{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://stanton.house.gov/2024/2/stanton-ciscomani-introduce-legislation-to-improve-cbp-hiring-flexibilities", "Stanton, Ciscomani Introduce Legislation to Improve CBP Hiring Flexibilities", "2024-02-15", "2024", "2024-02", "Democrat", "House", "AZ", "Greg Stanton", "S001211", "stanton.house.gov", "stanton", "https://stanton.house.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C.\u2014Congressmen Greg Stanton (D-AZ-04) and Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ-06) introduced new legislation today to improve U.S. Customs and Border Protection\u2019s (CBP) flexibilities in hiring, recruiting, and retaining agents, officers, and employees, specifically in rural and remote areas.\n\nThe U.S. Customs and Border Protection Hiring and Retention (CBP HiRe) Act would direct the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary to determine if there is a hiring need due to the remote nature of rural locations, which often makes it hard to recruit CBP employees. The CBP HiRe Act also requires DHS to annually review if further hiring flexibilities are still needed. On average, it takes 400 days for CBP to hire personnel.\n\n\u201cIn conversation after conversation with Arizona border officials, one of their top concerns is manpower,\u201d Stanton said. \u201cThis bipartisan bill will ensure that there are the boots on the ground needed to secure rural and remote areas of our southern border.\u201d\n\n\u201cWith morale, recruitment, and retention at an all-time low for CBP, it\u2019s crucial that we send a message to Border Patrol that we have their backs,\u201d Ciscomani said. \u201cWhether it\u2019s hiring bonuses or improved benefits, we must prioritize maintaining and bolstering the men and women in green who defend our borders day in and day out.\u201d\n\nSpecifically, if it is determined that there is a critical hiring need in rural or remote areas, the bill allows for:\n\nDirect Hire Authority: Grants the DHS Secretary with special expedited hiring authority, allowing the agency to forgo the typically required bureaucratic process.\n\nRecruitment and relocation bonuses: If deemed necessary, provides recruitment incentives to new employees and relocation incentives to current employees to relocate to a different area. Employees receiving bonuses must enter into a written service agreement for at least two years.\n\nRetention bonuses: Allows DHS to offer a retention bonus if an employee is likely to leave CBP. Employees receiving bonuses must also enter into a written service agreement for at least two years.\n\nSpecial Pay Authority: Gives DHS the ability to use rural and remote location for consideration of a special pay rate.\n\nStudent Loan Repayment: Allows eligible employees to receive federal student loan repayment, which is currently at the discretion of the agency.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T20:21:00Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://stanton.house.gov/2024/2/stanton-ciscomani-introduce-legislation-to-improve-cbp-hiring-flexibilities"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.5904891770333052, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}