[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