[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2806 Introduced in House (IH)]

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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 referred 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 
                               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 2023''.

SEC. 2. U.S. CUSTOMERS AND BORDER PROTECTION 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 U.S. Customs and 
Border Protection in rural or remote areas relating to employment in 
such areas.
    (b) Strategy Considerations.--The strategy required under 
subsection (a) shall take into consideration the following:
            (1) Feedback, as available, 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, as available, 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, as available, from U.S. Customs and Border 
        Protection personnel who have decided to separate from U.S. 
        Customs and Border Protection.
            (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 U.S. Customs and Border 
        Protection 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) Implementation Plan Considerations.--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, veterans transition and employment 
        centers, and job placement programs in regions that could 
        assist in filling positions in rural or remote areas.
    (d) Reports.--
            (1) Report to congress and gao.--Beginning on the date that 
        is one year after the date of the issuance of the strategy and 
        implementation plan required under subsection (a) and every 
        three 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 have affected the hiring and retention by 
        U.S. Customs and Border Protection of employees in rural or 
        remote areas.
            (2) Briefing to congress.--Not later than 180 days after 
        the date of the enactment of this Act and every 90 days 
        thereafter until the strategy and implementation plan under 
        subsection (a) are issued, the Secretary of Homeland Security 
        shall brief 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 progress of so issuing such 
        strategy and implementation plan.
            (3) GAO assessment.--Not later than 120 days after 
        receiving each briefing required under paragraph (2), the 
        Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the 
        committees specified in such subsection an assessment of the 
        effectiveness of U.S. Customs and Border Protection actions 
        described in each such briefing, including recommendations for 
        improvements as the Comptroller General determines appropriate.
    (e) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Institution of higher education.--The term 
        ``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given such 
        term in section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 1002).
            (2) New hire.--The term ``new hire'' means an individual 
        appointed to a position within U.S. Customs and Border 
        Protection and who, during the one year period preceding such 
        date of appointment, occupied a position in U.C. Customs and 
        Border Protection for fewer than 365 days.
            (3) Rural or remote areas.--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 includes areas along the northern and southern 
        borders.
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