H.R. 434 — CBP Workload Staffing Model Act

This section directs the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Under Secretary for Management, Chief Human Capital Officer, and Chief Financial Officer, to develop and implement workload staffing models for the U.S. Border Patrol and Air and Marine Operations by one year after enactment of this Act. The section amends the duties of the CBP Commissioner under section 411(c) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 211(c)) by adding two new requirements after current paragraph (17), redesignating existing paragraphs (18) and (19) as (20) and (21): (1) implement a staffing model for the U.S. Border Patrol, Air and Marine Operations, and Office of Field Operations that accounts for essential frontline operator activities and functions, variations in operating environments, present and planned infrastructure and technology, and required operations support levels to manage and assign personnel and ensure adequate field and support resources; and (2) develop standard operating procedures for a workforce tracking system in those three components, train their workforces on its use, and implement internal controls to ensure timely and accurate scheduling and reporting of completed work hours and activities. The section further requires the DHS Secretary to submit to the House Committee on Homeland Security and the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs (1) by one year after enactment, a status update on implementation of the staffing models and new duties (18) and (19), including data sources and methodologies used to generate the models, and (2) annual updates thereafter on those duties and models. Finally, this section requires the DHS Inspector General, by 120 days after the Commissioner develops the initial staffing models, to review them and provide feedback to the Secretary and specified committees on the degree of responsiveness to prior Inspector General recommendations, including the February 2019 audit, along with any further recommendations to improve the models.