CBP accepts Reimbursement Program applications indefinitely

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is still accepting applications from local private sector and government organizations, such as port authorities, that are willing to pay a fee for new or expanded services at ports of entry.    U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is still accepting applications from local private sector and government organizations, such as port authorities, that are willing to pay a fee for new or expanded services at ports of entry.
   Approval decisions will be issued on a rolling basis going forward, rather than having a deadline each year, the agency announced last month.
   The Cross-Border Trade Enhancement Act of 2016 made permanent a program allowing CBP to receive outside funding from public-private sector organizations for border services at both domestic and foreign locations. Such contributions were previously prohibited, but CBP asked Congress to lift the restriction to help it bridge budget shortfalls that prevented it from fully staffing passenger and cargo checkpoints at ports of entry, which contributes to long waits and lost economic productivity in busy, or under-served, cities. Approved entities can now pay the overtime costs of CBP personnel when extra hours of screening are required.
   Applications received between March 1 and June 30 will be evaluated in July.
   The new law also removes the annual limit on the number of airports that can enter the Reimbursable Services Program and opens the program to small airports for the first time.
   The Reimbursable Services Program is part of CBP’s strategy to optimize its resources. The agency said it has been able to provide more than 228,000 additional processing hours and increase throughput at primary inspection lanes and booths since the program began more than three years ago.
   President Donald Trump has signaled he intends to request a significant increase in appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security to better handle immigration. Whether more Customs officers, rather than border patrol, will be part of the mix remains to be seen.
   Letters of application will be evaluated based on their individual merit and ability to satisfy the evaluation criteria posted on CBP.gov/RSP. Applicants and interested parties may submit questions regarding the Reimbursable Services Program via email at RSP@cbp.dhs.gov.