Border Wall Reimbursement Act of 2021
Bill: H.R.4059 | Sponsor: Rep. Nehls, Troy E. (R-TX)
Policy area: Immigration

Summary:
Border Wall Reimbursement Act of 2021
This bill requires the federal government to reimburse a border state for amounts that state has expended on the construction of a border security wall in support of federal efforts.
To receive reimbursement, a state must submit within 180 days of the bill's enactment an accounting of the expenses incurred by the state and its municipalities and the total sum of such expenses.
Certain funds made available to assist states and local governments during the COVID-19 public health emergency may also be made available to reimburse border states under this bill.

To reimburse the States for border wall expenses, 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 ``Border Wall Reimbursement Act of 
2021''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Border security is primarily a Federal responsibility.
            (2) Texas has declared the on-going situation on its 
        southern border a disaster and due to failures of the Federal 
        Government the State of Texas has been forced to provide 
        resources to secure the border.
            (3) Since 2014, Texas has spent approximately $3.5 billion 
        to help secure the border and protect public safety. In June 
        2021, Texas obligated $250,000,000 to build a border security 
        wall.
            (4) Citizens of Texas are being taxed twice for the same 
        purpose.
            (5) The State of Texas is re-allocating critical State 
        funding to meet public safety obligations which are clearly 
        Federal responsibilities, to begin construction of a border 
        security wall, imposes an undue burden on the State.

SEC. 3. REIMBURSEMENT.

    (a) Qualification.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any 
amounts the border States have expended on the construction of a border 
security wall in support of Federal efforts shall be reimbursed.
    (b) Application.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, to receive reimbursement pursuant to subsection 
(a), the Governor of the border State shall submit--
            (1) an accounting of all non-federally funded border 
        security wall expenses incurred by the State and its 
        municipalities; and
            (2) the total sum of such expenses.
    (c) Reimbursement.--Not later than one year after the date on which 
a State submits the application pursuant to subsection (b), the Federal 
Government shall reimburse the State for the amounts expended as 
described in subsection (a).
    (d) Availability.--Amounts made available by sections 602 and 603 
of title VI of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 801 et seq.) for the 
Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund and the Coronavirus Local Fiscal 
Recovery Fund may also be made available to border States for the 
purposes described in subsection (a).
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