Border Workforce Efficiency Act

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5468 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 5468

 To provide for U.S. Border Patrol Processing Coordinators to enhance 
                border security, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           December 17, 2019

 Ms. Torres Small of New Mexico (for herself, Mr. Cuellar, Mr. McCaul, 
Mr. Hurd of Texas, Mr. Peters, and Mr. Cloud) introduced the following 
     bill; which was referred to the Committee on Homeland Security

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To provide for U.S. Border Patrol Processing Coordinators to enhance 
                border security, 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 ``Border Workforce Efficiency Act''.

SEC. 2. U.S. BORDER PATROL PROCESSING COORDINATOR POSITIONS.

    (a) Processing Coordinators.--The Commissioner of U.S. Customs and 
Border Protection is authorized to hire and train U.S. Border Patrol 
Processing Coordinators to operate within the U.S. Border Patrol to--
            (1) perform administrative tasks related to the intake and 
        processing of individuals apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol 
        agents, where necessary;
            (2) transport individuals in U.S. Border Patrol custody, 
        where necessary; and
            (3) perform custodial watch duties of individuals in such 
        custody, including individuals who have been admitted to a 
        hospital.
    (b) Clarified Authorities.--A U.S. Border Patrol Processing 
Coordinator hired under subsection (a) may not arrest or otherwise 
detain any person as described in section 235, 236, or 287(a), of the 
Immigration and Nationality Act and such a Coordinator may not conduct 
any interview under section 235(b)(1)(B) of the Immigration and 
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1225(b)(1)(B)).
    (c) Training.--The Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border 
Protection, in coordination with the Chief of the U.S. Border Patrol 
and in consultation with the Director of the Federal Law Enforcement 
Training Centers, shall develop tailored training for U.S. Border 
Patrol Processing Coordinators.
    (d) Associated Support Staff.--The Commissioner of U.S. Customs and 
Border Protection is authorized to hire appropriate professional 
support staff to facilitate the hiring, training, and other support 
functions required by U.S. Border Patrol Processing Coordinators.
    (e) Biannual Reports.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
the enactment of this Act and biannually thereafter for the following 
two years, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall submit to the 
Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate a 
report regarding each U.S. Border Patrol sector that includes 
information relating to the following:
            (1) The number of U.S. Border Patrol Processing 
        Coordinators assigned to each such sector.
            (2) The degree to which the responsibilities described in 
        subsection (a) have been transferred from U.S. Border Patrol 
        agents to U.S. Border Patrol Processing Coordinators.
            (3) The percentage of U.S. Border Patrol agents who 
        returned to field operations as a result of U.S. Border Patrol 
        Processing Coordinators undertaking the responsibilities 
        described in subsection (a).
    (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated $19,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2020 through 2023 to 
carry out this Act.
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