What This Bill Does
This bill requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to give unused construction materials to four states along the southern border. The materials were originally purchased by the federal government to build roads and barriers. The Secretary must move these materials to state facilities at no cost to the states.
Who It Affects
The Secretary of Homeland Security, the Governments of Texas, Arizona, New Mexico and California, and the federal government.
Key Provisions
• The Secretary of Homeland Security must transfer all unused materials bought for southern border construction to Texas, Arizona, New Mexico and California based on where the materials are currently located (Sec. 2(a))
• The federal government pays for physically moving all transferred materials to state-run facilities (Sec. 2(b))
• "Covered materials" means all unused materials that the federal government owns and purchased specifically to build roads or physical barriers on the southern border (Sec. 2(c))
What Changes
States in Texas, Arizona, New Mexico and California will receive ownership of unused federal construction materials without having to pay for them. The federal government will cover the cost of transporting these materials to state facilities.
Important Definitions
Covered materials: all unused materials owned by the federal government that were bought to construct roadways or physical barriers along the southern border of the United States.
Effective Date
Beginning on the date the law is enacted (the date it is signed into law).
I
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 588
To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to transfer, without reimburse-
ment, materials to construct roadways and physical barriers along the
southern border of the United States to the Governments of the States
in which such materials are located, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JANUARY 27, 2023
Mr. BAIRD (for himself, Mr. CAREY, Mr. CRENSHAW, Mr. FALLON, and Mr.
WALBERG) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Homeland Security
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to transfer,
without reimbursement, materials to construct roadways
and physical barriers along the southern border of the
United States to the Governments of the States in which
such materials are located, 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 Construction
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Materials Transfer Act of 2023’’.
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•HR 588 IH
SEC. 2. TRANSFER OF BARRIER AND ROADWAY CONSTRUC-
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TION MATERIALS TO STATE GOVERNMENTS.
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(a) TRANSFER
OF COVERED MATERIALS.—Begin-
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ning on the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec-
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retary of Homeland Security shall transfer, without reim-
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bursement—
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(1) all covered materials located, as of the date
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of the enactment of this Act, in Texas to the Gov-
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ernment of Texas;
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(2) all covered materials located, as of the date
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of the enactment of this Act, in Arizona to the Gov-
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ernment of Arizona;
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(3) all covered materials located, as of the date
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of the enactment of this Act, in New Mexico to the
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Government of New Mexico; and
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(4) all covered materials located, as of the date
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of the enactment of this Act, in California to the
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Government of California.
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(b) PHYSICAL RELOCATION
OF MATERIALS.—The
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Secretary of Homeland Security shall be responsible for
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the physical relocation of all covered materials transferred
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under this section to appropriate State-operated facilities.
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(c) COVERED MATERIALS.—In this section, the term
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‘‘covered materials’’ means all unused materials in the
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possession of the Federal Government that were pur-
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•HR 588 IH
chased to construct roadways or physical barriers along
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the southern border of the United States.
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Æ
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