A bipartisan pair of House members is introducing a bill to establish a five-year pilot program to train armed service members transitioning out of their military careers to become Border Patrol agents.

“For years, the Department of Homeland Security has been operating under a chronic shortage of Border Patrol agents,” Rep. Mike Carey, Ohio Republican, said in an interview with The Washington Times ahead of the bill’s formal introduction on Friday. “So what we want to try to do is step it up and say, ‘Hey, listen, if you are a veteran, this is a program that you can go into.’”

The bill’s introduction comes the same week President Biden issued an executive order to use his powers under the Immigration and Nationality Act to temporarily shut down the border whenever illegal border crossings average more than 2,500 a day. Enforcement of the executive order could create additional demand for more Border Patrol agents.

The pilot program would be run by Homeland Security in collaboration with Defense and Veterans Affairs departments using the Pentagon’s existing SkillBridge Program. That program provides military members who are in their last 180 days of active duty with training, apprenticeships and internships to prepare for their next jobs.

Roughly 200,000 military members transition out of active duty service every year, according to Veterans Affairs. SkillBridge provides opportunities for service members to be trained in a variety of civilian career paths ranging from business and finance jobs to construction and maintenance roles.

The program already partners with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, but the pilot program envisioned under the bill would expand that further and track data on service members seeking careers as Border Patrol agents. If the pilot program is enacted, the bill would require annual progress reports to the appropriate congressional committees detailing the number of applicants and participants.

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“What we’re trying to focus on is veterans that are getting out of the military, and I think it’s a great opportunity for them. They can continue with their public service,” Mr. Carey said. “Veterans are ideal candidates for good-paying careers in law enforcement.”

Mr. Carey is introducing the bill with Rep. Jimmy Panetta, California Democrat in the House. Sens. James Lankford, Oklahoma Republican, and Jon Tester, Montana Democrat, have introduced a Senate companion bill.

“I think everybody understands our bill will help bring badly needed personnel to help secure the southern border, and I think that’s going to be a bipartisan issue,” Mr. Carey said, predicting that leaders and members of both parties will back the bill.

Mr. Panetta said in a statement that his numerous visits to the southern border have shown with “the overwhelming numbers of people currently crossing and claiming asylum,” there is a clear need for more trained and skilled ​Border ​Patrol agents.

“This type of bipartisan legislation would not only provide essential training for future law enforcement officers, it also would address the workforce vacancies at the ​Border ​Patrol, support our veterans with meaningful employment, and, ultimately, help bring order at the border,” he said.

• Lindsey McPherson can be reached at lmcpherson@washingtontimes.com.