CBP Canine Home Kenneling Pilot Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4057 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4057

  To establish a pilot program on home kenneling of canines for U.S. 
  Customs and Border Protections Office of Field Operations, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 20, 2025

 Mr. Correa (for himself, Mr. Tony Gonzales of Texas, Mrs. McIver, and 
Mr. Luttrell) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Homeland Security

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To establish a pilot program on home kenneling of canines for U.S. 
  Customs and Border Protections Office of Field Operations, 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 ``CBP Canine Home Kenneling Pilot 
Act''.

SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM ON CANINE HOME KENNELING PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Executive Assistant Commissioner of U.S. 
Customs and Border Protection's (CBP) Office of Field Operations (OFO) 
shall establish a canine home kenneling pilot program (in this section 
referred to as the ``pilot program'') to assess whether canine home 
kenneling would benefit the OFO, including both canine handlers and 
canines.
    (b) Guidance.--
            (1) In general.--Prior to establishing the pilot program, 
        the Executive Assistant Commissioner shall distribute written 
        guidance for Field Offices of OFO to use while implementing the 
        pilot program.
            (2) Consultation.--In developing the guidance referred to 
        in paragraph (1), the Executive Assistant Commissioner shall 
        consult with the following entities:
                    (A) Components of the Department of Homeland 
                Security that utilize home kenneling.
                    (B) The Office of Health Security of the Department 
                of Homeland Security.
                    (C) Representatives of the National Treasury 
                Employees Union.
    (c) Training.--Prior to establishing the pilot program, the 
Executive Assistant Commissioner shall carry out the following:
            (1) Establish training for canine handlers participating in 
        the pilot program to take full responsibility of a canine's 
        daily care, including feeding, exercise, and medical needs.
            (2) Disseminate best practices for the integration of a 
        working canine into the canine handler's residence.
    (d) Requirements.--In carrying out the pilot program, the Executive 
Assistant Commissioner shall carry out the following:
            (1) Ensure that not fewer than ten ports of entry 
        participate in the pilot program.
            (2) Ensure that canines assigned to seaports, airports, and 
        land ports of entry in both urban and rural locations 
        participate in the pilot program.
            (3) Provide for the participation of canine handlers on a 
        voluntary basis.
            (4) Continue the pilot program for a period of not less 
        than two years.
            (5) Terminate the pilot program not more than three years 
        after the establishment of the pilot program.
    (e) Briefing and Report to Congress.--
            (1) Briefing.--Not later than one year after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, the Executive Assistant Commissioner 
        shall provide to the appropriate congressional committees a 
        briefing describing the guidance, training, and requirements 
        for the pilot program.
            (2) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the termination 
        of the pilot program, the Executive Assistant Commissioner 
        shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a 
        report that includes the following:
                    (A) Information relating to the number and location 
                of participating canine teams.
                    (B) Findings of the pilot program, including a 
                cost-benefit, job performance, health, and wellbeing 
                analysis comparing use of home kenneling with 
                centralized kenneling practices.
                    (C) Recommendations regarding the continued use of 
                home kenneling for CBP Office of Field Operations.
    (f) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term 
        ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
                    (A) the Committee on Homeland Security in the House 
                of Representatives; and
                    (B) the Committee on Homeland Security and 
                Governmental Affairs in the Senate.
            (2) Home kenneling.--The term ``home kenneling'' means the 
        practice whereby canines used for Federal law enforcement 
        purposes are housed and cared for at the residences of their 
        assigned handlers instead of a centralized facility owned or 
        contracted by a Federal agency.
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