HR 5616 Reported in House – DHS Training Accreditation

Earlier this month, the House Homeland Security Committee published their report on HR 5616, the DHS Basic Training Accreditation Improvement Act of 2021. The bill was approved in Committee by a voice vote on October 26^th, 2022, without amendment. Equally important, the Judiciary Committee, which was also assigned to consider the bill, was discharged from consideration of the bill. The bill is now cleared to be considered by the Full House.

The report specifically clarifies that the following DHS law enforcement training programs are not currently accredited:

• U.S. Border Patrol Academy,

• CBP’s Field Operations Academy Officer Basic Training Program, and

• U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ Officer Basic Training Program.

The report includes a copy of the letter from Rep Nadler (D,NY), Chair of the House Judiciary Committee, notifying Rep Thompson (D,MS), Chair of the Homeland Security Committee, that the Judiciary Committee will not take any action on the bill and would work with Thompson to see the bill passed. Such inter-committee cooperation is a prerequisite to a bill being considered by the Full House.

The bill is likely to be taken up by the House in March under the suspension of the rules process. It will almost certainly pass with a substantial bipartisan majority.