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117TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION H. R. 4059
To reimburse the States for border wall expenses, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JUNE 22, 2021
Mr. NEHLS (for himself and Mr. MCCAUL) introduced the following bill; which
was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the
Committee on Oversight and Reform, for a period to be subsequently de-
termined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions
as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
A BILL
To reimburse the States for border wall expenses, and for
other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Border Wall Reim-
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bursement Act of 2021’’.
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SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
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Congress finds the following:
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(1) Border security is primarily a Federal re-
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sponsibility.
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(2) Texas has declared the on-going situation
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on its southern border a disaster and due to failures
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of the Federal Government the State of Texas has
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been forced to provide resources to secure the bor-
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der.
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(3) Since 2014, Texas has spent approximately
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$3.5 billion to help secure the border and protect
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public safety. In June 2021, Texas obligated
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$250,000,000 to build a border security wall.
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(4) Citizens of Texas are being taxed twice for
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the same purpose.
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(5) The State of Texas is re-allocating critical
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State funding to meet public safety obligations
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which are clearly Federal responsibilities, to begin
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construction of a border security wall, imposes an
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undue burden on the State.
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SEC. 3. REIMBURSEMENT.
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(a) QUALIFICATION.—Notwithstanding any other
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provision of law, any amounts the border States have ex-
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pended on the construction of a border security wall in
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support of Federal efforts shall be reimbursed.
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(b) APPLICATION.—Not later than 180 days after the
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date of the enactment of this Act, to receive reimburse-
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ment pursuant to subsection (a), the Governor of the bor-
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der State shall submit—
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(1) an accounting of all non-federally funded
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border security wall expenses incurred by the State
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and its municipalities; and
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(2) the total sum of such expenses.
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(c) REIMBURSEMENT.—Not later than one year after
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the date on which a State submits the application pursu-
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ant to subsection (b), the Federal Government shall reim-
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burse the State for the amounts expended as described
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in subsection (a).
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(d) AVAILABILITY.—Amounts made available by sec-
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tions 602 and 603 of title VI of the Social Security Act
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(42 U.S.C. 801 et seq.) for the Coronavirus State Fiscal
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Recovery Fund and the Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery
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Fund may also be made available to border States for the
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purposes described in subsection (a).
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