Safeguarding American Commerce and Agriculture Act of 2013 - Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish the Office of Agriculture Inspection within U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), which shall be headed by an Assistant Commissioner.
Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS), acting through the CBP Commissioner, to: (1) identify career paths for customs and border protection agriculture specialists; (2) provide such specialists the opportunity to acquire the education, training, and experience necessary to qualify for promotion; (3) develop a plan to recruit and retain qualified specialists; and (4) identify, and develop a plan to address, any deficiencies in equipment and other resources that are necessary at CBP agriculture inspection stations and facilities to enable such specialists to carry out their mission.
Authorizes the DHS Secretary and the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to establish an interagency rotation program.
Directs the DHS Secretary to report to Congress regarding: (1) the implementation status of the action plans developed by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service-U.S. Customs and Border Protection Joint Task Force on Improved Agriculture Inspection, and (2) any additional legal authority the Secretary determines is necessary to carry out the agriculture inspection mission of DHS.
[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1536 Introduced in House (IH)]
113th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1536
To establish the Office of Agriculture Inspection within the Department
of Homeland Security, which shall be headed by the Assistant
Commissioner for Agriculture Inspection, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 12, 2013
Ms. Hahn introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Homeland Security, and in addition to the Committee on
Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker,
in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the
jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish the Office of Agriculture Inspection within the Department
of Homeland Security, which shall be headed by the Assistant
Commissioner for Agriculture Inspection, 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 ``Safeguarding American Commerce and
Agriculture Act of 2013''.
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE OFFICE OF AGRICULTURAL INSPECTION.
Title IV of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 201 et
seq.) is amended by inserting after section 421 the following:
``SEC. 421A. OFFICE OF AGRICULTURAL INSPECTION.
``(a) Establishment.--There is established within U.S. Customs and
Border Protection an Office of Agriculture Inspection, which shall be
headed by an Assistant Commissioner.
``(b) Agriculture Specialist Career Track.--The Secretary--
``(1) shall identify appropriate career paths for customs
and border protection agriculture specialists, including the
education, training, experience, and assignments necessary for
career progression within U.S. Customs and Border Protection;
``(2) shall publish information on the career paths
identified under paragraph (1); and
``(3) may establish criteria by which appropriately
qualified customs and border protection technicians may be
promoted to customs and border protection agriculture
specialists.
``(c) Education, Training, and Experience.--The Secretary shall
provide customs and border protection agriculture specialists the
opportunity to acquire the education, training, and experience
necessary to qualify for promotion within U.S. Customs and Border
Protection.
``(d) Agriculture Specialist Recruitment and Retention.--Not later
than 270 days after the date of the enactment of this section, the
Secretary shall develop a plan to more effectively recruit and retain
qualified customs and border protection agriculture specialists. The
plan shall include--
``(1) numerical goals for recruitment and retention; and
``(2) the use of recruitment incentives, as appropriate and
permissible under existing laws and regulations.
``(e) Equipment Support.--Not later than 270 days after the date of
the enactment of this section, the Secretary shall--
``(1) determine the minimum equipment and other resources
that are necessary at U.S. Customs and Border Protection
agriculture inspection stations and facilities to enable
customs and border protection agriculture specialists to fully
and effectively carry out their mission;
``(2) complete an inventory of the equipment and other
resources available at each U.S. Customs and Border Protection
agriculture inspection station and facility;
``(3) identify the necessary equipment and other resources
that are not currently available at agriculture inspection
stations and facilities; and
``(4) develop a plan to address any resource deficiencies
identified under paragraph (3).
``(f) Interagency Rotation Program.--The Secretary of Homeland
Security and the Secretary of Agriculture are authorized to enter into
an agreement that--
``(1) establishes an interagency rotation program; and
``(2) provides for personnel of the Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service of the Department of Agriculture to take
rotational assignments within U.S. Customs and Border
Protection and vice versa for the purposes of strengthening
working relationships between agencies and promoting
interagency experience.
``(g) Report.--Not later than 270 days after the date of the
enactment of this section, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall
submit a report to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental
Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Homeland Security of the
House of Representatives that describes--
``(1) the status of the implementation of the action plans
developed by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service-
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Joint Task Force on Improved
Agriculture Inspection;
``(2) the findings of the Secretary under paragraphs (1),
(2), and (3) of subsection (e);
``(3) the plan described in paragraph (e)(4);
``(4) the implementation of the remaining requirements
under such subsection (e); and
``(5) any additional legal authority that the Secretary
determines to be necessary to effectively carry out the
agriculture inspection mission of the Department of Homeland
Security.
``(h) Administration.--The Secretary shall carry out this section
acting through the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection
in consultation with the Assistant Commissioner for Agricultural
Inspection.''.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E437)
Referred to the Committee on Homeland Security, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Homeland Security, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security.
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