I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1531 
To provide for the renewed availability of funds to construct the border 
wall upon the deployment of the National Guard to the southern land 
border of the United States, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 10, 2023 
Mr. STRONG introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Homeland Security 
A BILL 
To provide for the renewed availability of funds to construct 
the border wall upon the deployment of the National 
Guard to the southern land border of the United States, 
and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. RESUME CONSTRUCTION OF BARRIERS AND 
ROADS ALONG UNITED STATES AND MEXICO 
BORDER. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) DEPARTMENT.—The term ‘‘Department’’ 
means the Department of Homeland Security. 
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(2) PHYSICAL BARRIERS.—The term ‘‘physical 
barriers’’ has the meaning given such term in sec-
tion 102(e) of the Illegal Immigration Reform and 
Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, as added by 
section 3(5) of this Act. 
(3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Homeland Security. 
(4) 
TACTICAL
INFRASTRUCTURE; 
TECH-
NOLOGY.—The terms ‘‘tactical infrastructure’’ and 
‘‘technology’’ have the meanings given such terms in 
section 102(e) of the Illegal Immigration Reform 
and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, as added 
by section 3(5) of this Act. 
(b) IN GENERAL.— 
(1) IMMEDIATE RESUMPTION OF BORDER BAR-
RIER CONSTRUCTION.—During any period beginning 
on or after the date of the enactment of this Act in 
which members of the Armed Forces or the National 
Guard are performing active service (as such term is 
defined in section 101 of title 10, United States 
Code) at the southern land border of the United 
States, the Secretary shall resume all projects relat-
ing to the construction of physical barriers, tactical 
infrastructure, and technology along the inter-
national border between the United States and Mex-
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ico that were underway, or being planned for, prior 
to January 20, 2021. 
(2) NO CANCELLATIONS.—The Secretary may 
not cancel any contract for activities related to the 
construction of the border barrier system that was 
entered into on or before January 20, 2021. 
(3) USE OF FUNDS.—To carry out this section, 
the Secretary shall expend all funds that were ap-
propriated or explicitly obligated for the construction 
of the border barrier system on or after October 1, 
2016. 
(c) UPHOLD NEGOTIATED AGREEMENTS.—The Sec-
retary shall ensure that all agreements relating to current 
and future construction of the border barrier system en-
tered into before January 20, 2021, that were executed 
in writing between the Department and any State, local, 
or Tribal government, private citizen, or other stakeholder, 
and to which the applicable non-Federal parties consent 
to revive in whole or in part, are honored by the Depart-
ment in accordance with such agreements and to the ex-
tent provided by such consent. 
(d) AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other 
provision of law, any amount appropriated or other-
wise made available during fiscal year 2018, 2019, 
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2020, or 2021 for any project relating to the con-
struction of physical barriers, tactical infrastructure, 
and technology along the southern border shall re-
main available until expended. 
(2) AUTHORIZATION.—In addition to amounts 
described in paragraph (1), there is authorized to be 
made available to carry out this Act the unobligated 
balances of any amount appropriated or otherwise 
made available during fiscal year 2022 and each 
year thereafter for projects described in such para-
graph (1). Amounts so authorized shall be author-
ized to remain available until expended. 
(e) USE OF FUNDS.—Any amounts appropriated or 
otherwise made available for fiscal year 2021 that remain 
available pursuant to subsection (d) may only be used for 
barriers, technology, or roads that— 
(1) use— 
(A) operationally effective designs deployed 
as of the date of enactment of the Consolidated 
Appropriations Act, 2017 (Public Law 115–31), 
such as currently deployed steel bollard designs, 
that prioritize agent safety; or 
(B) operationally effective adaptations of 
such designs that help mitigate community or 
environmental impacts of barrier system con-
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struction, including adaptations based on con-
sultation with jurisdictions within which barrier 
system will be constructed; and 
(2) are constructed in the highest priority loca-
tions as identified in the Border Security Improve-
ment Plan. 
Æ 
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