[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1603 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1603

To actively recruit members of the Armed Forces who are separating from 
  military service to serve as Customs and Border Protection Officers.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 17, 2015

   Mr. Flake (for himself, Mr. Johnson, Mr. McCain, and Mr. Schumer) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
        Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To actively recruit members of the Armed Forces who are separating from 
  military service to serve as Customs and Border Protection Officers.

    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 ``Border Jobs for Veterans Act of 
2015''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Customs and Border Protection Officers at United States 
        ports of entry carry out critical law enforcement duties 
        associated with screening foreign visitors, returning United 
        States citizens, and imported cargo entering the United States.
            (2) It is in the national interest for United States ports 
        of entry to be adequately staffed with Customs and Border 
        Protection Officers in a timely fashion, including meeting the 
        congressionally funded staffing target of 23,775 officers for 
        fiscal year 2015.
            (3) An estimated 250,000 to 300,000 members of the Armed 
        Forces separate from military service every year.
            (4) Recruiting efforts and expedited hiring procedures 
        should be undertaken to ensure that individuals separating from 
        military service are aware of, and partake in, opportunities to 
        fill vacant Customs and Border Protection Officer positions.

SEC. 3. EXPEDITED HIRING OF APPROPRIATE SEPARATING SERVICEMEMBERS.

    (a) Identification of Transferable Qualifications.--Not later than 
60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
Homeland Security, in conjunction with the Secretary of Defense, shall 
jointly identify Military Occupational Specialty Codes, Air Force 
Specialty Codes, Naval Enlisted Classifications and Officer 
Designators, and Coast Guard Competencies that are transferable to the 
requirements, qualifications, and duties assigned to Customs and Border 
Protection Officers.
    (b) Hiring.--The Secretary of Homeland Security shall consider 
hiring qualified candidates with the Military Occupational Specialty 
Codes, Air Force Specialty Codes, Naval Enlisted Classifications and 
Officer Designators, and Coast Guard Competencies identified as 
transferable under subsection (a) who are eligible for veterans 
recruitment appointment authorized under section 4214 of title 38, 
United States Code.

SEC. 4. ESTABLISHING A PROGRAM FOR RECRUITING SERVICEMEMBERS SEPARATING 
              FROM MILITARY SERVICE FOR CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION 
              OFFICER VACANCIES.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security, in 
conjunction with the Secretary of Defense, shall establish a program to 
actively recruit members of the Armed Forces who are separating from 
military service to serve as Customs and Border Protection Officers.
    (b) Elements.--The program established under subsection (a) shall--
            (1) include Customs and Border Protection Officer 
        opportunities in relevant job assistance efforts under the 
        Transition Assistance Program;
            (2) place U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials or 
        other relevant Department of Homeland Security officials at 
        recruiting events and jobs fairs involving members of the Armed 
        Forces who are separating from military service;
            (3) provide opportunities for local U.S. Customs and Border 
        Protection field offices to partner with military bases in the 
        region;
            (4) conduct outreach efforts to educate members of the 
        Armed Forces with Military Occupational Specialty Codes, Air 
        Force Specialty Codes, and Naval Enlisted Classifications and 
        Officer Designators that are transferable to the requirements, 
        qualifications, and duties assigned to Customs and Border 
        Protection Officers;
            (5) require the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of 
        Homeland Security to work cooperatively to identify shared 
        activities and opportunities for reciprocity related to steps 
        in hiring U.S. Customs and Border Patrol officers with the goal 
        of minimizing the time required to hire qualified applicants;
            (6) require the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of 
        Homeland Security to work cooperatively to ensure the 
        streamlined interagency transfer of relevant background 
        investigations and security clearances; and
            (7) include such other elements as may be necessary to 
        ensure that members of the Armed Forces who are separating from 
        military service are aware of opportunities to fill vacant 
        Customs and Border Protection Officer positions.

SEC. 5. REPORT TO CONGRESS.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, and by December 31 of each year thereafter, the 
Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary of Defense shall 
jointly submit a report to the appropriate congressional committees 
that includes a description and assessment of the program established 
under section 4.
    (b) Content.--The report required under subsection (a) shall 
include--
            (1) a detailed description of the program established under 
        section 4, including--
                    (A) programmatic elements;
                    (B) goals associated with those elements; and
                    (C) a description of how the elements and goals 
                will assist in meeting statutorily mandated staffing 
                levels and agency hiring benchmarks;
            (2) a detailed description of the program elements that 
        have been implemented under section 4;
            (3) a detailed summary of the actions taken under section 4 
        to implement such program elements;
            (4) the number of separating servicemembers made aware of 
        Customs and Border Protection Officer vacancies;
            (5) the Military Occupational Specialty Codes, Air Force 
        Specialty Codes, Naval Enlisted Classifications and Officer 
        Designators, and Coast Guard Competencies identified as 
        transferable under section 3(a) and a rationale for such 
        identifications;
            (6) the number of Customs and Border Protection Officer 
        vacancies filled with separating servicemembers;
            (7) the number of Customs and Border Protection Officer 
        vacancies filled with separating servicemembers under veterans 
        recruitment appointment authorized under section 4214 of title 
        38, United States Code; and
            (8) the results of any evaluations or considerations of 
        additional elements included or not included in the program 
        established under section 4.

SEC. 6. RULES OF CONSTRUCTION.

    Nothing in this Act may be construed--
     (a) as superseding, altering, or amending existing Federal 
veterans' hiring preferences or Federal hiring authorities; or
    (b) as authorizing the appropriation of additional amounts to carry 
out this Act.
                                 <all>