To provide the Secretary of Homeland Security with the authority to transfer funds between accounts under the Department of Homeland Security during a lapse in appropriations, and for other purposes.
Summary
What This Bill Does
H.R. 7844 gives the Homeland Security Secretary temporary transfer authority during a lapse in DHS appropriations. The Secretary may move unobligated funds appropriated under sections 90005 or 90007 of Public Law 119-21 and unobligated funds otherwise provided by that law for Immigration and Customs Enforcement or Customs and Border Protection into other DHS accounts.
The authority cannot be used to transfer money into the Office of the Secretary and Executive Management, ICE, or CBP. Those components can therefore supply eligible unobligated funds but cannot receive transferred funds under this section. The transferred money also may not be used to appoint anyone to a vacant DHS position.
The bill permits transfers only during a DHS appropriations lapse and only from the listed Public Law 119-21 funding sources. It does not create new budget authority, authorize transfers of obligated funds, waive the substantive purposes and restrictions that continue to govern the money unless otherwise displaced, or guarantee support for a particular receiving component. The Secretary chooses whether, where, and how much to transfer within the stated limits.
Who Benefits and How
DHS components outside the three barred recipient accounts may receive operating resources during a shutdown. Programs involving transportation security, cybersecurity, emergency response, maritime security, or other DHS missions may avoid disruption if selected. Members of the public using those services may face fewer shutdown delays, and the Secretary gains flexibility to direct existing resources toward immediate continuity needs.
Who Bears the Burden and How
ICE, CBP, and programs originally funded by the listed reconciliation provisions may lose unobligated resources available for planned work. DHS budget staff must trace transfers and ensure recipient and hiring restrictions are followed. Congress loses some control supplied by account-specific appropriations. Vacant DHS positions remain unavailable for transferred funding, and oversight bodies must assess whether shifted funds remain consistent with other legal conditions.
Key Provisions
- Authorizes DHS fund transfers during an appropriations lapse.
- Limits transfers to specified unobligated Public Law 119-21 funds.
- Allows eligible funds to support other DHS accounts.
- Prohibits transfers into the Office of the Secretary.
- Prohibits transfers into ICE accounts.
- Prohibits transfers into CBP accounts.
- Bars transferred funds from filling vacant positions.
- Provides no new appropriation or guaranteed receiving account.
- Requires all transfers to occur during a DHS funding lapse.
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Allows the Homeland Security Secretary during a DHS funding lapse to move specified unobligated 2025 reconciliation-law funds into other DHS accounts, while barring transfers into executive management, ICE, or CBP and barring use of transferred funds to fill vacancies.
Key Policy Areas
Government Shutdowns, DHS Fund Transfers, Immigration Enforcement Funding, Departmental Operations, Appropriations Flexibility
Primary Purpose
Allows the Homeland Security Secretary during a DHS funding lapse to move specified unobligated 2025 reconciliation-law funds into other DHS accounts, while barring transfers into executive management, ICE, or CBP and barring use of transferred funds to fill vacancies.
Policy Domains
Section 1 limited DHS account transfers during an appropriations lapse
Identified Gains
- Eligible DHS components receiving transferred funds
- DHS programs maintaining shutdown operations
- Travelers using funded security services
- Cybersecurity programs selected for continuity
- Emergency-response programs selected for continuity
- Homeland Security Secretary directing lapse resources
Identified Costs
- ICE programs losing unobligated funds
- CBP programs losing unobligated funds
- Original reconciliation-law program beneficiaries
- DHS budget staff documenting transfers
- Congressional appropriators losing account control
- Applicants for vacant DHS positions
- Oversight officials reviewing transferred funds
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
In CommitteeReferred to the Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Accountability.
Referred to the Committee on Homeland Security, and in addition …
Introduced in House
Mr. Peters (for himself and Mr. Horsford) introduced the following …
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
CBP programs supplying unobligated funds, Congressional appropriators, DHS oversight officials
Positive-direction: DHS programs maintaining shutdown operations, Eligible DHS recipient components, Homeland Security Secretary
Negative-direction: CBP programs supplying unobligated funds, Congressional appropriators, DHS oversight officials, DHS transfer-accounting staff, ICE programs supplying unobligated funds, Original reconciliation-program beneficiaries
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "excluded_hire"
- → Candidate for a vacant DHS position
- "budget_official"
- → DHS official documenting an account transfer
- "source_component"
- → ICE or CBP account holding eligible unobligated funds
- "transfer_official"
- → Secretary of Homeland Security
- "recipient_component"
- → DHS component eligible to receive a transfer
Note: {'scope_ids': ['dhs_shutdown_transfer_authority'], 'description': 'The bill reallocates existing unobligated funds only during a lapse, creates no new appropriation, excludes three recipient accounts and new hires, and leaves the Secretary discretion over eligible recipients and transfer amounts.'}
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
The rule preventing transferred funds from being used to appoint an individual to an unfilled DHS position.
Uncommitted money from specified Public Law 119-21 sections or amounts provided by that law for ICE or CBP.
Accounts of the Office of the Secretary and Executive Management, ICE, and CBP, which may not receive a transfer.
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology