SAFE Border Act

Securing American Families from Exploitation at the Border Act or the SAFE Border Act

This bill directs the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to establish a temporary grant program to reimburse landowners for loss or damage to property caused by an individual illegally crossing the southern border or to improve the security of such property.

Specifically, FEMA may provide grants to landowners who have experienced (or are at risk of experiencing) property theft or damage in areas within 10 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6120 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 6120

To direct the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency 
   to establish a grant program to reimburse individuals for loss or 
damage to property near the southern border of the United States caused 
by an individual illegally crossing the border, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            December 2, 2021

Mrs. Bice of Oklahoma (for herself, Mr. Ellzey, Mr. Lucas, Mr. Fallon, 
Mr. Babin, Mr. Hern, Mr. Crenshaw, Mr. Jackson, Mr. Weber of Texas, Mr. 
  Mullin, Mr. Pfluger, and Mr. Tony Gonzales of Texas) introduced the 
    following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Homeland 
  Security, and in addition to the Committee on Appropriations, for a 
 period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
                          committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To direct the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency 
   to establish a grant program to reimburse individuals for loss or 
damage to property near the southern border of the United States caused 
by an individual illegally crossing the border, 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 American Families from 
Exploitation at the Border Act'' or the ``SAFE Border Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Impacted party.--The term ``impacted party'' means an 
        individual who--
                    (A) owns real property within, the border zone; and
                    (B) has experienced property theft or property 
                damage on the property, as applicable, by an individual 
                illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border.
            (2) At-risk party.--The term ``at-risk party'' means an 
        individual who--
                    (A) owns property within the border zone that does 
                not have a bollard-style border barrier that is 
                adjacent to such property; and
                    (B) reasonably believes to be at risk of 
                experiencing property theft or property damage on the 
                property, as applicable, by an individual illegally 
                crossing the U.S.-Mexico border.
            (3) Border zone.--The term ``border zone'' means the area 
        of the United States that is within 10 miles of the U.S.-Mexico 
        border.

SEC. 3. SOUTHERN BORDER LANDOWNER SECURITY GRANT PROGRAM.

    The Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency shall 
establish a grant program to be known as the Southern Border Landowner 
Security Grant Program to provide grants to impacted parties to cover 
losses or damage to property and to at-risk parties to improve the 
security of certain property.

SEC. 4. GRANTS TO IMPACTED PARTIES.

    (a) In General.--The Administrator may provide grants under this 
Act to an impacted party to cover loss or damages not otherwise covered 
by insurance to the impacted property if such party certifies, to the 
satisfaction of the Administrator, that the property--
            (1) was located in the border zone at the time such loss or 
        damage occurred; and
            (2) the loss or damage was caused by an individual 
        illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border.
    (b) Application.--To be eligible for a grant under this section, an 
impacted party shall submit to the Administrator an application that 
includes documentation of the loss or damage and an estimate of the 
value of such loss or an estimate of the cost to repair such damage.

SEC. 5. GRANTS TO AT-RISK PARTIES.

    (a) In General.--The Administrator may provide grants under this 
Act to an at-risk party to improve the physical security of property 
located within the border zone if such party certifies, to the 
satisfaction of the Administrator, that the party reasonably believes 
that the property of such party is at risk of loss or damage caused by 
an individual illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border.
    (b) Report on Use of Funds.--Not later than 290 days after an at-
risk party receives funds under this section, such party shall submit 
to the Administrator documentation on how the party spends such funds. 
Any funds that remain unspent on the day on which such documentation is 
submitted shall be returned to the Administrator for further provision 
under this section.

SEC. 6. FUNDING.

    (a) Transfer of Funds.--Of the funds appropriated under the heading 
``Procurement, Construction, and Improvement'' for use by the U.S. 
Customs and Border Patrol that are unobligated and unexpended as of the 
date of enactment of this Act, $75,000,000 shall be transferred to the 
Administrator to provide grants under this Act.
    (b) Fiscal Year Limitation.--Of the funds transferred under 
subsection (a), the Administrator may expend $25,000,000 for each of 
fiscal years 2022 through 2024.
    (c) Limitation on Grant Amount.--An individual may not receive more 
than a total of $25,000 under this section for fiscal years 2022 
through 2024.

SEC. 7. REGULATIONS.

    The Administrator may issues such regulations as are necessary to 
carry out this Act, including--
            (1) requirements that applicants for funds under this Act 
        submit evidentiary documentation, including property deeds, 
        police reports, insurance coverage documentation, and other 
        documentation considered appropriate by the Administrator;
            (2) a review process conducted by the Administrator or the 
        inspector general of the Agency to review applications annually 
        for waste, fraud, and abuse; and
            (3) the applicable penalties for fraudulent claims or false 
        statements.

SEC. 8. SUNSET.

    The authority to provide grants under this Act shall cease on the 
last date of fiscal year 2024. Any funds that have not been obligated 
under this section before that date shall be transferred to the heading 
``Procurement, Construction, and Improvement'' for use by the U.S. 
Customs and Border Patrol.
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