[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 115 (Thursday, July 11, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Page S4809]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 2489. Mr. TESTER submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by 
him to the bill S. 4638, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 
2025 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military 
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, 
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for 
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the end of subtitle B of title X, add the following:

     SEC. 1014. VETERANS BORDER PATROL SKILLBRIDGE PILOT PROGRAM.

       (a) Short Title.--This section may be cited as the 
     ``Veterans Border Patrol Training Act''.
       (b) Border Patrol Skillbridge Pilot Program.--
       (1) Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after the date 
     of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland 
     Security, in collaboration with the Secretary of Defense and 
     the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, shall establish an 
     interdepartmental pilot program through which the Department 
     of Homeland Security shall use the Department of Defense 
     SkillBridge Program to train and hire transitioning 
     servicemembers as Border Patrol agents for U.S. Customs and 
     Border Protection.
       (2) Employment skills training.--In carrying out the pilot 
     program established pursuant to paragraph (1), the Secretary 
     of Homeland Security, in collaboration with the Secretary of 
     Defense, shall use the authorities available under section 
     1143 of title 10, United States Code, to train and facilitate 
     the transition of members of the armed forces to service as 
     Border Patrol agents.
       (c) Annual Reports.--Not later than 1 year after the pilot 
     program is established pursuant to section (b)(1), and 
     annually thereafter until the date referred to in subsection 
     (d), the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with 
     the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans 
     Affairs, shall submit a report to the Committee on Homeland 
     Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate, the 
     Committee on Armed Services of the Senate, the Committee on 
     Veterans' Affairs of the Senate, the Committee on Homeland 
     Security of the House of Representatives, the Committee on 
     Armed Services of the House of Representatives, and the 
     Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of 
     Representatives that includes, with respect to the reporting 
     period--
       (1) the number of participants in the pilot program;
       (2) the number of eligible participants who applied to be 
     part of the pilot program; and
       (3) the number of pilot program participants who are--
       (A) members the Armed Forces;
       (B) reserve members of the Armed Forces;
       (C) commissioned officers or non-commissioned officers;
       (D) enlisted members of the Armed Forces;
       (E) veterans;
       (F) spouses of such members of the Armed Forces or 
     veterans; and
       (G) dependents of such members of the Armed Forces or 
     veterans.
       (d) Sunset Date.--The pilot program established pursuant to 
     subsection (b) shall terminate on the date that is 5 years 
     after the date on which such program is established.
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