S. 2162: Securing America's Borders Act of 2019

116th Congress · introduced 2019-07-18 · Immigration · Latest: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 615.

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Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2019-07-18 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Johnson, Ron [R-WI] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 615. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Securing America's Borders Act of 2019

Plain summary

Securing America's Borders Act of 2019 This bill addresses the hiring, training, and retention of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) employees. CBP shall hire a certain number of new Border Patrol agents each fiscal year until there is an equivalent of 26,370 full-time agents. CBP may hire Border Patrol processing coordinators to assist with processing apprehended persons. CBP shall establish a program to provide emergency medical technician (EMT) and paramedic training to selected agents. CBP shall also take efforts to ensure that at least 10% of agents have EMT or paramedic certifications and that such agents are assigned in sufficient numbers to the U.S. southern border. Furthermore, the bill contains provisions to address staffing shortages in rural and remote areas, including by (1) waiving certain hiring-related requirements in some instances; (2) authorizing recruitment, relocation, and retention bonuses, subject to various requirements; and (3) authorizing special pay rates in certain instances. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shall establish a CBP Hiring and Retention Innovation Council, which shall report to Congress as to whether a new pay and employee classification system would improve CBP hiring and retention. DHS shall also carry out pilot programs to improve CBP hiring and retention. The bill also requires CBP to make various updates and changes to its comprehensive staffing analysis. The Government Accountability Office shall report to Congress on CBP's efforts to increase the percentage of agents with EMT or paramedic certifications and on CBP's comprehensive staffing analysis.

Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Securing America's Borders Act of 2019

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to Senate)

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Johnson, Ron [R-WI] · 0 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Johnson, Ron [R-WI] reported raising $1.2 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (3)

Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
Fiscal year: The 12-month period a government uses for its budget. The federal fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30 and is named for the calendar year in which it ends. Most states use July 1 to June 30.
Securities: Financial investments that can be bought and sold, such as stocks and bonds.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to Senate)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-116s2162.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/116/s>

Record fed-us-cong116-s2162 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong116 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong116