Bill > S458

This bill, titled the Emergency Port of Entry Personnel and Infrastructure Funding Act of 2015, aims to address critical needs at U.S. ports of entry by authorizing significant funding and implementing new strategies. It mandates the hiring of 5,000 additional U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers and 350 support staff by September 30, 2020, to enhance operations at land ports of entry along the Northern and Southern borders, with the Administrator of the General Services Administration (GSA) and the Commissioner of CBP playing key roles in infrastructure improvements and the Secretary of Homeland Security overseeing personnel and reporting requirements. The bill also establishes a grant program for identification and detection equipment and communication devices for law enforcement on the Southern border, and allows for the construction and modification of port facilities, including living quarters and technology, with a prioritization for projects that reduce wait times, increase trade efficiency, and enhance security. Furthermore, it requires the development of a strategic plan for standardized wait time data collection, a model for staff allocation, and new outcome-based performance measures that focus on trade facilitation and stakeholder benefits, rather than solely on agency efficiency. To fund these initiatives, $1 billion is authorized for fiscal years 2015 through 2020, to be offset by rescinding unobligated federal funds from other discretionary accounts, excluding those of the Department of Defense, Veterans Affairs, and Homeland Security.