[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2015 Introduced in House (IH)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2015

 To establish educational seminars at United States ports of entry to 
improve the ability of U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel to 
classify and appraise articles that are imported into the United States 
       in accordance with the customs laws of the United States.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 23, 2015

   Mr. Lipinski (for himself, Mr. McGovern, Mr. Visclosky, and Mrs. 
  Lawrence) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Ways and Means

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To establish educational seminars at United States ports of entry to 
improve the ability of U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel to 
classify and appraise articles that are imported into the United States 
       in accordance with the customs laws of the United States.

    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 ``Customs Training Enhancement Act''.

SEC. 2. EDUCATIONAL SEMINARS TO IMPROVE ABILITY OF U.S. CUSTOMS AND 
              BORDER PROTECTION PERSONNEL TO CLASSIFY AND APPRAISE 
              IMPORTED ARTICLES.

    (a) Educational Seminars.--
            (1) In general.--The Commissioner shall establish and carry 
        out educational seminars at United States ports of entry to 
        improve the ability of U.S. Customs and Border Protection 
        personnel to classify and appraise articles imported into the 
        United States in accordance with the customs laws of the United 
        States, including to improve the ability of U.S. Customs and 
        Border Protection personnel to identify and prevent the 
        mislabeling and transshipment of articles.
            (2) Number and exception.--The Commissioner shall establish 
        and carry out not less than 15 educational seminars each year 
        under paragraph (1). The Commissioner may establish and carry 
        out fewer than 15 seminars each year under paragraph (1) if the 
        Commissioner determines and notifies Congress that it is 
        appropriate to do so.
    (b) Content.--
            (1) In general.--The Commissioner and interested parties 
        selected under subsection (d) should provide instruction and 
        related instructional materials at each educational seminar to 
        U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel and, as 
        appropriate, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel 
        on the following:
                    (A) Conducting a physical inspection of an article 
                imported into the United States, including testing of 
                samples of the article, to determine if the article is 
                mislabeled in the manifest or other accompanying 
                documentation.
                    (B) Reviewing the manifest and other accompanying 
                documentation of an article imported into the United 
                States to determine if--
                            (i) the country of origin of the article 
                        listed in the manifest or other accompanying 
                        documentation is accurate; and
                            (ii) the industry supply chain represented 
                        in the manifest or other accompanying 
                        documentation is accurate.
                    (C) Other related matters as determined to be 
                appropriate by the Commissioner.
            (2) Approval of commissioner.--The instruction and related 
        instructional materials at each educational seminar shall be 
        subject to the approval of the Commissioner.
    (c) Costs and Expenses.--The Commissioner shall pay the costs to 
establish and carry out each educational seminar and shall pay expenses 
for U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel, U.S. Immigration and 
Customs Enforcement personnel, and interested parties to provide 
instruction in or receive training at the seminar.
    (d) Selection Process.--
            (1) In general.--The Commissioner shall establish a process 
        to solicit, evaluate, and select interested parties for 
        purposes of assisting in providing instruction in the 
        educational seminars under this section.
            (2) Criteria.--The Commissioner shall, in consultation with 
        the United States International Trade Commission, evaluate and 
        select interested parties under the process established under 
        paragraph (1) based on--
                    (A) availability and usefulness;
                    (B) the volume, value, and incidence of mislabeling 
                of an imported article that relates to a comparable 
                domestic product of the interested party; and
                    (C) other appropriate criteria established by the 
                Commissioner.
            (3) Public availability.--The Commissioner shall publish in 
        the Federal Register a detailed description of the process 
        established under paragraph (1) and the criteria established 
        under paragraph (2).

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Commissioner.--The term ``Commissioner'' means the 
        Commissioner responsible for U.S. Customs and Border 
        Protection.
            (2) Comparable domestic product.--The term ``comparable 
        domestic product'' means a product which is comparable in 
        characteristics and uses with an article imported into the 
        United States and which is covered by an educational seminar 
        under this Act.
            (3) Customs laws of the united states.--The term ``customs 
        laws of the United States'' means any law or regulation 
        enforced or administered by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
            (4) Interested party.--The term ``interested party'' 
        means--
                    (A) a manufacturer, producer, or wholesaler in the 
                United States of a comparable domestic product;
                    (B) a certified union or recognized union or group 
                of workers which is representative of an industry 
                engaged in the manufacture, production, or wholesale in 
                the United States of a comparable domestic product;
                    (C) a trade or business association a majority of 
                whose members manufacture, produce, or wholesale a 
                comparable domestic product in the United States; or
                    (D) an association, a majority of whose members is 
                composed of interested parties described in 
                subparagraph (A), (B), or (C) with respect to a 
                comparable domestic product.
            (5) United states.--The term ``United States'' means the 
        customs territory of the United States, as defined in General 
        Note 2 to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States.
            (6) U.S. customs and border protection personnel.--The term 
        ``U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel'' means Import 
        Specialists and other appropriate employees of U.S. Customs and 
        Border Protection.

SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act 
$3,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2016 through 2020.
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