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Federal

Security First Act

Source: Congress.gov  ·  2,515 words in original text
What This Bill Does
This bill authorizes funding for Operation Stonegarden (a grant program) from 2024 through 2027. It creates a new trust fund that will receive money seized at the U.S.-Mexico border and directs this money toward border security technology and equipment. The bill also requires government reports on hiring practices, drug cartels, and border security technology needs.
Who It Affects
The Department of Homeland Security receives the authorized funding and must submit required reports. Congressional committees receive the reports. Officers and agents of federal agencies working on border security may benefit from new technology. Individuals crossing the U.S.-Mexico border are affected by seizure provisions for unreported monetary instruments (money and valuable items that have not been declared).
Key Provisions
• Congress authorizes $180 million per year for Operation Stonegarden for each fiscal year from 2024 through 2027, plus at least $60 million per year during those same years for technology and equipment including communications equipment, sensors, and drone technology (Sec. 2(a)). • A new Operation Stonegarden Trust Fund is created to receive money seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection from individuals at the U.S.-Mexico border who are carrying unreported monetary instruments (cash, checks, stocks, and similar items), and this money funds the Operation Stonegarden grant program (Sec. 2(b)). • The Secretary of Homeland Security must submit a report within 120 days describing the department's hiring and recruiting practices from 2018 to 2021 and make recommendations to improve the department's workforce (Sec. 3). • The Secretary of State must submit a report within 60 days examining whether six specified Mexican drug cartels meet the legal criteria to be designated as foreign terrorist organizations (Sec. 4(a)). • The Secretary of Homeland Security must submit a detailed technology needs analysis within 1 year examining what surveillance equipment, communications systems, drone technology, and other tools are needed for border security along the U.S.-Mexico border, and must provide updates every two years for the following four years (Sec. 5(a) and 5(c)).
What Changes
If this bill becomes law, Operation Stonegarden will receive dedicated funding of $180 million annually from 2024 through 2027. A new trust fund will automatically direct seized money from the border to border security technology without requiring separate appropriation votes each year. The Department of Homeland Security will be required to produce reports analyzing border security technology gaps and equipment needs. The Secretary of State will evaluate whether to designate specific Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations.
Important Definitions
• "Monetary instrument" means coin or currency of any country, traveler's checks, checks, promissory notes, money orders, incomplete checks or money orders signed but with missing payee names, and stocks in bearer form (meaning ownership transfers by physical possession). This does NOT include checks made out to a named person that have not been endorsed, warehouse receipts, or bills of lading (Sec. 2(b)(5)). • "Foreign terrorist organization" is defined by reference to section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (Sec. 4(b)(2)). • "Southwest border" means the international land border between the United States and Mexico, including ports of entry along that border (Sec. 5(f)(4)).
Important: This plain English summary was generated by AI and is provided for informational purposes only. It is not legal advice. Always consult the official bill text on Congress.gov or a qualified attorney for legal matters.