HR4483-119

What This Bill Does

The State Accountability for Federal Deployment Costs Act creates a reimbursement mechanism for federal military deployments connected to immigration-enforcement conflict. The findings state that immigration enforcement is federal authority and that state or local refusal to cooperate, detainer noncompliance, or obstruction of federal operations can create civil unrest and security emergencies requiring National Guard, Selected Reserve, or active-duty deployments. When federal military personnel are deployed under federal authority to a jurisdiction as a direct result of civil disturbances stemming from lawful federal immigration enforcement and failure by a state or local government to provide reasonable cooperation or coordination, the Defense Secretary must invoice the affected state's governor. Reimbursable costs include temporary duty travel, per diem, housing, lodging, meals, and transportation of personnel and equipment. DHS, consulting the Attorney General, must publicly determine whether state or local actions materially hindered or failed to support the federal operation. The state must pay within 180 days. If not, the President may rescind one or more discretionary federal grants to offset the unpaid amount.

Who Benefits and How

The Department of Defense benefits from a reimbursement path for deployment costs tied to state or local obstruction of federal immigration operations. Federal taxpayers benefit if states reimburse military deployment costs that would otherwise remain federal expenses. Federal immigration enforcement agencies benefit from financial pressure on jurisdictions to coordinate during enforcement operations. States that cooperate with federal immigration operations benefit by avoiding reimbursement invoices under the bill's trigger.

Who Bears the Burden and How

Affected states must pay Defense Department invoices within 180 days when the statutory trigger is met. Governors must respond to reimbursement invoices for deployment costs. DHS must make public determinations about state or local noncooperation in consultation with the Attorney General. Nonpaying states risk rescission of discretionary federal grants to offset unpaid deployment costs.

Key Provisions

• Requires the Defense Secretary to invoice affected governors for federal military deployment costs tied to immigration-enforcement disturbances and state or local noncooperation.
• Includes TDY, per diem, housing, lodging, meals, and transportation of personnel and equipment as reimbursable costs.
• Requires DHS, in consultation with the Attorney General, to publicly determine whether state or local actions materially hindered federal operations.
• Requires states to pay within 180 days after receiving an invoice.
• Authorizes presidential rescission of discretionary federal grants to offset nonpayment.