I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 4599 

To provide resources for jurisdictions and organizations that have experienced 

a significant influx of migrant aliens, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

OCTOBER 1, 2019 

Ms. TORRES SMALL of New Mexico (for herself, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, Mr. 

LUJA ́N, Mr. VARGAS, Mrs. KIRKPATRICK, Ms. ESCOBAR, Mr. GONZALEZ

of Texas, Mr. GRIJALVA, Ms. HAALAND, Mr. PETERS, and Mr. CROW) 

introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the 

Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Financial Services, for 

a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 

consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To provide resources for jurisdictions and organizations that 

have experienced a significant influx of migrant aliens, 

and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘The Southern Border 

5 Communities Relief Act of 2019’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. FUNDING FOR HUMANITARIAN RELIEF AT THE BOR2 DER. 

3 (a) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

4 authorized to be appropriated for the emergency food and 

5 shelter program under title III of the McKinney-Vento 

6 Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11331 et seq.), for 

7 use only under subsection (b) of this section, $60,000,000 

8 for each of fiscal years 2021, 2022, and 2023. 

9 (b) USE.—Any amounts made available pursuant to 

10 subsection (a)— 

11 (1) shall be used only for providing assistance 

12 to aliens released from the custody of the Depart13 ment of Homeland Security; 

14 (2) notwithstanding sections 315 and 316(b) of 

15 the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 

16 U.S.C. 11345, 11346(b)), shall be disbursed by the 

17 Emergency Food and Shelter Program National 

18 Board not later than 60 days after the date on 

19 which such amounts become available; 

20 (3) shall be distributed by the Emergency Food 

21 and Shelter Program National Board only to juris22 dictions or local recipient organizations serving com23 munities that have experienced a significant influx of 

24 such aliens; 

25 (4) may be used to reimburse such jurisdictions 

26 or local recipient organizations for costs incurred in 


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1 providing services to such aliens on or after July 1, 

2 2019; and 

3 (5) shall be distributed by the Emergency Food 

4 and Shelter Program National Board in accordance 

5 with the findings in the report described in sub6 section (d). 

7 (c) CONGRESSIONAL NOTIFICATION.—Not later than 

8 24 hours after the publication of a notice of funding op9 portunity for amounts made available pursuant to sub10 section (a), the Administrator of the Federal Emergency 

11 Management Agency shall notify the Committees on Ap12 propriations of the Senate and the House of Representa13 tives, the Committee on Homeland Security of the House 

14 of Representatives, and the Committee on Homeland Se15 curity and Governmental Affairs of the Senate of such 

16 publication. 

17 (d) REPORTING.—Not later than 30 days after the 

18 date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of 

19 the Federal Emergency Management Agency shall submit 

20 to the Committees on Appropriations of the Senate and 

21 the House of Representatives, the Committee on Home22 land Security of the House of Representatives, and the 

23 Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Af24 fairs of the Senate a report regarding the disbursement 

25 under the Emergency Food and Shelter Program of 


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1 amounts appropriated by Public Law 116–26. Such report 

2 shall include— 

3 (1) an examination of whether projected costs 

4 and administrative costs, such as costs related to 

5 staffing, transportation, and applying for Federal 

6 funding, should be included in primary reimburse7 ment eligibility for future disbursements; 

8 (2) an analysis of whether jurisdictions and 

9 local recipient organizations were reimbursed to the 

10 greatest extent practicable; 

11 (3) identification of challenges jurisdictions and 

12 local recipient organizations faced during the appli13 cation process; and 

14 (4) recommendations on how to improve the re15 imbursement process to maximize full compensation. 

16 SEC. 3. NOTICE TO APPEAR; OWN RECOGNIZANCE RELEASE 

17 PROTOCOL. 

18 (a) IN GENERAL.—The release of an alien that the 

19 Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection de20 termines to release on that alien’s own recognizance and 

21 the issuance of a notice to appear to that alien shall be 

22 governed by a standard protocol, which the Secretary of 

23 Homeland Security, acting through the Commissioner of 

24 U.S. Customs and Border Protection, shall develop not 

25 later than 30 days after the date of enactment of this Act. 


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1 The protocol shall include requirements for, to the great2 est extent practicable and without delaying releases— 

3 (1) coordination with local nongovernmental or4 ganizations and units of local government on a re5 lease date and time; 

6 (2) the provision of a pre-release notice to non7 governmental organizations and units of local gov8 ernment not less than 8 hours before release; 

9 (3) releasing individuals in locations with robust 

10 nongovernmental organization networks, as deter11 mined by the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and 

12 Border Protection, in consultation with the Chief 

13 Patrol Agent of the respective U.S. Border Patrol 

14 sector, provided that other appropriate factors such 

15 as proximity and reasonable distribution of released 

16 individuals are also considered; 

17 (4) releasing individuals at facilities operated by 

18 nongovernmental organizations or units of local gov19 ernment; 

20 (5) the provision to organizations or units of 

21 local government to which individuals were released 

22 of documentation describing the date of the release, 

23 the number of individuals released, and other rel24 evant information; 


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1 (6) ensuring that individuals are released with 

2 any valid documentation with which they entered the 

3 United States; and 

4 (7) ensuring that notices to appear contain 

5 complete and accurate information, including— 

6 (A) a clear date and time for an immigra7 tion court hearing; 

8 (B) requirements needed to travel to the 

9 individuals’ stated destination; and 

10 (C) contact information, including an ad11 dress to which individuals can receive notices 

12 regarding updates to immigration proceedings. 

13 (b) IMPLEMENTATION.—Not later than 60 days after 

14 the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Home15 land Security, acting through the Commissioner of U.S. 

16 Customs and Border Protection, shall implement the 

17 standard protocol developed under subsection (a). 

18 (c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

19 authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be nec20 essary to carry out this section. 

Æ 


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