Bill Details
S.625 - 119th Congress
Status
Latest action
2025-02-18 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Introduced Date
2025-02-18
Policy Area
Armed Forces and National Security
Committees
View committees (1)
Cosponsors
View cosponsors (1)
7
0
0
AI Summary This summary was generated by AI from the bill text. AI can get information wrong.
This bill would create a 5-year pilot program to help servicemembers who are leaving the military train for and move into Border Patrol jobs. The Department of Homeland Security would work with the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs to use the military’s SkillBridge program to prepare transitioning servicemembers to become Border Patrol agents for Customs and Border Protection. The goal is to give military members a clearer path into this job as they leave active duty, while also helping Border Patrol recruit people with military experience.
- The program must be set up within 180 days after the bill becomes law.
- It would use the SkillBridge program and other military transition authorities to provide training and help servicemembers move into Border Patrol roles.
- Annual reports would be sent to Congress showing how many people joined, how many applied, and what kinds of participants took part, including active-duty members, reservists, officers, enlisted members, veterans, spouses, and dependents.
- The pilot program would end 5 years after it is created.
Official Summaries
Veterans Border Patrol Training Act
This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to collaborate with the Department of Defense (DOD) and Department of Veterans Affairs to establish a five-year interdepartmental pilot program, under which DHS must use the DOD SkillBridge Program to train and hire transitioning servicemembers as border patrol agents for U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Current Full Text
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 625 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 625
To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish a pilot
program to hire transitioning servicemembers to be Border Patrol
agents.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
February 18, 2025
Mr. Blumenthal (for himself and Mr. Lankford) introduced the following
bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans'
Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish a pilot
program to hire transitioning servicemembers to be Border Patrol
agents.
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 ``Veterans Border Patrol Training
Act''.
SEC. 2. BORDER PATROL SKILLBRIDGE PILOT PROGRAM.
(a) Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security, in
collaboration with the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs, shall establish an interdepartmental pilot program
through which the Department of Homeland Security shall use the
Department of Defense SkillBridge Program to train and hire
transitioning servicemembers as Border Patrol agents for U.S. Customs
and Border Protection.
(b) Employment Skills Training.--In carrying out the pilot program
established pursuant to subsection (a), the Secretary of Homeland
Security, in collaboration with the Secretary of Defense, shall use the
authorities available under section 1143 of title 10, United States
Code, to train and facilitate the transition of members of the Armed
Forces to service as Border Patrol agents.
SEC. 3. ANNUAL REPORTS.
Not later than 1 year after the pilot program is established
pursuant to section 2(a), and annually thereafter until the date
referred to in section 4, the Secretary of Homeland Security, in
consultation with the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs, shall submit a report to the Committee on Homeland
Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate, the Committee on Armed
Services of the Senate, the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the
Senate, the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of
Representatives, the Committee on Armed Services of the House of
Representatives, and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of
Representatives that includes for the reporting period--
(1) the number of participants in the pilot program;
(2) the number of eligible participants who applied to be
part of the pilot program; and
(3) the number of pilot program participants who are--
(A) members the Armed Forces;
(B) reserve members of the Armed Forces;
(C) commissioned officers or non-commissioned
officers;
(D) enlisted members of the Armed Forces;
(E) veterans;
(F) spouses of such members of the Armed Forces or
veterans; and
(G) dependents of such members of the Armed Forces
or veterans.
SEC. 4. SUNSET DATE.
The pilot program established pursuant to section 2 shall be
terminated on the date that is 5 years after the date on which such
program is established.
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