Putting Our Resources Toward Security (PORTS) Act

Bill: 113-hr-583
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Vela, Filemon [D-TX-34]
Introduced: 2013-02-06
Policy area: Emergency Management
Subjects: Border security and unlawful immigration

Department of Homeland Security

Executive agency funding and structure

General Services Administration

Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management

Homeland security

Law enforcement officers
Latest action: action_date: 2013-02-25
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Horticulture, Research, Biotechnology, and Foreign Agriculture.

Summaries:
action_date: 2013-02-06
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p>Putting Our Resources Toward Security (PORTS) Act - Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security, between FY2014-FY2018, to increase the number of full-time Customs and Border Protection officers, active-duty agriculture specialists, and active-duty border security support personnel for U.S. ports of entry by not fewer than 5,000, 1,200, and 350, respectively, above the number of such personnel for which funds were made available during FY2012.</p> <p>Authorizes appropriations to the Administrator of the General Services Administration (GSA) for each of FY2014-FY2018 to make improvements to existing U.S. ports of entry to improve border security. Directs the Administrator to give priority to ports determined to be in most need of repair in accordance with required infrastructure assessment studies.</p>

tv_txt: I 113th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 583 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES February 6, 2013 Mr. Vela (for himself, Mr. Thompson of Mississippi , Mr. Cuellar , Mr. Hinojosa , Mr. Gene Green of Texas , Ms. Jackson Lee , Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas , Mr. Grijalva , Mr. Doggett , Ms. Roybal-Allard , Mr. Gallego , Mr. Michaud , Mr. O’Rourke , Mr. Pastor of Arizona , and Mr. Vargas ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Homeland Security , and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means , Agriculture , and Transportation and Infrastructure , 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 enhance the safety of ports of entry in the United States, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Putting Our Resources Toward Security (PORTS) Act . 2. Increase in number of Customs and Border Protection Officers (a) Customs and Border Protection Officers During the five-year period between fiscal years 2014 and 2018, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall, subject to the availability of appropriations for such purpose, increase by not fewer than 5,000 the total number of full-time, active-duty Customs and Border Protection Officers within United States Customs and Border Protection for posting at United States ports of entry above the number of such officers for which funds were made available during fiscal year 2012. (b) Agriculture specialists During the five-year period between fiscal years 2014 and 2018, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall, subject to the availability of appropriations for purpose, increase by not fewer than 1,200 the number of full-time, active-duty Customs and Border Protection agriculture specialists for posting at United States ports of entry above the number of such support personnel for which funds were made available during fiscal year 2012. (c) Border security support personnel During the five-year period between fiscal years 2014 and 2018, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall, subject to the availability of appropriations for such purpose, increase by not fewer than 350 the number of full-time, active-duty border security support personnel for posting at United States ports of entry above the number of such support personnel for which funds were made available during fiscal year 2012. 3. Improving ports of entry for border security and other purposes (a) In general There are authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator of the General Services Administration $1,000,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018 to make improvements to existing ports of entry in the United States to improve border security and for other purposes. (b) Priority In making improvements described in subsection (a), the Administrator of the General Services Administration, in coordination with the Secretary of Homeland Security, shall give priority to the ports of entry that the Administrator determines are in most need of repair to improve border security and for other purposes in accordance with port of entry infrastructure assessment studies required in section 603 of title VI, division E, of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2008 ( Public Law 110–161 ).