S.Amdt. 1893

SA 1893. Mr. FLAKE (for himself, Mr. Johnson, Mr. McCain, and Mr.
Schumer) submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA
1463 proposed by Mr. McCain to the bill H.R. 1735, to authorize
appropriations for fiscal year 2016 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 appropriate place, insert the following:

SEC. ___. RECRUITING SEPARATING SERVICE MEMBERS AS CUSTOMS
AND BORDER PATROL OFFICERS.

(a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
(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 mandated staffing level 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; and
(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.
(b) Expedited Hiring of Appropriate Separating Service
Members.--
(1) 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 Safety Codes, Air Force Specialty Codes, and
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.
(2) Hiring.--The Secretary of Homeland Security shall
consider hiring qualified candidates with the Military
Occupational Safety Codes, Air Force Specialty Codes, and
Naval Enlisted Classifications and Officer Designators
identified as transferable under paragraph (1) who are
eligible for veterans recruitment appointment authorized
under section 4214 of title 38, United States Code.
(c) Establishing a Program for Recruiting Service Members
Separating From Military Service for Customs and Border
Protection Officer Vacancies.--
(1) 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.
(2) Elements.--The program established under paragraph (1)
shall--
(A) include Customs and Border Protection Officer
opportunities in relevant job assistance efforts under the
Transition Assistance Program;
(B) place Customs and Border Protection Officers at
recruiting events and jobs fairs involving members of the
Armed Forces who are separating from military service;
(C) provide opportunities for local U.S. Customs and Border
Protection field offices to partner with military bases in
the region;
(D) conduct outreach efforts to educate members of the
Armed Forces with Military Occupational Safety 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;
(E) 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;
(F) 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
(G) 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.
(d) Report to Congress.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 90 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, and 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
subsection (c).
(2) Content.--The report required under paragraph (1) shall
include--
(A) a detailed description of the program established under
subsection (c), including--
(i) programmatic elements;
(ii) goals associated with those elements; and
(iii) a description of how the elements and goals will
assist in meeting statutorily mandated staffing levels and
agency hiring benchmarks;
(B) a detailed description of the program elements that
have been implemented under subsection (c);
(C) a detailed summary of the actions taken under
subsection (c) to implement such program elements;
(D) the number of separating service members made aware of
Customs and Border Protection Officer vacancies;
(E) the Military Occupational Safety Codes, Air Force
Specialty Codes, and Naval Enlisted Classifications and
Officer Designators identified as transferable under
subsection (b)(1) and a rationale for such identifications;
(F) the number of Customs and Border Protection Officer
vacancies filled with separating service members;
(G) the number of Customs and Border Protection Officer
vacancies filled with separating service members under
Veterans' Recruitment Appointment authorized under the
Veterans Employment Opportunity Act of 1998 (Public Law 105-
339); and
(H) the results of any evaluations or considerations of
additional elements included or not included in the program
established under subsection (c).
(e) Rules of Construction.--Nothing in this section may be
construed--
(1) as superseding, altering, or amending existing Federal
veterans' hiring preferences or Federal hiring authorities;
or
(2) to authorize the appropriation of additional amounts to
carry out this section.
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