To provide for hardship duty pay for border patrol agents and customs and border protection officers assigned to highly-trafficked rural areas.

“5550c. Hardship duty pay for border patrol agents and customs and border protection officers

“(a) Definitions—In this section—

“(1) the term border patrol agent has the meaning given that term in section 5550;

“(2) the term customs and border protection officer means—

“(A) a customs and border protection officer, as defined in section 8331; and

“(B) a customs and border protection officer, as defined in section 8401; and

“(3) the term highly-trafficked rural area means any rural area through which illicit narcotics and undocumented aliens are routinely smuggled, as designated by the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

“(b) Hardship pay—In addition to any other compensation to which a border patrol agent or customs and border protection officer is otherwise entitled, a border patrol agent or customs and border protection officer who is assigned to highly-trafficked rural areas shall be entitled to receive hardship duty pay.

“(c) Establishment of rate—The Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection shall establish the rate of hardship duty pay for purposes of subsection (b), which may not exceed the rate of special pay to which members of a uniformed service are entitled under section 310 of title 37.”