Safeguarding American Agriculture Act of 2012 - Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) (Secretary), through the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), to: (1) identify career paths for agriculture specialists, including identifying the education, training, experience, and assignments necessary for CBP career progression; (2) publish information on such career paths; (3) develop a plan to improve agriculture specialist recruitment and retention; and (4) determine equipment and other resource needs.
Authorizes the Secretary and the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to establish an interagency rotation program.
Directs the Secretary, through the Commissioner, to report to Congress regarding: (1) the implementation status of the action plans developed by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service-U.S. Customs and Border Protection Joint Task Force on Improved Agriculture Inspection, and (2) any additional legal authority the Secretary determines is necessary to carry out the agriculture inspection mission of DHS.
[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1673 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
112th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1673
To establish the Office of Agriculture Inspection within the Department
of Homeland Security, which shall be headed by the Assistant
Commissioner for Agriculture Inspection, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
October 6, 2011
Mr. Akaka (for himself and Mrs. Feinstein) introduced the following
bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland
Security and Governmental Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish the Office of Agriculture Inspection within the Department
of Homeland Security, which shall be headed by the Assistant
Commissioner for Agriculture Inspection, 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 ``Safeguarding American Agriculture
Act of 2011''.
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE OFFICE OF AGRICULTURE INSPECTION.
Title IV of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 201 et
seq.) is amended by inserting after section 421 the following:
``SEC. 421A. OFFICE OF AGRICULTURE INSPECTION.
``(a) Establishment.--There is established within U.S. Customs and
Border Protection an Office of Agriculture Inspection, which shall be
headed by an Assistant Commissioner.
``(b) Agriculture Specialist Career Track.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary, acting through the
Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and in
consultation with the Assistant Commissioner for Agriculture
Inspection--
``(A) shall identify appropriate career paths for
customs and border protection agriculture specialists,
including the education, training, experience, and
assignments necessary for career progression within
U.S. Customs and Border Protection;
``(B) shall publish information on the career paths
identified under paragraph (1); and
``(C) may establish criteria by which appropriately
qualified customs and border protection technicians may
be promoted to customs and border protection
agriculture specialists.
``(c) Education, Training, and Experience.--The Secretary, acting
through the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and in
consultation with the Assistant Commissioner for Agriculture
Inspection, shall provide customs and border protection agriculture
specialists the opportunity to acquire the education, training, and
experience necessary to qualify for promotion within U.S. Customs and
Border Protection.
``(d) Agriculture Specialist Recruitment and Retention.--Not later
than 270 days after the date of the enactment of the Safeguarding
American Agriculture Act of 2011, the Secretary, acting through the
Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and in consultation
with the Assistant Commissioner for Agriculture Inspection, shall
develop a plan to more effectively recruit and retain qualified customs
and border protection agriculture specialists. The plan shall include--
``(1) numerical goals for recruitment and retention; and
``(2) the use of recruitment incentives, as appropriate and
permissible under existing laws and regulations.
``(e) Equipment Support.--Not later than 270 days after the date of
the enactment of the Safeguarding American Agriculture Act of 2011, the
Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, in consultation
with the Assistant Commissioner for Agriculture Inspection, shall--
``(1) determine the minimum equipment and other resources
that are necessary at U.S. Customs and Border Protection
agriculture inspection stations and facilities to enable
customs and border protection agriculture specialists to fully
and effectively carry out their mission;
``(2) complete an inventory of the equipment and other
resources available at each U.S. Customs and Border Protection
agriculture inspection station and facility;
``(3) identify the necessary equipment and other resources
that are not currently available at agriculture inspection
stations and facilities; and
``(4) develop a plan to address any resource deficiencies
identified under paragraph (3).
``(f) Interagency Rotation Program.--The Secretary of Homeland
Security and the Secretary of Agriculture are authorized to enter into
an agreement that--
``(1) establishes an interagency rotation program; and
``(2) provides for personnel of the Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service of the Department of Agriculture to take
rotational assignments within the Office of Agriculture
Inspection and vice versa for the purposes of strengthening
working relationships between agencies and promoting
interagency experience.''.
SEC. 3. REPORT.
Not later than 270 days after the date of the enactment of this
Act, the Secretary, acting through the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and
Border Protection, and in consultation with the Assistant Commissioner
for Agriculture Inspection, shall submit a report to the Committee on
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate and that
Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives that
describes--
(1) the status of the implementation of the action plans
developed by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service-
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Joint Task Force on Improved
Agriculture Inspection;
(2) the findings of the Commissioner under paragraphs (1),
(2), and (3) of section 421a(e) of the Homeland Security Act of
2002, as added by section 2; and
(3) the plan described in paragraph (4) of such section
421a(e).
(4) the implementation of the remaining requirements under
such section 421a; and
(5) any additional legal authority that the Secretary
determines to be necessary to effectively carry out the
agriculture inspection mission of the Department of Homeland
Security.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S6340-6341)
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. (text of measure as introduced: CR S6341-6342)
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Reported by Senator Lieberman with an amendment in the nature of a substitute and an amendment to the title. With written report No. 112-240.
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Reported by Senator Lieberman with an amendment in the nature of a substitute and an amendment to the title. With written report No. 112-240.
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 553.
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