Protecting America's Food and Agriculture Act of 2019
PL 116-122 (S.2107), enacted 03/03/2020

[116th Congress Public Law 122]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



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Public Law 116-122
116th Congress

                                 An Act


 
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. <<NOTE: Mar. 3, 2020 -  [S. 2107]>> 

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, <<NOTE: Protecting 
America's Food and Agriculture Act of 2019. 6 USC 211 note.>> 
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. <<NOTE: Time periods.>>  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.--

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            (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) <<NOTE: Effective date.>>  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) <<NOTE: Consultation. Review.>>  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

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            (3) the training provided to, and working conditions of, CBP 
        Agriculture Specialists.

    (b) <<NOTE: Deadline.>>  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) <<NOTE: Public information.>>  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.

    Approved March 3, 2020.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--S. 2107:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

SENATE REPORTS: No. 116-94 (Comm. on Homeland Security and Governmental 
Affairs).
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD:
                                                        Vol. 165 (2019):
                                    Oct. 24, considered and passed 
                                        Senate.
                                                        Vol. 166 (2020):
                                    Feb. 10, considered and passed 
                                        House.

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