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Veterans Border Patrol Training Act
To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish a pilot program to hire transitioning servicemembers to be Border Patrol agents.
Summary
This bill directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish a pilot program within 180 days that uses the Department of Defense SkillBridge Program to train and hire transitioning servicemembers as Border Patrol agents. The program will be established in collaboration with the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs to facilitate the transition of military personnel into Border Patrol service. The Secretary of Homeland Security must submit annual reports to Congress detailing the number of participants, applicants, and demographic breakdowns of program participants. The pilot program will automatically terminate five years after it is established.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
1 cosponsor
- Sen. Lankford, James [R-OK] (R-OK)
Money behind the sponsor
Top reported contributors to Richard Blumenthal’s campaign committee (2024 cycle) — who funds the bill’s sponsor, not a claim about this bill. Data from FEC.
- APOLLO GLOBAL MANAGEMENT $9,500
- FREEPOINT COMMODITIES LLC $6,600
- ALIX PARTNERS $6,600
- PALANTIR $6,600
- KRUX INC. $6,600
Organizations whose employees gave the most — itemized individual contributions grouped by the donor’s reported employer (FEC Schedule A). Full finance for Richard Blumenthal → · Outside spending →
Actions (2)
- Feb 18, 2025 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. · senate
- Feb 18, 2025 Introduced in Senate
Similar bills (6)
Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.
Full text
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. <all>
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