House bill would pilot home kenneling for CBP working canines

Rep. Correa introduced H.R. 4057, the "CBP Canine Home Kenneling Pilot Act," on June 20, 2025, directing the Executive Assistant Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection—s (CBP) Office of Field Operations (OFO) to establish a pilot program to assess whether home kenneling benefits canine handlers and their dogs.

The bill, later committed to the Committee of the Whole and printed on Sept. 26, 2025, would require written guidance and consultation with Department of Homeland Security components that use home kenneling, the DHS Office of Health Security, and representatives of the National Treasury Employees Union before implementing the pilot.

Under the bill, the Executive Assistant Commissioner must establish training for participating canine handlers covering daily care responsibilities, including feeding, exercise and medical needs, and must disseminate best practices for integrating working canines into a handler—s residence.

The proposal sets several operational requirements: at least 10 ports of entry must participate; participating teams must include canines from seaports, airports and land ports of entry in both urban and rural locations; handler participation must be voluntary; and the pilot must run for at least two years but be terminated no more than three years after establishment.

H.R. 4057 also requires oversight and reporting: a briefing to the appropriate congressional committees within one year after enactment describing the guidance, training and requirements; and a report within 180 days after termination that includes the number and location of participating canine teams, and a cost-benefit, job performance, health and wellbeing analysis comparing home kenneling with centralized kenneling, plus recommendations regarding continued use.

The bill defines "home kenneling" as housing and care of federal law enforcement canines at the residences of their assigned handlers instead of in a centralized facility owned or contracted by a federal agency. The measure was introduced for referral to the Committee on Homeland Security and lists additional sponsors appended on Sept. 26, 2025.