[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1598 Reported in House (RH)]
<DOC>
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)
introduced 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]
_______________________________________________________________________
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
personnel in rural or remote areas, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Rural and Remote Hiring and Retention Strategy Act of 2019''.
SEC. 2. STRATEGY.
(a) In General.--Not later than one year after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security, acting
through the Chief Human Capital Officer of the Department of Homeland
Security and the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection,
shall issue a strategy and implementation plan, including benchmarks,
to improve the hiring and retention of individuals by the Commissioner
in rural or remote areas relating to employment in such areas.
(b) Considerations.--The strategy required under subsection (a)
shall take into consideration the following:
(1) Feedback from individuals who are U.S. Customs and
Border Protection candidates or new hires at locations in rural
or remote areas, including feedback on the quality of life in
such areas for new hires and their families.
(2) Feedback from U.S. Customs and Border Protection
personnel, other than new hires, who are stationed at locations
in rural or remote areas, including feedback on the quality of
life in such areas for such personnel and their families.
(3) Feedback from U.S. Customs and Border Protection
personnel who have decided to separate from the agency.
(4) An assessment of existing Federal programs, including
financial incentives and other compensation-based
flexibilities, regarding how to most effectively aid spouses
and families of individuals who are candidates or new hires in
a rural or remote area.
(5) An assessment of Department of Homeland Security
internship programs and the usefulness of such programs in
improving hiring by the Secretary of Homeland Security in rural
or remote areas.
(c) Plan.--The implementation plan required under subsection (a)
shall--
(1) include a pilot or other program, as appropriate, to
address hiring and retention challenges faced by U.S. Customs
and Border Protection in rural or remote areas; and
(2) enhance strategic recruiting efforts of U.S. Customs
and Border Protection through relationships with institutions
of higher education (as such term is defined in section 102 of
the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002)), veterans
transition and employment centers, and job placement programs
in regions that could assist in filling positions in rural or
remote areas.
(d) Report to Congress and GAO.--Beginning on the date that is one
year after the date of issuance of the strategy and implementation plan
required under subsection (a) and for four years thereafter, the
Secretary of Homeland Security shall report to the Committee on
Homeland Security of the House of Representatives, the Committee on
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate, and the
Comptroller General of the United States on the extent to which such
strategy and implementation plan has improved the hiring and retention
by U.S. Customs and Border Protection of employees in rural or remote
areas.
(e) GAO Assessment.--Not later than 120 days after receiving each
report required under subsection (d), the Comptroller General of the
United States shall submit to the committees referred to in such
subsection an assessment of the effectiveness of U.S. Customs and
Border Protection actions described in each such report, including
recommendations for improvements as the Comptroller General determines
appropriate.
(f) Rural or Remote Areas Defined.--For purposes of this section,
the term ``rural or remote areas'' means areas within the United States
that are not within an area defined and designated as urbanized areas
by the Bureau of the Census in the most recently completed decennial
census and include areas along the northern and southern borders.
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
personnel in rural or remote areas, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
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