PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Referred to the Subcommittee on Border Security and Enforcement.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in House · Feb 11, 2025
Operation Lone Star Reimbursement Act
This bill allows Texas to receive reimbursement for expenses incurred from 2021 through 2025 related to securing the southern U.S. border. Texas must submit these expenses to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of the Treasury. DHS must review the submission within 120 days and determine which expenses are eligible for reimbursement. Treasury must pay such reimbursable expenses within 60 days.
People & committees
Rep. Williams, Roger [R-TX-25] · R–TX
Legislative record
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Referred to the Subcommittee on Border Security and Enforcement.
Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Homeland Security, 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.
Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Homeland Security, 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.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We also preserved the text version used in the PlainBill explanation below.
No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: Mar 3, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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PlainBill explanation
Based on the full Introduced in House · 2025-02-11 text. This explanation has not received human editorial review. This overview describes the proposal’s major provisions; it does not establish what its real-world effects would be.
The proposed Operation Lone Star Reimbursement Act would require the federal government to reimburse Texas for approved expenses related to securing the southern U.S. border during 2021–2025. Texas’s governor would apply, the Department of Homeland Security would decide which expenses qualify, and the Treasury would pay the approved amount. These are proposed requirements, not evidence of an enacted reimbursement program.
This Act may be cited as the Operation Lone Star Reimbursement Act.
The Governor of Texas shall submit to the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary of the Treasury an application for reimbursement
a list of expenses incurred by the State of Texas for activities conducted relating to securing the southern international border of the United States during the years 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025
the Secretary of the Treasury shall pay to the State of Texas, out of any amounts in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, an amount equal to the total amount of expenses determined reimbursable.
The bill’s findings describe border security as primarily a federal responsibility and attribute Texas’s spending to insufficient federal action from January 20, 2021, through January 19, 2025. These are the proposal’s stated rationale, not independently established conclusions.
Congress finds the following: (1) The Federal Government is primarily responsible for securing the borders of the United States at and between ports of entry. (2) Due to the lack of border action by the Federal Government from January 20, 2021, to January 19, 2025, the State of Texas has been forced to continually appropriate funds to secure the southern border of the United States.
The findings state that Texas spent $11.1 billion on southern-border security. That figure is a stated spending total, not a fixed reimbursement award: the payment provision would instead pay the expenses determined eligible.
The amount the State of Texas spent on border security to combat the crisis at Texas’ southern border was $11.1 billion of Texas taxpayer funding.
an amount equal to the total amount of expenses determined reimbursable.
Texas’s governor would have to submit an application to both the Homeland Security and Treasury secretaries. It would have to list Texas’s expenses for southern-border security activities during 2021–2025 and give their total amount.
(a) Application for reimbursement The Governor of Texas shall submit to the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary of the Treasury an application for reimbursement, which shall include— (1) a list of expenses incurred by the State of Texas for activities conducted relating to securing the southern international border of the United States during the years 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025; and (2) the total amount of expenses incurred for such activities.
The Homeland Security secretary would have to review Texas’s application within 120 days of receiving it, determine which expenses qualify for reimbursement, and report the final decision to Congress.
(b) Application review The Secretary of Homeland Security must review the State of Texas’ application within 120 days after receival and determine what expenses that incurred are eligible for reimbursement and submit a report to Congress on the final decision.
The Treasury secretary would have to pay Texas the full approved amount within 60 days after the reimbursement decision is submitted to Congress. Payment would come from Treasury money not already allocated by law for another purpose; the provision directs payment rather than merely authorizing a future funding request.
(c) Reimbursement Not later than 60 days after the Secretary of Homeland Security has submitted the reimbursement decision to Congress, the Secretary of the Treasury shall pay to the State of Texas, out of any amounts in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, an amount equal to the total amount of expenses determined reimbursable.
The supplied actions snapshot, updated March 3, 2026, records introduction in the House on February 11, 2025, and referrals that day to the Judiciary Committee, Homeland Security Committee, and Subcommittee on Border Security and Enforcement.
Source snapshot updated 2026-03-03T02:35:02Z.
2025-02-11: Introduced in House
2025-02-11: Referred to the Subcommittee on Border Security and Enforcement.
2025-02-11: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Homeland Security, 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 closer look
Reviewed version: Introduced in House · 2025-02-11. These findings describe provisions and who may benefit; they are not judgments of waste, corruption, or motive.
This review covers the supplied bill text. “None identified” does not rule out provisions in later versions or accompanying reports and disclosures.
Provisions outside the bill’s main subject, or policy changes attached to appropriations.
None identified in the reviewed text
No unrelated provision or separate policy rider was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion applies only to that version, not to other versions or accompanying materials.
Spending directed to particular recipients or places outside ordinary competitive or formula-based allocation.
Findings to examine
The supplied text contains recipient-specific directed spending. Formal congressional earmark status remains uncertain without accompanying disclosure materials.
The proposal directs Treasury payments specifically to the State of Texas for approved reimbursements, rather than distributing funding through a competitive or multistate formula program. This is an earmark-like spending provision, although the supplied evidence does not establish formal earmark status.
the Secretary of the Treasury shall pay to the State of Texas, out of any amounts in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, an amount equal to the total amount of expenses determined reimbursable.
Narrow exceptions, exemptions, or preferential treatment that warrant a closer look.
Findings to examine
A narrow, state-specific financial benefit is identified in the supplied introduced text. This classification does not assess its merits.
Texas would receive a special federal reimbursement mechanism for its southern-border security expenses during 2021–2025. This geographically narrow benefit is the bill’s central policy.
a list of expenses incurred by the State of Texas for activities conducted relating to securing the southern international border of the United States during the years 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025
the Secretary of the Treasury shall pay to the State of Texas, out of any amounts in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, an amount equal to the total amount of expenses determined reimbursable.
Full text preserved for this analysis. Legislative record snapshot: Mar 3, 2026. How PlainBill uses AI