‘‘(f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
is authorized to be appropriated $110,000,000 for each 
of fiscal years 2022 through 2026 for grants under this 
section.’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Subsection (a) of 
section 2002 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 
U.S.C. 603) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(a) GRANTS AUTHORIZED.—The Secretary, through 
the Administrator, may award grants under sections 2003, 
2004, 2009, and 2009A to State, local, and Tribal govern-
ments, as appropriate.’’. 
(c) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents 
in section 1(b) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 is 
amended by inserting after the item relating to section 
2009 the following new item: 
‘‘Sec. 2009A. Operation Stonegarden.’’. 
SEC. 14. AIR AND MARINE OPERATIONS FLIGHT HOURS. 
(a) 
AIR
AND
MARINE
OPERATIONS
FLIGHT 
HOURS.—The Secretary shall ensure that not fewer than 
95,000 annual flight hours are carried out by Air and Ma-
rine Operations of CBP. 
(b) UNMANNED
AIRCRAFT
SYSTEMS.—The Sec-
retary, after coordination with the Administrator of the 
Federal Aviation Administration, shall ensure that Air and 
Marine Operations operate unmanned aircraft systems on 
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the southern border of the United States for not less than 
24 hours per day for 7 days per week. 
(c) PRIMARY MISSIONS.—The Commissioner shall 
ensure that— 
(1) the primary missions for Air and Marine 
Operations are to directly support— 
(A) U.S. Border Patrol activities along the 
borders of the United States; and 
(B) Joint Interagency Task Force South 
operations in the transit zone; and 
(2) the Executive Assistant Commissioner of 
Air and Marine Operations assigns the greatest pri-
ority to support missions outlined under paragraph 
(1). 
(d) HIGH
DEMAND
FLIGHT
HOUR
REQUIRE-
MENTS.—The Commissioner shall ensure that U.S. Bor-
der Patrol Sector Chiefs— 
(1) identify air support mission-critical hours; 
and 
(2) direct Air and Marine Operations to sup-
port requests from Sector Chiefs as their primary 
mission. 
(e) CONTRACT AIR SUPPORT AUTHORIZATIONS.— 
The Commissioner shall contract for the unfulfilled air 
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support mission-critical hours, as identified pursuant to 
subsection (d). 
(f) SMALL UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Chief of the U.S. Bor-
der Patrol shall be the executive agent with respect 
to the use of small unmanned aircraft systems by 
CBP for the purpose of— 
(A) meeting the unmet flight hour oper-
ational requirements of the U.S. Border Patrol; 
and 
(B) achieving situational awareness and 
operational control (as such term is defined in 
section 2(b) of the Secure Fence Act of 2006 
(Public Law 109–367; 8 U.S.C. 1701 note)). 
(2) COORDINATION.—In carrying out para-
graph (1), the Chief of the U.S. Border Patrol shall 
coordinate— 
(A) flight operations with the Adminis-
trator of the Federal Aviation Administration to 
ensure the safe and efficient operation of the 
National Airspace System; and 
(B) with the Executive Assistant Commis-
sioner for Air and Marine Operations of CBP 
to— 
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(i) ensure the safety of other CBP 
aircraft flying in the vicinity of small un-
manned aircraft systems operated by the 
U.S. Border Patrol; and 
(ii) establish a process to include data 
from flight hours in the calculation of got 
away statistics. 
(3) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Paragraph (3) 
of section 411(e) of the Homeland Security Act of 
2002 (6 U.S.C. 211(e)) is amended— 
(A) in subparagraph (B), by striking 
‘‘and’’ after the semicolon at the end; 
(B) by redesignating subparagraph (C) as 
subparagraph (D); and 
(C) by inserting after subparagraph (B) 
the following new subparagraph: 
‘‘(C) carry out the small unmanned air-
craft system (as such term is defined in section 
44801 of title 49, United States Code) require-
ments pursuant to subsection (f) of section 14 
of the Border Security for America Act of 
2021; and’’. 
(g) SAVINGS CLAUSE.—Nothing in this section shall 
confer, transfer, or delegate to the Secretary, the Commis-
sioner, the Executive Assistant Commissioner for Air and 
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Marine Operations of CBP, or the Chief of the U.S. Bor-
der Patrol any authority of the Secretary of Transpor-
tation or the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Ad-
ministration relating to the use of airspace or aviation 
safety. 
(h) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) GOT AWAY.—The term ‘‘got away’’ has the 
meaning given such term in section 1092(a)(3) of 
the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 
Year 2017 (Public Law 114–328; 6 U.S.C. 
223(a)(3)). 
(2) TRANSIT ZONE.—The term ‘‘transit zone’’ 
has the meaning given such term in section 
1092(a)(8) of the National Defense Authorization 
Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114–328; 6 
U.S.C. 223(a)(8)). 
SEC. 15. ERADICATION OF CARRIZO CANE AND SALT 
CEDAR. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than September 30, 
2026, the Secretary, in coordination with the heads of the 
relevant Federal, State, and local agencies, shall begin 
eradicating the carrizo cane plant and any salt cedar along 
the Rio Grande River that impedes border security oper-
ations. 
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