Border and Port Security Act

Bill: 115-hr-4940
Sponsor: Rep. Vela, Filemon [D-TX-34]
Introduced: 2018-02-06 in the House
Policy area: Foreign Trade and International Finance
Subjects: Agricultural trade
Border security and unlawful immigration
Congressional oversight
Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation
Customs enforcement
Department of Homeland Security
Drug trafficking and controlled substances
Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
Government ethics and transparency, public corruption
Government studies and investigations
Law enforcement officers
Worker safety and health

Summary:
action_date: 2018-02-06
text: 

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.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2018-03-08
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Biotechnology, Horticulture, and Research.
action_date: 2018-02-14
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security.
action_date: 2018-02-06
text: 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.
action_date: 2018-02-06
text: 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.
action_date: 2018-02-06
text: 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.
action_date: 2018-02-06
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2018-02-06
text: Introduced in House