Securing our Border Act

Senate Bill

S. 481

119th Congress

Securing our Border Act

In Committee

Introduced:Feb 6, 2025

Primary Sponsor

Tim Scott

Senator

Republican

SC

Cosponsors

4

Quick Stats

Policy Area

Immigration

Summary

This bill redirects unspent money that was previously allocated to IRS enforcement and uses it instead for border security purposes. The funds would be split between installing scanning equipment at border crossings (one-third) and building border wall systems along the southern border (two-thirds). The bill also authorizes bonuses for U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents to help with recruitment and retention.

Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

SponsorTim Scott (R-SC)

Introduced2/6/2025

StatusRead twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

ChamberSenate

Data from Congress.gov

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Vote Prediction

Securing our Border Act

This bill redirects unspent money that was previously allocated to IRS enforcement and uses it instead for border security purposes. The funds would be split between installing scanning equipment at border crossings (one-third) and building border wall systems

Community Breakdown

Pass

0%

Fail

0%

0 predictions

This bill redirects unspent money that was previously allocated to IRS enforcement and uses it instead for border security purposes. The funds would be split between installing scanning equipment at border crossings (one-third) and building border wall systems along the southern border (two-thirds). The bill also authorizes bonuses for U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents to help with recruitment and retention.

Bill Number: 481
Sponsor: Tim Scott (R-SC)
Introduced: 2/6/2025
Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Policy Area: Immigration

Data from Congress.gov

AI-generated summary

Fact Sheet

Title: Securing our Border Act
Bill Number: 481
Sponsor: Tim Scott (R-SC)
Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Introduced: 2/6/2025
Summary: This bill redirects unspent money that was previously allocated to IRS enforcement and uses it instead for border security purposes. The funds would be split between installing scanning equipment at border crossings (one-third) and building border wall systems along the southern border (two-thirds).

Data from Congress.gov

AI Summary

Plain-English explanation of this bill

This bill redirects unspent money that was previously allocated to IRS enforcement and uses it instead for border security purposes. The funds would be split between installing scanning equipment at border crossings (one-third) and building border wall systems along the southern border (two-thirds). The bill also authorizes bonuses for U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents to help with recruitment and retention.

Last updated: 3/5/2026

Key Points

Main provisions of the bill

The bill takes unspent funds from the IRS enforcement budget and transfers them to border security programs through 2034.
One-third of the redirected money would go toward installing inspection scanning systems at all northern and southern border crossing points to achieve 100% scanning rates.
Two-thirds of the redirected money would fund construction of border wall systems along the U.S.-Mexico border.
The Department of Homeland Security would be required to submit quarterly reports to Congress on implementation plans and cost estimates for border wall construction.
The bill allows U.S. Customs and Border Protection to offer recruitment bonuses up to $15,000 for new agents and annual retention bonuses up to 15% of basic pay for existing agents.

How This Impacts Americans

Potential effects on citizens and communities

This bill would affect federal budget priorities by shifting money away from tax enforcement and toward border infrastructure and personnel. It would impact U.S. Customs and Border Protection operations by providing funding for new technology and staff incentives. The changes would also affect people and goods crossing at land border entry points, who would experience increased scanning and inspection procedures.

Policy Areas

Primary Policy Area

Immigration

Scope & Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction Level

federal

Congressional Session

119th Congress

Citation Reference

481, 119th Congress (2025). "Securing our Border Act". Source: Voter's Right Platform. https://votersright.org/bills/118-s-481

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