nontraditional work 
        schedules on hiring and retention;
            (2) the impact on hiring and retention of providing 
        employees transportation between their residences and their 
        work sites;
            (3) the use of existing pay authorities, including 
        recruitment and retention incentive pay, on hiring and 
        retention efforts;
            (4) work to improve the morale of the overall workforce or 
        the workforce at specific U.S. Customs and Border Protection 
        locations; and
            (5) the provision of additional training to employees to 
        allow them to better execute changing job requirements.
    (e) Other Matters.--The Secretary is authorized to implement pilot 
projects under this section in accordance with section 4703 of title 5, 
United States Code.
    (f) Annual Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date on which 
the first pilot program is established under this section, and annually 
thereafter, the Secretary shall submit a report to the appropriate 
committees that--
            (1) evaluates the effectiveness of the pilot programs 
        established under this section; and
            (2) analyzes how current or completed pilot programs are 
        expected to improve hiring and retention capabilities and 
        programs at U.S. Customs and Border Protection to meet its 
        staffing needs.

SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be 
necessary to carry out this Act.

SEC. 5. SUNSET.

    (a) In General.--Except as provided in subsection (b), this Act is 
repealed on the date that is 5 years after the date of the enactment of 
this Act.
    (b) Report.--Section 3(f) is repealed on the date on which the 
first report is submitted under section 3(f) following the sunset date 
referred to in subsection (a).
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