Securing Our Border States Act
Bill: H.R.4593 | Sponsor: Rep. Babin, Brian (R-TX)
Policy area: Immigration

Summary:
Securing Our Border States Act
This bill requires the Department of the Treasury to provide grants to states for building barriers and related infrastructure along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Within 30 days of receiving a certification from a border state that it intends to use such grant funding for constructing a border barrier, Treasury must disburse funds to the state, with the amount based on the number of miles of border in that state that currently does not have a border barrier.
The bill provides $22 billion of funding for this grant program and permanently rescinds $22 billion from funds made available for various assistance programs related to COVID-19.

To establish a block grant program to enable southwest border States to 
   construct barriers along their borders with Mexico, and for other 
                               purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Securing Our Border States Act''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM TO ENABLE SOUTHWEST BORDER 
              STATES TO CONSTRUCT BARRIERS ALONG THEIR BORDERS WITH 
              MEXICO.

    (a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, not 
later than 30 days after the President receives from the Governor of a 
southwest border State a certification that the Governor intends to use 
covered block grant funding for the construction of a southwest border 
barrier, including continuing the construction of portions of existing 
border barrier, and associated infrastructure, including physical 
barriers and associated detection technology, roads, and lighting, the 
President shall--
            (1) acting through the Secretary of the Treasury, disburse 
        an appropriate prorated amount of such block grant funding, as 
        determined under subsection (b); and
            (2) ensure that all relevant Federal entities take such 
        actions as may be necessary to allow for such construction.
    (b) Determination of Grant Amount.--Not later than 30 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland 
Security shall--
            (1) determine the number of miles along the border between 
        each southwest border State and Mexico where there is no border 
        barrier; and
            (2) determine the pro-rated amount each southwest border 
        State may receive under this section on the basis of the 
        determination with respect to such State under paragraph (1).
    (c) Empowering States To Build the Wall Fund.--
            (1) Establishment.--There is hereby established in the 
        General Fund of the Treasury a fund to be known as the 
        ``Empowering States To Build the Wall Fund''. Amounts deposited 
        in the Fund shall be available without fiscal year limitation 
        during the five-year period beginning on the date of the first 
        disbursal from the Fund for the purpose of making grants to 
        southwest border States under this section.
            (2) Appropriations.--There is hereby appropriated to the 
        Empowering States To Build the Wall Fund $22,000,000,000.
            (3) Rescission of certain federal funds appropriated for 
        state, local, and tribal governments.--Notwithstanding any 
        other provision of law, there are hereby permanently rescinded 
        $22,000,000,000 of the total amount of unobligated funds 
        available under any of sections 601 through 603 of title VI of 
        the Social Security Act.
    (d) Southwest Border State Defined.--In this section, the term 
``southwest border State'' means Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, or 
California.
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