U.S. Customs and Border Protection Rural and Remote Hiring and Retention Strategy Act of 2019

IB Union Calendar No. 8 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 1598 [Report No. 116–22] To require the Secretary of Homeland Security to issue a strategy to improve hiring and retention of U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel in rural or remote areas, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MARCH 7, 2019 Ms. TORRES SMALL of New Mexico (for herself and Mr. HURD of Texas) in- troduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Homeland Security MARCH 28, 2019 Additional sponsor: Mr. CRENSHAW MARCH 28, 2019 Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] [For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on March 7, 2019] VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:56 Mar 28, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6652 E:\BILLS\H1598.RH H1598 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 1598 RH A BILL To require the Secretary of Homeland Security to issue a strategy to improve hiring and retention of U.S. Cus- toms and Border Protection personnel in rural or remote areas, and for other purposes. VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:56 Mar 28, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6652 E:\BILLS\H1598.RH H1598 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 1598 RH Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘U.S. Customs and Bor- 4 der Protection Rural and Remote Hiring and Retention 5 Strategy Act of 2019’’. 6 SEC. 2. STRATEGY. 7 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year after the 8 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland 9 Security, acting through the Chief Human Capital Officer 10 of the Department of Homeland Security and the Commis- 11 sioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, shall issue 12 a strategy and implementation plan, including bench- 13 marks, to improve the hiring and retention of individuals 14 by the Commissioner in rural or remote areas relating to 15 employment in such areas. 16 (b) CONSIDERATIONS.—The strategy required under 17 subsection (a) shall take into consideration the following: 18 (1) Feedback from individuals who are U.S. Cus- 19 toms and Border Protection candidates or new hires 20 at locations in rural or remote areas, including feed- 21 back on the quality of life in such areas for new hires 22 and their families. 23 (2) Feedback from U.S. Customs and Border 24 Protection personnel, other than new hires, who are 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:56 Mar 28, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\H1598.RH H1598 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 1598 RH stationed at locations in rural or remote areas, in- 1 cluding feedback on the quality of life in such areas 2 for such personnel and their families. 3 (3) Feedback from U.S. Customs and Border 4 Protection personnel who have decided to separate 5 from the agency. 6 (4) An assessment of existing Federal programs, 7 including financial incentives and other compensa- 8 tion-based flexibilities, regarding how to most effec- 9 tively aid spouses and families of individuals who are 10 candidates or new hires in a rural or remote area. 11 (5) An assessment of Department of Homeland 12 Security internship programs and the usefulness of 13 such programs in improving hiring by the Secretary 14 of Homeland Security in rural or remote areas. 15 (c) PLAN.—The implementation plan required under 16 subsection (a) shall— 17 (1) include a pilot or other program, as appro- 18 priate, to address hiring and retention challenges 19 faced by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in 20 rural or remote areas; and 21 (2) enhance strategic recruiting efforts of U.S. 22 Customs and Border Protection through relationships 23 with institutions of higher education (as such term is 24 defined in section 102 of the Higher Education Act 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:56 Mar 28, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\H1598.RH H1598 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS 5 •HR 1598 RH of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002)), veterans transition and 1 employment centers, and job placement programs in 2 regions that could assist in filling positions in rural 3 or remote areas. 4 (d) REPORT TO CONGRESS AND GAO.—Beginning on 5 the date that is one year after the date of issuance of the 6 strategy and implementation plan required under sub- 7 section (a) and for four years thereafter, the Secretary of 8 Homeland Security shall report to the Committee on Home- 9 land Security of the House of Representatives, the Com- 10 mittee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of 11 the Senate, and the Comptroller General of the United 12 States on the extent to which such strategy and implementa- 13 tion plan has improved the hiring and retention by U.S. 14 Customs and Border Protection of employees in rural or 15 remote areas. 16 (e) GAO ASSESSMENT.—Not later than 120 days after 17 receiving each report required under subsection (d), the 18 Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to 19 the committees referred to in such subsection an assessment 20 of the effectiveness of U.S. Customs and Border Protection 21 actions described in each such report, including rec- 22 ommendations for improvements as the Comptroller Gen- 23 eral determines appropriate. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:56 Mar 28, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\H1598.RH H1598 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS 6 •HR 1598 RH (f) RURAL OR REMOTE AREAS DEFINED.—For pur- 1 poses of this section, the term ‘‘rural or remote areas’’ 2 means areas within the United States that are not within 3 an area defined and designated as urbanized areas by the 4 Bureau of the Census in the most recently completed decen- 5 nial census and include areas along the northern and south- 6 ern borders. 7 VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:56 Mar 28, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\H1598.RH H1598 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:56 Mar 28, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\H1598.RH H1598 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS Union Calendar No. 8 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 1598 [Report No. 116–22] A BILL To require the Secretary of Homeland Security to issue a strategy to improve hiring and retention of U.S. Customs and Border Protection per- sonnel in rural or remote areas, and for other purposes. MARCH 28, 2019 Reported with an amendment, committed to the Com- mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:56 Mar 28, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6651 Sfmt 6651 E:\BILLS\H1598.RH H1598 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS