Bill > HR4057

This bill establishes a pilot program for home kenneling of canine teams within U.S. Customs and Border Protection's (CBP) Office of Field Operations (OFO), which will allow canine handlers to care for their working dogs at home instead of in centralized kenneling facilities. The program requires the Executive Assistant Commissioner to develop comprehensive guidance after consulting with various Department of Homeland Security components, create specific training for handlers on complete canine care, and ensure the pilot operates for at least two years but no more than three years. The pilot must involve at least ten ports of entry across different geographic settings (seaports, airports, and land borders in urban and rural locations), with handler participation being entirely voluntary. CBP must provide a briefing to congressional committees within one year of enactment and submit a detailed report 180 days after the program's conclusion, which will include an analysis of the program's cost-effectiveness, impact on job performance, and the overall health and wellbeing of canines compared to traditional centralized kenneling. The bill defines "home kenneling" as housing and caring for federal law enforcement canines at their handler's personal residence, with the goal of assessing potential benefits for both the dogs and their handlers.

Military Affairs and Security

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/4057/all-info