To authorize the Land Port of Entry Community Infrastructure Program to address deficiencies in community infrastructure supportive of land ports of entry, and for other purposes.
HB6791 would create a new Land Port of Entry Community Infrastructure Program within the Department of Homeland Security, administered by the Secretary of Homeland Security. The program would authorize DHS to award grants and supplement funding from existing federal programs to help state, tribal, and local governments, as well as not-for-profit, member-owned utilities, address infrastructure deficiencies that support land ports of entry. The bill defines eligible “community infrastructure” broadly to include transportation, water, wastewater, telecommunications, electric, gas, and other utility projects, as well as other projects directly supporting a land port of entry or affected by its presence.
The bill sets out categories of eligible projects, including those that improve the safety, efficiency, and reliability of legitimate trade and travel; enhance border security; improve resilience and emergency preparedness; support the quality of life of U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel and their families; and mitigate impacts on nearby communities such as traffic congestion, pollution, and environmental degradation. It also directs the Secretary to develop standardized procedures for identifying and prioritizing projects, consult with other federal agencies, and consider existing CBP modernization reports and state capital plans when making selections.
HB6791 would add a new federal grant and reimbursement mechanism focused on infrastructure near land ports of entry, affecting state, tribal, and local governments and certain nonprofit utilities that serve border communities. It would authorize appropriations to DHS for the program, allow reimbursement of up to 70 percent of eligible costs in some cases, and generally require a 30 percent nonfederal match unless the project is in a rural area or DHS determines a homeland security justification warrants a reduced match or waiver. The bill would not itself mandate construction, but it would create a new funding pathway and selection framework that could influence how border-adjacent infrastructure projects are planned and financed.
No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no direct evidence of debate, support, or opposition in the available record. Based on the bill text, the measure appears framed as a bipartisan border-infrastructure and community-support initiative, with emphasis on trade facilitation, security, resilience, and local quality-of-life impacts. Its referral to the Subcommittee on Transportation and Maritime Security suggests it is still in an early stage of consideration.
The main potential points of contention are likely to be the scope of eligible projects, the use of DHS funds for community infrastructure beyond the port itself, and the inclusion of quality-of-life projects for CBP personnel and their families. Another likely issue is the matching requirement and the Secretary’s discretion to reduce or waive it, which could raise questions about fairness, federal cost-sharing, and prioritization of rural versus non-rural communities. Stakeholders most likely to support the bill are border-state local governments, tribal governments, utilities, and border-community advocates, while critics could focus on federal spending, program overlap with existing infrastructure grants, or whether the program stretches DHS’s core mission.