U.S. Customs and Border Protection Rural and Remote Hiring and Retention Strategy Act of 2023

I 118TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 2806 To require the Secretary of Homeland Security to issue a strategy and implementation plan 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 APRIL 24, 2023 Mr. GOLDEN of Maine (for himself, Mr. TONY GONZALES of Texas, Mr. RYAN, and Mr. PFLUGER) introduced the following bill; which was re- ferred to the Committee on Homeland Security A BILL To require the Secretary of Homeland Security to issue a strategy and implementation plan to improve hiring and retention of U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel in rural or remote areas, and for other pur- poses. 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 2023’’. 6 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:16 Apr 28, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2806.IH H2806 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 2806 IH SEC. 2. U.S. CUSTOMERS AND BORDER PROTECTION STRAT- 1 EGY. 2 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year after the 3 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Home- 4 land Security, acting through the Chief Human Capital 5 Officer of the Department of Homeland Security and the 6 Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, 7 shall issue a strategy and implementation plan, including 8 benchmarks, to improve the hiring and retention of indi- 9 viduals by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in rural 10 or remote areas relating to employment in such areas. 11 (b) STRATEGY CONSIDERATIONS.—The strategy re- 12 quired under subsection (a) shall take into consideration 13 the following: 14 (1) Feedback, as available, from individuals 15 who are U.S. Customs and Border Protection can- 16 didates or new hires, at locations in rural or remote 17 areas, including feedback on the quality of life in 18 such areas for new hires and their families. 19 (2) Feedback, as available, from U.S. Customs 20 and Border Protection personnel, other than new 21 hires, who are stationed at locations in rural or re- 22 mote areas, including feedback on the quality of life 23 in such areas for such personnel and their families. 24 (3) Feedback, as available, from U.S. Customs 25 and Border Protection personnel who have decided 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:16 Apr 28, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2806.IH H2806 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 2806 IH to separate from U.S. Customs and Border Protec- 1 tion. 2 (4) An assessment of existing Federal pro- 3 grams, including financial incentives and other com- 4 pensation-based flexibilities, regarding how to most 5 effectively aid spouses and families of individuals 6 who are U.S. Customs and Border Protection can- 7 didates or new hires in a rural or remote area. 8 (5) An assessment of Department of Homeland 9 Security internship programs and the usefulness of 10 such programs in improving hiring by the Secretary 11 of Homeland Security in rural or remote areas. 12 (c) IMPLEMENTATION PLAN CONSIDERATIONS.—The 13 implementation plan required under subsection (a) shall— 14 (1) include a pilot or other program, as appro- 15 priate, to address hiring and retention challenges 16 faced by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in 17 rural or remote areas; and 18 (2) enhance strategic recruiting efforts of U.S. 19 Customs and Border Protection through relation- 20 ships with institutions of higher education, veterans 21 transition and employment centers, and job place- 22 ment programs in regions that could assist in filling 23 positions in rural or remote areas. 24 (d) REPORTS.— 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:16 Apr 28, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2806.IH H2806 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 2806 IH (1) REPORT TO CONGRESS AND GAO.—Begin- 1 ning on the date that is one year after the date of 2 the issuance of the strategy and implementation 3 plan required under subsection (a) and every three 4 years thereafter, the Secretary of Homeland Security 5 shall report to the Committee on Homeland Security 6 of the House of Representatives, the Committee on 7 Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the 8 Senate, and the Comptroller General of the United 9 States on the extent to which such strategy and im- 10 plementation plan have affected the hiring and re- 11 tention by U.S. Customs and Border Protection of 12 employees in rural or remote areas. 13 (2) BRIEFING TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 14 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act 15 and every 90 days thereafter until the strategy and 16 implementation plan under subsection (a) are issued, 17 the Secretary of Homeland Security shall brief the 18 Committee on Homeland Security of the House of 19 Representatives, the Committee on Homeland Secu- 20 rity and Governmental Affairs of the Senate, and 21 the Comptroller General of the United States on the 22 progress of so issuing such strategy and implementa- 23 tion plan. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:16 Apr 28, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2806.IH H2806 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 5 •HR 2806 IH (3) GAO ASSESSMENT.—Not later than 120 1 days after receiving each briefing required under 2 paragraph (2), the Comptroller General of the 3 United States shall submit to the committees speci- 4 fied in such subsection an assessment of the effec- 5 tiveness of U.S. Customs and Border Protection ac- 6 tions described in each such briefing, including rec- 7 ommendations for improvements as the Comptroller 8 General determines appropriate. 9 (e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 10 (1) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The 11 term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has the 12 meaning given such term in section 102 of the High- 13 er Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002). 14 (2) NEW HIRE.—The term ‘‘new hire’’ means 15 an individual appointed to a position within U.S. 16 Customs and Border Protection and who, during the 17 one year period preceding such date of appointment, 18 occupied a position in U.C. Customs and Border 19 Protection for fewer than 365 days. 20 (3) RURAL OR REMOTE AREAS.—The term 21 ‘‘rural or remote areas’’ means areas within the 22 United States that are not within an area defined 23 and designated as urbanized areas by the Bureau of 24 the Census in the most recently completed decennial 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:16 Apr 28, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2806.IH H2806 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 6 •HR 2806 IH census, and includes areas along the northern and 1 southern borders. 2 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:16 Apr 28, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H2806.IH H2806 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS