1. Short title This Act may be cited as the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Hiring and Retention Act of 2017 or the CBP HiRe Act . 2. Flexibility in employment authorities (a) In general Chapter 97 of title 5, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: 9702. U.S. Customs and Border Protection employment authorities (a) Definitions In this section— (1) the term Commissioner means the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection; (2) the term covered CBP employee means— (A) a customs and border protection officer, as defined in section 8331(31); and (B) a border patrol agent, as defined in section 5550(a); (3) the term Director means the Director of the Office of Personnel Management; (4) the term local infrastructure means— (A) established communities; (B) suitable places of residence, including sufficient affordable housing choices; (C) amenities and services, including medical care, child care, and schools, that contribute to quality of life; (D) consumer goods and services; or (E) other local infrastructure, as determined by the Commissioner; and (5) the term rural or remote area means an area within the United States— (A) in which a facility of U.S. Customs and Border Protection is located; (B) that is so distant from the nearest local infrastructure as to require an appreciable degree of expense, hardship, and inconvenience, beyond that normally encountered in metropolitan life, on the part of an individual living or working in the area; and (C) that— (i) has not been defined and designated as an urbanized area by the Bureau of the Census during the most recently completed decennial census