[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 24 (Friday, February 9, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S709-S710]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 1509. Mr. TUBERVILLE submitted an amendment intended to be
proposed to amendment SA 1388 submitted by Mrs. Murray (for herself and
Mr. Schumer) and intended to be proposed to the bill H.R. 815, to amend
title 38, United States Code, to make certain improvements relating to
the eligibility of veterans to receive reimbursement for emergency
treatment furnished through the Veterans Community Care program, and
for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
At the appropriate place, insert the following:
SEC. __. ANTI-BORDER CORRUPTION ACT REAUTHORIZATION.
(a) Hiring Flexibility.--Section 3 of the Anti-Border
Corruption Act of 2010 (6 U.S.C. 221; Public Law 111-376) is
amended by striking subsection (b) and inserting the
following new subsections:
``(b) Waiver Requirement.--Subject to subsection (c), the
Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection shall
waive the application of subsection (a)(1)--
``(1) to a current, full-time law enforcement officer
employed by a State or local law enforcement agency who--
``(A) has continuously served as a law enforcement officer
for not fewer than three years;
``(B) is authorized by law to engage in or supervise the
prevention, detection, investigation, or prosecution of, or
the incarceration of any person for, any violation of law,
and has statutory powers for arrest or apprehension; and
``(C) is not currently under investigation, has not been
found to have engaged in criminal activity or serious
misconduct, has not resigned from a law enforcement officer
position under investigation or in lieu of termination, and
has not been dismissed from a law enforcement officer
position;
``(2) to a current, full-time Federal law enforcement
officer who--
``(A) has continuously served as a law enforcement officer
for not fewer than three years;
``(B) is authorized to make arrests, conduct
investigations, conduct searches, make seizures, carry
firearms, and serve orders, warrants, and other processes;
``(C) is not currently under investigation, has not been
found to have engaged in criminal activity or serious
misconduct, has not resigned from a law enforcement officer
position under investigation or in lieu of termination, and
has not been dismissed from a law enforcement officer
position; and
``(D) holds a current Tier 4 background investigation or
current Tier 5 background investigation; or
``(3) to a member of the Armed Forces (or a reserve
component thereof) or a veteran, if such individual--
``(A) has served in the Armed Forces for not fewer than
three years;
``(B) holds, or has held within the past five years, a
Secret, Top Secret, or Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented
Information clearance;
``(C) holds, or has undergone within the past five years, a
current Tier 4 background investigation or current Tier 5
background investigation;
``(D) received, or is eligible to receive, an honorable
discharge from service in the Armed Forces and has not
engaged in criminal activity or committed a serious military
or civil offense under the Uniform Code of Military Justice;
and
[[Page S710]]
``(E) was not granted any waivers to obtain the clearance
referred to in subparagraph (B).
``(c) Termination of Waiver Requirement; Snap-Back.--The
requirement to issue a waiver under subsection (b) shall
terminate if the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border
Protection (CBP) certifies to the Committee on Homeland
Security of the House of Representatives and the Committee on
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate that
CBP has met all requirements pursuant to section 107 of the
Secure the Border Act of 2023 relating to personnel levels.
If at any time after such certification personnel levels fall
below such requirements, the Commissioner shall waive the
application of subsection (a)(1) until such time as the
Commissioner re-certifies to such Committees that CBP has so
met all such requirements.''.
(b) Supplemental Commissioner Authority; Reporting;
Definitions.--The Anti-Border Corruption Act of 2010 is
amended by adding at the end the following new sections:
``SEC. 5. SUPPLEMENTAL COMMISSIONER AUTHORITY.
``(a) Nonexemption.--An individual who receives a waiver
under section 3(b) is not exempt from any other hiring
requirements relating to suitability for employment and
eligibility to hold a national security designated position,
as determined by the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border
Protection.
``(b) Background Investigations.--An individual who
receives a waiver under section 3(b) who holds a current Tier
4 background investigation shall be subject to a Tier 5
background investigation.
``(c) Administration of Polygraph Examination.--The
Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection is
authorized to administer a polygraph examination to an
applicant or employee who is eligible for or receives a
waiver under section 3(b) if information is discovered before
the completion of a background investigation that results in
a determination that a polygraph examination is necessary to
make a final determination regarding suitability for
employment or continued employment, as the case may be.
``SEC. 6. REPORTING.
``(a) Annual Report.--Not later than one year after the
date of the enactment of this section and annually thereafter
while the waiver authority under section 3(b) is in effect,
the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection shall
submit to Congress a report that includes, with respect to
each such reporting period, the following:
``(1) Information relating to the number of waivers granted
under such section 3(b).
``(2) Information relating to the percentage of applicants
who were hired after receiving such a waiver.
``(3) Information relating to the number of instances that
a polygraph was administered to an applicant who initially
received such a waiver and the results of such polygraph.
``(4) An assessment of the current impact of such waiver
authority on filling law enforcement positions at U.S.
Customs and Border Protection.
``(5) An identification of additional authorities needed by
U.S. Customs and Border Protection to better utilize such
waiver authority for its intended goals.
``(b) Additional Information.--The first report submitted
under subsection (a) shall include the following:
``(1) An analysis of other methods of employment
suitability tests that detect deception and could be used in
conjunction with traditional background investigations to
evaluate potential applicants or employees for suitability
for employment or continued employment, as the case may be.
``(2) A recommendation regarding whether a test referred to
in paragraph (1) should be adopted by U.S. Customs and Border
Protection when the polygraph examination requirement is
waived pursuant to section 3(b).
``SEC. 7. DEFINITIONS.
``In this Act:
``(1) Federal law enforcement officer.--The term `Federal
law enforcement officer' means a `law enforcement officer',
as such term is defined in section 8331(20) or 8401(17) of
title 5, United States Code.
``(2) Serious military or civil offense.--The term `serious
military or civil offense' means an offense for which--
``(A) a member of the Armed Forces may be discharged or
separated from service in the Armed Forces; and
``(B) a punitive discharge is, or would be, authorized for
the same or a closely related offense under the Manual for
Court-Martial, as pursuant to Army Regulation 635-200,
chapter 14-12.
``(3) Tier 4; tier 5.--The terms `Tier 4' and `Tier 5',
with respect to background investigations, have the meaning
given such terms under the 2012 Federal Investigative
Standards.
``(4) Veteran.--The term `veteran' has the meaning given
such term in section 101(2) of title 38, United States
Code.''.
(c) Polygraph Examiners.--Not later than September 30,
2025, the Secretary shall increase to not fewer than 150 the
number of trained full-time equivalent polygraph examiners
for administering polygraphs under the Anti-Border Corruption
Act of 2010, as amended by this section.
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