,,ib  ,union ,calendar ,no4 #h  #aafth  
,,congress  #ast ,session  ,h4 ,r4 #aeih
  ,report ,no4 #aaf-bb  ,,in ,,the      
,,house ,,of ,,representatives  ,march  
#g1 #bjai ,ms4 ,torres ,small of ,new   
,mexico 7for herself and ,mr4 ,hurd of  
,texas7 introduced the following bill2  
which was referred to the ,committee on 
,homeland ,security  ,march #bh1 #bjai  
,additional sponsor3 ,mr4 ,crenshaw     
,march #bh1 #bjai ,reported with an     
amendment1 committed to the ,committee  
of the ,whole ,house on the ,state of   
the ,union1 and ordered to be printed   
,strike out all after the enacting      
clause and insert the part printed in   
italic ,for text of introduced bill1 see
 copy of bill as introduced on ,march   
#g1 #bjai  ,a ,,bill  ,to require the   
,secretary of ,homeland ,security to    
issue a strategy to improve hiring and  
retention of ,u4,s4 ,customs and ,border
 ,protection personnel in rural or      
remote areas1 and for other purposes4   
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited

 as the ,u4,s4 ,customs and ,border     
,protection ,rural and ,remote ,hiring  
and ,retention ,strategy ,act of #bjai4 
#b4 ,strategy  7a7 ,in general ,not     
later than one year after the date of   
the enactment of this ,act1 the         
,secretary of ,homeland ,security1      
acting through the ,chief ,human        
,capital ,officer of the ,department of 
,homeland ,security and the             
,commissioner of ,u4,s4 ,customs and    
,border ,protection1 shall issue a      
strategy and implementation plan1       
including benchmarks1 to improve the    
hiring and retention of individuals by  
the ,commissioner in rural or remote    
areas relating to employment in such    
areas4  7b7 ,considerations ,the        
strategy required under subsection 7a7  
shall take into consideration the       
following3 7#a7 ,feedback from          
individuals who are ,u4,s4 ,customs and 
,border ,protection candidates or new   
hires at locations in rural or remote   
areas1 including feedback on the quality

 of life in such areas for new hires and
 their families4  7#b7 ,feedback from   
,u4,s4 ,customs and ,border ,protection 
personnel1 other than new hires1 who are
 stationed at locations in rural or     
remote areas1 including feedback on the 
quality of life in such areas for such  
personnel and their families4  7#c7     
,feedback from ,u4,s4 ,customs and      
,border ,protection personnel who have  
decided to separate from the agency4    
7#d7 ,an assessment of existing ,federal
 programs1 including financial          
incentives and other compensation-based 
flexibilities1 regarding how to most    
effectively aid spouses and families of 
individuals who are candidates or new   
hires in a rural or remote area4  7#e7  
,an assessment of ,department of        
,homeland ,security internship programs 
and the usefulness of such programs in  
improving hiring by the ,secretary of   
,homeland ,security in rural or remote  
areas4  7c7 ,plan ,the implementation   
plan required under subsection 7a7      

shall-- 7#a7 include a pilot or other   
program1 as appropriate1 to address     
hiring and retention challenges faced by
 ,u4,s4 ,customs and ,border ,protection
 in rural or remote areas2 and  7#b7    
enhance strategic recruiting efforts of 
,u4,s4 ,customs and ,border ,protection 
through relationships with institutions 
of higher education 7as such term is    
defined in section #ajb of the ,higher  
,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 
#ajjb771 veterans transition and        
employment centers1 and job placement   
programs in regions that could assist in
 filling positions in rural or remote   
areas4  7d7 ,report to ,congress and    
,,gao ,beginning on the date that is one
 year after the date of issuance of the 
strategy and implementation plan        
required under subsection 7a7 and for   
four years thereafter1 the ,secretary of
 ,homeland ,security shall report to the
 ,committee on ,homeland ,security of   
the ,house of ,representatives1 the     
,committee on ,homeland ,security and   

,governmental ,affairs of the ,senate1  
and the ,comptroller ,general of the    
,united ,states on the extent to which  
such strategy and implementation plan   
has improved the hiring and retention by
 ,u4,s4 ,customs and ,border ,protection
 of employees in rural or remote areas4 
7e7 ,,gao assessment ,not later than    
#abj days after receiving each report   
required under subsection 7d71 the      
,comptroller ,general of the ,united    
,states shall submit to the committees  
referred to in such subsection an       
assessment of the effectiveness of      
,u4,s4 ,customs and ,border ,protection 
actions described in each such report1  
including recommendations for           
improvements as the ,comptroller        
,general determines appropriate4  7f7   
,rural or remote areas defined ,for     
purposes of this section1 the term rural
 or remote areas means areas within the 
,united ,states that are not within an  
area defined and designated as urbanized
 areas by the ,bureau of the ,census in 

the most recently completed decennial   
census and include areas along the      
northern and southern borders4  ,march  
#bh1 #bjai ,reported with an amendment1 
committed to the ,committee of the      
,whole ,house on the ,state of the      
,union1 and ordered to be printed