PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Congressional Research Service
No official summary is available in the imported record yet.
People & committees
Rep. Ciscomani, Juan [R-AZ-6] · R–AZ
Legislative record
A procedural vote is different from passage. Passage in one chamber does not establish enactment. Explore the glossary.
Subcommittee Hearings Held
Referred to the Subcommittee on Federal Lands.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Border Security and Enforcement.
Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committees on Agriculture, the Budget, and 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 Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committees on Agriculture, the Budget, and 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 Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committees on Agriculture, the Budget, and 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 Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committees on Agriculture, the Budget, and 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.
Source last updated: Sep 8, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
AI Conversation Starters
Choose a perspective, copy a prompt, and paste it into your preferred AI. Each prompt includes the bill version and available official source links, and asks for counterarguments as well as supporting evidence.
Analyze H.R.1820 as objectively as possible. Explain its main provisions, who would be affected, possible benefits and harms, implementation, exceptions, and uncertainties. Present the strongest arguments for and against it, and identify evidence needed to assess its public impact.
Examine H.R.1820 through a progressive lens, focusing on fairness, access, economic inequality, and effects on vulnerable communities. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and distinguish stated goals from demonstrated outcomes.
Examine H.R.1820 through a conservative lens, focusing on fiscal responsibility, institutional stability, federalism, and the scope of government. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and any provisions that challenge this perspective.
Examine H.R.1820 through a civil-liberties and limited-government lens. Consider individual rights, privacy, voluntary choice, accountability, and government power. Explain tradeoffs, possible safeguards, and the strongest counterarguments without assuming the proposal is beneficial or harmful.
PlainBill explanation
Based on the full Introduced in House · 2025-03-04 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.
This proposal would expand border-security roads, equipment, and access on federal lands, including wilderness areas. It would require cleanup of contamination from trespass cannabis growing, establish wildfire-prevention work, and strengthen certain environmental penalties. It would also bar federal funding for housing people the bill defines as not admitted under the referenced immigration law on lands managed by four federal agencies and revoke New York City’s Floyd Bennett Field lease. The underlying immigration-law definitions are not supplied, limiting assessment of exactly who would be covered. These are proposed requirements in the supplied introduced text; the supplied record does not establish enactment.
shall take such actions as may be necessary to inventory existing roads and install navigable roads on covered Federal lands
the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection may conduct the following activities within a wilderness area for the purpose of securing the international land borders of the United States
The Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior shall each carry out an initiative of environmental response to contamination resulting from the cultivation of cannabis by trespassers on land under the jurisdiction of the applicable Secretary
The purpose of the Initiative is to carry out vegetation management activities along the southern border
shall promulgate rules and regulations ensuring that the penalties and fines for carrying out, on covered Federal lands, the prohibited activities referred to in subsection (a) are escalated
The term specified alien means an alien who has not been admitted, as such terms are defined in section 101(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)).
The term Federal land management agencies means— (A) the National Park Service; (B) the Bureau of Land Management; (C) the United States Fish and Wildlife Service; and (D) the Forest Service.
No Federal funds may be used to provide housing to specified aliens on any land under the administrative jurisdiction of the Federal land management agencies, including through leases, contracts, or agreements.
The lease between the United States of America—United States Department of the Interior—National Park Service and the City of New York for the Premises known as Portions of Floyd Bennett Field, in the Jamaica Bay Unit of Gateway National Recreation Area (NPS Lease #L–GATE912–2023, Commencement Date—September 15, 2023) and the amendment to the lease dated September 13, 2024, are hereby revoked
2025-03-04: Introduced in House
Many provisions would apply to federally owned land in units whose outer boundary touches the U.S.–Mexico border and that are administered by five listed agencies. This definition excludes land held in trust for Indian Tribes. Other provisions use different geographic definitions, so this border limitation would not apply throughout the bill.
The term covered Federal lands means land— (i) owned by the United States; (ii) located in a unit that shares an exterior boundary with the southern border; and (iii) administered by— (I) the National Park Service; (II) the Bureau of Land Management; (III) the United States Fish and Wildlife Service; (IV) the Bureau of Reclamation; or (V) the Forest Service.
The term covered Federal lands does not include Federal lands held in trust for Indian Tribes.
The term southern border means the international border between the United States and Mexico.
within a wilderness area for the purpose of securing the international land borders of the United States
The proposal would supply no new authority to restrict lawful land uses or access, would have no force on state or private land, and would preserve U.S.–Tribal treaties and agreements. It would also preserve Homeland Security’s and the Defense Department’s ability to temporarily detain people covered by the bill’s housing provisions during border-security operations.
Nothing in this Act shall be construed to provide— (1) authority to restrict legal uses, such as grazing, timber harvesting, hunting, oil and gas development, mining, or recreation on land under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of Agriculture; or (2) any additional authority to restrict legal access to such land.
This Act has no force or effect on State or private lands, and nothing in this Act shall be construed as providing authority on, or access to, State or private lands.
Nothing in this Act supersedes, replaces, negates, or diminishes treaties or other agreements between the United States and Indian Tribes.
Nothing in this Act shall be construed as blocking, impeding, or deterring the ability of the Department of Homeland Security or the Department of Defense to temporarily detain specified aliens (as such term is defined in section 301) in furtherance of border security operations.
Interior and Agriculture, consulting Homeland Security, would inventory existing roads and install roads capable of carrying at least a standard vehicle. To the extent practicable, inventoried or installed roads would total at least 584 miles, lie within 10 miles of the southern border, and improve border-enforcement access. The text says completion must be “not less than 5 years” after enactment—no earlier than five years, rather than a five-year deadline.
The term Secretary concerned means— (A) the Secretary of the Interior, with respect to lands under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior; and (B) the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service, with respect to National Forest System lands.
The term navigable road means a continuous path— (A) able to accommodate at least a standard vehicle
The Secretary concerned, in consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security, shall take such actions as may be necessary to inventory existing roads and install navigable roads on covered Federal lands
The navigable roads installed or inventoried under subsection (b) shall be, to the extent practicable— (1) at least 584 miles total in length along the portions of the southern border that abut covered Federal lands; (2) positioned to optimize U.S. Customs and Border Protection access to, and enforcement capabilities along, the southern border; (3) not more than 10 miles from the southern border; and (4) completed not less than 5 years after the date of the enactment of this Act.
The agencies would maintain installed roads for vehicles and allow access for specified officials, emergency responders, other necessary personnel, and authorized uses. They would arrange fencing, surveillance, and related technology along those roads using the same implementation timeline. Road work would remain subject to applicable laws, expressly including the National Environmental Policy Act.
allow access to— (A) Department of Defense and U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel carrying out official duties; (B) local law enforcement officials carrying out official duties; (C) emergency response personnel carrying out official duties; (D) any other personnel the Secretary concerned deems necessary to carry out the purposes of the navigable roads described in subsection (b); and (E) approved or authorized uses of navigable roads along the southern border; and (2) maintain the navigable roads as necessary for vehicular travel.
shall enter into cooperative agreements with the Secretary of Homeland Security for the deployment of the most practical and effective fencing, surveillance, and related technology along the navigable roads being installed under this section
shall ensure security measures implemented pursuant to this subsection are in effect in accordance with the timeline established under subsection (c)(4).
shall ensure compliance with all applicable laws and regulations, including the National Environmental Policy Act (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and the amendments made to such statute by the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 (Public Law 118–5).
The Wilderness Act amendment would allow U.S. Customs and Border Protection to use vehicles, aircraft, equipment, roads, barriers, and other infrastructure in wilderness areas to secure U.S. international land borders. It would override other Wilderness Act provisions and laws or regulations specifically governing wilderness aircraft use. Activities would have to protect wilderness character to the extent possible.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection may conduct the following activities within a wilderness area for the purpose of securing the international land borders of the United States: (i) Access structures, installations, and roads. (ii) Execute search and rescue operations. (iii) Use motor vehicles, motorboats, and motorized equipment. (iv) Conduct patrols on foot and on horseback. (v) Notwithstanding any other law or regulation relating specifically to use of aircraft in a wilderness area or in the airspace above a wilderness area, use aircraft, including approach, landing, and takeoff. (vi) Deploy tactical infrastructure and technology. (vii) Construct and maintain roads and physical barriers.
Any activity conducted by the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection under subparagraph (A) shall be carried out in a manner that, to the extent possible, protects the wilderness character of the area.
States bordering Mexico could place movable, temporary border-security structures on covered federal land within their state without a special-use authorization if they give at least 45 days’ notice. Placement would initially last no more than one year. Extensions could run in 90-day increments; approval would be required if Customs and Border Protection determines that operational control has not been achieved.
The term Border State means a State that abuts the southern border.
the Secretary concerned shall not require a Border State to obtain a special use authorization for the temporary placement on covered Federal lands within the Border State of a movable, temporary structure for the purpose of securing the southern border, if the Border State submits to the Secretary concerned notice of the proposed placement not later than 45 days before the date of the proposed placement.
for a period of not more than 1 year, subject to paragraph (2).
The period described in paragraph (1) may be extended in 90-day increments, on approval by the Secretary concerned.
The Secretary concerned shall consult with the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection for purposes of determining whether to approve an extension
shall approve a request for an extension under this paragraph if the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection determines that operational control has not been achieved as of the date of the consultation
Interior and Agriculture could not impede Customs and Border Protection’s search-and-rescue or unlawful-entry prevention activities on covered federal lands within 100 miles of the southern border.
The Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of Agriculture may not impede, prohibit, or restrict activities of U.S. Customs and Border Protection on covered Federal lands located within 100 miles of the southern border, to execute search and rescue operations and to prevent all unlawful entries into the United States
The responsible land-management secretary would have to enter a cooperative agreement with Homeland Security to fulfill commitments in the agencies’ March 2006 border-security memorandum or a successor memorandum.
The Secretary concerned shall enter into a cooperative agreement with the Secretary of Homeland Security to fulfill the commitments in the Memorandum of Understanding Among U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Department of the Interior and U.S. Department of Agriculture Regarding Cooperative National Security and Counterterrorism Efforts on Federal Lands along the United States’ Borders, signed March 2006, or any succeeding memorandum of understanding.
Within 90 days after enactment, the responsible land-management secretary, coordinating with Homeland Security, would have to establish and implement policies addressing environmental damage attributed to people without lawful immigration status crossing covered border lands or being housed, illegally encroaching, or camping on Interior or national forest lands. In developing those policies, the secretary would have to consider policies and seek to implement best practices concerning trash, sensitive natural and archaeological resources, and wildlife habitat. The subtitle defines waste as human-created refuse disposed of without agency authorization or outside a collection receptacle.
Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary concerned, in coordination with the Secretary of Homeland Security, shall establish and implement policies and protocols to prevent and mitigate environmental degradation caused by aliens without lawful immigration status— (1) crossing the southern border on covered Federal lands; or (2) being housed, or otherwise illegally encroaching or camping, on National Forest System lands or lands under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior.
In developing the policies and protocols under subsection (a), the Secretary concerned shall consider policies and seek to implement best practices with respect to— (1) reducing trash accumulation, particularly in ecologically sensitive areas— (A) on covered Federal lands; or (B) where aliens without lawful immigration status are being housed, or are otherwise illegally encroaching or camping, on National Forest System lands or lands under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior; (2) addressing the destruction of sensitive natural and archaeological resources; and (3) addressing the destruction of wildlife habitat.
The term waste means any refuse, garbage, rubbish, trash, debris, or litter left or created by humans and disposed of— (A) without authorization from the Federal agency administering the area where the waste is found; or (B) outside of a waste collection receptacle.
Waste reports to Congress would begin within 180 days after enactment and continue annually, with later reports due within 90 days after the covered fiscal year ends. Reports would cover border lands and specified housing, camping, and illegal drug-growing sites; include waste weight, collection costs, habitat impacts, unauthorized routes, and fires from unauthorized human activity; and use outside collection data. Agencies would verify outside information as far as practicable and protect contributors’ identifying information.
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and for each fiscal year thereafter, the Secretary concerned shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on the amount of waste collected in the following areas: (1) Covered Federal lands. (2) Sites on National Forest System lands or lands under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior— (A) on which aliens without lawful immigration status are being housed, or are otherwise illegally encroaching or camping; or (B) used for the illegal cultivation of narcotics, including the cultivation of cannabis, by aliens without lawful immigration status.
The total amount of waste collected (in pounds) by employees and contractors of Federal agencies and the cost of collecting such waste
(4) The total number of acres of wildlife habitat impacted by waste. (5) The discovery of any unauthorized trails or roads. (6) The number of wildfires started as a result of unauthorized human activity, including fires started by aliens without lawful immigration status.
(A) collaborate in information gathering with State, local, nonprofit, and volunteer organizations and individuals assisting in waste collection efforts; and (B) to the maximum extent practicable, verify the information provided by such organizations and individuals.
shall take precautions to ensure the privacy of organizations and individuals submitting data for the purposes of this section and prevent the disclosure of personal identifiable information to the public.
Except for the first report submitted in accordance with subsection (a), the Secretary concerned shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees each fiscal year a report not later than 90 days after the last day of the fiscal year covered by the report.
People without lawful immigration status who violate the specified fire and sanitation rules on covered federal land would face the rules’ criminal penalties and fines. Within one year after enactment, agencies would have to increase penalties for the referenced prohibited activities by the lower of doubling the maximums or raising them as far as possible without exceeding one year in prison and $250,000. The increase instruction refers to prohibited activities, leaving uncertainty about whether the increased regulatory maximums would apply only to people without lawful immigration status. Agencies would enforce existing rules and report fine collections within 180 days and each fiscal year afterward.
The term applicable fire and sanitation regulations means the following provisions of the Code of Federal Regulations, as in effect on the date of the enactment of this Act
An alien without lawful immigration status who, while on covered Federal land, carries out an activity prohibited under applicable fire and sanitation regulations shall be subject to criminal penalties and fines authorized under such regulations.
Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary concerned shall promulgate rules and regulations ensuring that the penalties and fines for carrying out, on covered Federal lands, the prohibited activities referred to in subsection (a) are escalated, such that the lower of the following increases occurs: (1) The maximum term of imprisonment and fines are doubled. (2) The maximum term of imprisonment and fines are raised to the greatest extent possible, such that— (A) the maximum term of imprisonment does not exceed 1 year; and (B) the fine does not exceed $250,000.
The Secretary concerned shall enforce existing regulations regarding criminal penalties and fines authorized under such regulations
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and for each fiscal year thereafter, the Secretary concerned shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report detailing the total amount collected in fines under subsection (a).
Agriculture and Interior would each establish an initiative to investigate and clean up contamination from cannabis grown by trespassers on their lands, without an immigration-status condition. The agencies would perform necessary response work except work required of a potentially responsible party under a specified federal cleanup agreement. State waste-disposal fees would apply, and existing federal hazardous-substance cleanup obligations would remain in place.
The Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior shall each carry out an initiative of environmental response to contamination resulting from the cultivation of cannabis by trespassers on land under the jurisdiction of the applicable Secretary
The goals of each initiative shall include the detection, identification, assessment, investigation, monitoring, and development of solutions to, and response to, contamination resulting from the cultivation of cannabis by trespassers
Except with respect to a covered response action that is required to be taken by a potentially responsible party pursuant to an agreement under section 122 of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (42 U.S.C. 9622), the Secretary concerned shall carry out all necessary covered response actions on land under the jurisdiction of the Secretary concerned.
Fees and charges imposed by a State on the disposal of hazardous substances, pollutants, contaminants, improper pesticides, or refuse resulting from the cultivation of cannabis shall apply to covered response actions carried out under this section.
Nothing in this section affects— (1) the application of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (42 U.S.C. 9601 et seq.) to any activity that is a covered response action; or (2) any obligation or responsibility of any person or entity under such Act.
Cleanup agencies could obtain help through paid or other agreements with federal, state, and local agencies, Tribes, adjacent property owners, and nonprofit conservation organizations. Agreements could impose safety and data requirements and span no more than three fiscal years. They could not reimburse regulatory enforcement, change legally selected cleanup standards, or set cleanup levels inconsistent with the agency’s intended future land use.
may enter into agreements on a reimbursable or other basis with any other Federal agency, any State or local government agency, any Indian Tribe, any owner of adjacent property, or any nonprofit conservation organization to obtain the services of the agency, Indian Tribe, owner, or organization
Agreements under paragraph (1) may require approval and adherence to safety, data collection, monitoring, assessment, and reporting parameters set forth by the Secretary concerned.
An agreement under paragraph (1) may be for a period that begins in one fiscal year and ends in another fiscal year so long as the period of the agreement does not exceed three fiscal years.
An agreement under paragraph (1) may not— (A) provide for reimbursement for regulatory enforcement activities; or (B) with respect to a site— (i) change the cleanup standards selected for the site pursuant to law; or (ii) establish a cleanup level inconsistent with the future intended land use as determined by the Secretary concerned.
A surety providing a bid, performance, or payment bond for direct federal procurement of a covered cleanup contract would receive its contractor’s applicable indemnification and liability standard when beginning to fulfill bond obligations. Separate performance-bond restrictions would apply when federal law requires surety bonds for direct federal procurement of those contracts: claims on the performance bond would be limited to named obligees, and, unless the secretary provides otherwise in the bond, default liability would be limited to the cost of completing the specified contract work minus unpaid contract funds, up to the bond amount. Under that same federal-law requirement, bond liability would exclude compensation to the obligee for personal injury or property damage. Required, unwaived bonds under the cited procurement statutes would have to be issued in accordance with those statutes. The provisions would preserve state law and rights and obligations outside the bond, and would exclude bonds executed before December 5, 1991, and bonds required for response contracts under CERCLA section 119.
Any surety which provides a bid, performance, or payment bond in connection with any direct Federal procurement for a contract under this section to carry out a covered response action and begins activities to meet its obligations under such bond, shall, in connection with such activities or obligations, be entitled to any indemnification and the same standard of liability to which its principal was entitled under the contract or under any applicable law or regulation.
If under sections 3131 and 3133 of title 40, United States Code, surety bonds are required for any direct Federal procurement of any contract under this section to carry out a covered response action and are not waived pursuant to section 3134 of title 40, the surety bonds shall be issued in accordance with such sections 3131 and 3133.
If, under applicable Federal law, surety bonds are required for any direct Federal procurement of any contract under this section to carry out a covered response action, no right of action shall accrue on the performance bond issued on such contract to or for the use of any person other than an obligee named in the bond.
If, under applicable Federal law, surety bonds are required for any direct Federal procurement of any contract under this section to carry out a covered response action, unless otherwise provided for by the Secretary concerned in the bond, in the event of a default, the surety’s liability on a performance bond shall be only for the cost of completion of the contract work in accordance with the plans and specifications of the contract less the balance of funds remaining to be paid under the contract, up to the penal sum of the bond. The surety shall in no event be liable on bonds to indemnify or compensate the obligee for loss or liability arising from personal injury or property damage whether or not caused by a breach of the bonded contract.
Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed as— (I) preempting, limiting, superseding, affecting, applying to, or modifying any State laws, regulations, requirements, rules, practices, or procedures; or (II) affecting, applying to, modifying, limiting, superseding, or preempting any rights, authorities, liabilities, demands, actions, causes of action, losses, judgments, claims, statutes of limitation, or obligations under Federal or State law, which do not arise on or under the bond.
Subparagraphs (A) and (B) shall not apply to bonds executed before December 5, 1991.
Subparagraphs (A) and (B) shall not apply to bonds required with respect to response action contracts under section 119 of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (42 U.S.C. 9619).
The cannabis-cleanup section would authorize $16,037,000 annually for fiscal years 2026–2032; authorization permits future appropriations and does not itself supply that money. Separate Agriculture and Interior accounts would hold appropriated money and recovered cleanup costs. Account money could be used only for the applicable initiative and would remain available until spent.
To carry out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated $16,037,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2032.
There is hereby established in the Treasury of the United States an account to be known as the Trespass Cannabis Cultivation Site Response Account, Agriculture which shall consist of, with respect to land under the jurisdiction of the Forest Service— (i) amounts appropriated in advance with respect to such land under subsection (i); (ii) amounts recovered from a trespasser for the costs of covered response actions on such land related to the cultivation of cannabis on such land by the trespasser; and (iii) any other amounts recovered from a contractor, insurer, surety, or other person to reimburse the Department of Agriculture for the costs of covered response actions on such land related to the cultivation of cannabis on such land by a trespasser.
There is hereby established in the Treasury of the United States an account to be known as the Trespass Cannabis Cultivation Site Response Account, Interior which shall consist of, with respect to land under the jurisdiction of the Department of the Interior— (i) amounts appropriated in advance with respect to such land under subsection (i); (ii) amounts recovered from a trespasser for the costs of covered response actions on such land related to the cultivation of cannabis on such land by the trespasser; and (iii) any other amounts recovered from a contractor, insurer, surety, or other person to reimburse the Department of the Interior for the costs of covered response actions on such land related to the cultivation of cannabis on such land by a trespasser.
Funds authorized for deposit in an account under subparagraph (A)— (i) may be obligated or expended from the account only to carry out the applicable initiative, including to carry out covered response actions; and (ii) shall remain available until expended.
Cleanup-account appropriations generally could not pay penalties imposed on the responsible department. An exception would require both a violation arising from an account-funded activity and specific legal authorization to pay. The President’s proposed budget would separately identify requests for each cleanup initiative.
None of the funds appropriated to the Trespass Cannabis Cultivation Site Response Account, Agriculture may be used for the payment of a fine or penalty (including any supplemental environmental project carried out as part of such penalty) imposed against the Department of Agriculture unless the act or omission for which the fine or penalty is imposed arises out of an activity funded by the Trespass Cannabis Cultivation Site Response Account, Agriculture and the payment of the fine or penalty has been specifically authorized by law.
None of the funds appropriated to the Trespass Cannabis Cultivation Site Response Account, Interior may be used for the payment of a fine or penalty (including any supplemental environmental project carried out as part of such penalty) imposed against the Department of the Interior unless the act or omission for which the fine or penalty is imposed arises out of an activity funded by the Trespass Cannabis Cultivation Site Response Account, Interior and the payment of the fine or penalty has been specifically authorized by law.
In proposing the budget for any fiscal year pursuant to section 1105 of title 31, United States Code, the President shall set forth separately the amounts requested for each initiative.
The proposed replacement pesticide-law provision would set a maximum $1,000 fine, 30 days in prison, or both for knowing violations by private applicators or other people outside the referenced paragraph (1). A knowing violation committed during an offense under 18 U.S.C. 1361 would carry up to 10 additional years in prison. The supplied text does not reproduce that offense or paragraph (1).
Section 14(b)(2) of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (7 U.S.C. 136l(b)(2)) is amended to read as follows
Any private applicator or other person not included in paragraph (1) who knowingly violates any provision of this Act shall be fined not more than $1,000, or imprisoned for not more than 30 days, or both.
Any private applicator or other person not included in paragraph (1) who knowingly violates any provision of this Act during the commission of a Federal offense under section 1361 of title 18, United States Code, shall, in addition to the punishment provided under such section, be imprisoned for not more than 10 years.
The national-forest-law amendment would add penalties of up to $250,000, 20 years in prison, or both for violations of the referenced provisions or rules involving illegal cannabis cultivation on public lands using pesticides that violate federal pesticide law. The underlying provisions are not reproduced, limiting assessment of which violations this amendment would cover.
The Act of June 4, 1897 (16 U.S.C. 551; 30 Stat. 35), is amended by inserting Any violation of the provisions of this section, the sections referenced in the preceding sentence, or such rules and regulations, which involves the illegal cultivation of cannabis on public lands using pesticides which are not in compliance with the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (7 U.S.C. 136 et seq.) shall be punished by a fine of not more than $250,000 or imprisonment for not more than 20 years, or both.
A separate provision would impose up to $250,000, 20 years in prison, or both for federal pesticide-law violations connected to illegal cannabis cultivation on land administered by four named Interior agencies. It excludes Tribal trust land administered through the Bureau of Indian Affairs. These penalties would be additional to other applicable federal or state penalties.
Any person who violates the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (7 U.S.C. 136, et seq.) in connection with the illegal cultivation of cannabis on Federal land shall be subject to a fine of not more than $250,000 or imprisonment for not more than 20 years, or both.
Penalties under subsection (a) shall be in addition to applicable penalties under any other Federal or State law.
the term Federal land means any Federal land or an interest in land administered by the Secretary of the Interior acting through— (1) the Bureau of Indian Affairs (except land held in trust by the Secretary for the benefit of an Indian Tribe); (2) the Bureau of Land Management; (3) the National Park Service; or (4) the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
Within one year after enactment, Interior would establish a southern-border vegetation-management program intended to reduce wildfire risk and improve border enforcement and visibility. Required work would include reducing combustible vegetation, addressing problematic invasive or nonnative species, installing breaks in vegetation to hinder fire spread, and setting annual acreage targets. Priority would go to covered lands with roads built under section 101, with coordination among land managers and law enforcement.
Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior shall establish a program to be known as the Southern Border Fuels Management Initiative
The purpose of the Initiative is to carry out vegetation management activities along the southern border in order to— (1) reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire along the southern border and improve landscape resilience; (2) improve operational control of the southern border; and (3) improve visibility and sight lines along the southern border to increase safety for law enforcement.
the Secretary shall— (1) reduce hazardous fuels along the southern border; (2) address invasive or non-native species along the southern border that contribute to wildfire risk or decrease operation efficiency of border patrol operations; (3) install fuel breaks along the southern border; (4) set targets for acres to treat under the program for each fiscal year; and (5) prioritize fuels management on covered Federal lands on which navigable roads are constructed under section 101.
the Secretary shall coordinate and may enter into memorandums of understanding with the Forest Service, U.S. Border Patrol, and State, local, or Tribal law enforcement agencies.
The vegetation-management program would be authorized to receive $3,660,000 annually for fiscal years 2026–2032, subject to appropriations. The program would terminate seven years after enactment.
There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of the Interior to carry out this section $3,660,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2032.
The Initiative shall terminate 7 years after the date of the enactment of this Act.
Within 90 days after enactment, the responsible land-management secretary, coordinating with Homeland Security, would establish and implement policies addressing wildfires ignited by people without lawful immigration status and environmental damage caused by their crossings on covered federal land. Policy development would consider trash, threats to life and property, wildlife habitat, infrastructure, water resources, and sensitive natural and archaeological resources. These are mandated policy subjects, not evidence establishing the frequency or causes of actual incidents.
Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary concerned, in coordination with the Secretary of Homeland Security, shall establish and implement policies and protocols to mitigate, avoid, or prevent— (1) wildland fires ignited by aliens without lawful immigration status; and (2) environmental degradation on covered Federal lands caused by aliens without lawful immigration status crossing the southern border.
the Secretary concerned shall consider policies to— (1) reduce trash accumulation along the southern border, particularly in ecologically sensitive areas; (2) prevent the ignition of wildland fires by aliens without lawful immigration status, particularly in where there is a risk of— (A) loss of life or property; (B) damage to critical wildlife habitat; (C) damage to public infrastructure; and (D) degradation of watersheds or public water sources; (3) address the destruction of sensitive natural and archeological resources; and (4) address the destruction of wildlife habitat.
Within one year after enactment, agencies would report their fire and environmental policies, reported incidents attributed to people without lawful immigration status, burned acreage, cleanup estimates, apprehensions, locations, and additional needs. Within two years, the Comptroller General would update the November 2011 report on law-enforcement support for wildfire management and include every state bordering Mexico.
Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary concerned shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report that includes— (1) a description of the policies and protocols established under subsection (a); (2) a catalog of all reported incidents of environmental degradation and wildland fires ignited by aliens without lawful immigration status
(A) the number of acres burned and total number of fires ignited; (B) a description of each incident of environmental degradation and the total number of such incidents; (C) the estimated cost of cleaning up or remediating such environmental degradation; (D) the number of such aliens connected to each fire and whether or not they were apprehended; and (E) the area in which incidents of environmental degradation occurred, including areas congressionally designated for the protection of natural resources; and (3) additional resources or authorities necessary to mitigate, avoid, or prevent wildland fires and environmental degradation caused by aliens without lawful immigration status crossing the southern border.
Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall update its November 2011 report entitled Federal Agencies Could Better Utilize Law Enforcement Resources in Support of Wildland Fire Management Activities.
the Comptroller General shall include information on each Border State.
The term Border State means a State that abuts the southern border.
Federal money could not provide temporary or permanent encampments primarily sheltering people the bill defines as “specified aliens”—aliens who have not been “admitted” under the referenced immigration-law definitions—on National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service, or Forest Service land. Those immigration-law definitions are not reproduced, limiting assessment of exactly who falls within this category. The funding prohibition would include housing supplied through leases, contracts, or agreements. The bill’s separate protection for temporary border-security detention would still apply.
The term Federal land management agencies means— (A) the National Park Service; (B) the Bureau of Land Management; (C) the United States Fish and Wildlife Service; and (D) the Forest Service.
The term housing means a temporary or permanent encampment used for the primary purpose of sheltering specified aliens.
The term specified alien means an alien who has not been admitted, as such terms are defined in section 101(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)).
No Federal funds may be used to provide housing to specified aliens on any land under the administrative jurisdiction of the Federal land management agencies, including through leases, contracts, or agreements.
Nothing in this Act shall be construed as blocking, impeding, or deterring the ability of the Department of Homeland Security or the Department of Defense to temporarily detain specified aliens (as such term is defined in section 301) in furtherance of border security operations.
The bill would revoke New York City’s identified Floyd Bennett Field lease, which lists a September 15, 2023 commencement date, and its September 13, 2024 amendment. It would also revoke pre-enactment renewals, extensions, or substantially similar subsequent leases affecting any part of the field and prohibit them after enactment.
The lease between the United States of America—United States Department of the Interior—National Park Service and the City of New York for the Premises known as Portions of Floyd Bennett Field, in the Jamaica Bay Unit of Gateway National Recreation Area (NPS Lease #L–GATE912–2023, Commencement Date—September 15, 2023) and the amendment to the lease dated September 13, 2024, are hereby revoked, and a renewal or extension of the lease or a subsequent lease that is substantially similar and affects any portion or portions of Floyd Bennett Field is— (1) revoked if entered into before the date of the enactment of this Act; and (2) prohibited after the date of the enactment of this Act.
Interior and Agriculture would jointly report annually to Congress on the number and countries of origin of people defined as “specified aliens” who were housed on the four land-management agencies’ lands.
The Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture shall jointly submit to the appropriate congressional committees an annual report that includes— (1) the number of specified aliens that have been provided housing on any land under the administrative jurisdiction of the Federal land management agencies; and (2) information regarding the countries of origin of such specified aliens.
The term Federal land management agencies means— (A) the National Park Service; (B) the Bureau of Land Management; (C) the United States Fish and Wildlife Service; and (D) the Forest Service.
The supplied September 8, 2026 source snapshot records House introduction on March 4, 2025, referrals to Natural Resources, Agriculture, Budget, and Homeland Security, subcommittee referrals on March 4 and 5, and subcommittee hearings on March 11. These entries do not establish subsequent passage or enactment.
Source snapshot updated 2026-09-08T19:31:27Z. 2025-03-11: Subcommittee Hearings Held 2025-03-05: Referred to the Subcommittee on Federal Lands. 2025-03-04: Referred to the Subcommittee on Border Security and Enforcement. 2025-03-04: Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committees on Agriculture, the Budget, and 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.
2025-03-04: Introduced in House
A closer look
Reviewed version: Introduced in House · 2025-03-04. 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 policy rider attached to appropriations was identified after reviewing the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not establish absence in other versions or accompanying materials, or establish amendment attachment history.
Spending directed to particular recipients or places outside ordinary competitive or formula-based allocation.
None identified in the reviewed text
No congressionally directed spending for particular recipients or places outside general program allocation was identified after reviewing the complete supplied introduced text. Program authorizations alone are not earmarks. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not establish absence in other versions or resolve formal earmark status in absent accompanying materials.
Narrow exceptions, exemptions, or preferential treatment that warrant a closer look.
Findings to examine
The findings identify narrow exemptions and liability protections related to the bill’s main policies. This classification does not establish improper purpose.
States bordering Mexico would receive a specific exemption from special-use authorization for temporary border-security structures on covered federal land within their state, conditioned on 45 days’ advance notice. Initial placement would be limited to one year, but 90-day extensions would have to be approved when Customs and Border Protection determines operational control has not been achieved. This exemption supports the bill’s border-security policy.
The term Border State means a State that abuts the southern border.
the Secretary concerned shall not require a Border State to obtain a special use authorization for the temporary placement on covered Federal lands within the Border State of a movable, temporary structure for the purpose of securing the southern border, if the Border State submits to the Secretary concerned notice of the proposed placement not later than 45 days before the date of the proposed placement.
for a period of not more than 1 year, subject to paragraph (2).
The period described in paragraph (1) may be extended in 90-day increments, on approval by the Secretary concerned.
The Secretary concerned shall approve a request for an extension under this paragraph if the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection determines that operational control has not been achieved as of the date of the consultation required under subparagraph (B).
Sureties providing bid, performance, or payment bonds for direct federal procurement of covered cannabis-cleanup contracts would receive their contractor’s applicable indemnification and liability standard when beginning to fulfill bond obligations. Separately, when federal law requires surety bonds for direct federal procurement of these contracts, performance-bond claims would be limited to named obligees; unless the secretary provides otherwise in the bond, default liability would be limited to specified completion costs minus unpaid contract funds, up to the bond amount. Under that same federal-law requirement, bond liability would exclude compensation to the obligee for personal injury or property damage. These protections relate to the cleanup program, preserve state law and rights and obligations outside the bond, and exclude bonds executed before December 5, 1991, and bonds required for CERCLA section 119 response contracts. The absent underlying law limits assessment of how these protections compare with existing rules.
Any surety which provides a bid, performance, or payment bond in connection with any direct Federal procurement for a contract under this section to carry out a covered response action and begins activities to meet its obligations under such bond, shall, in connection with such activities or obligations, be entitled to any indemnification and the same standard of liability to which its principal was entitled under the contract or under any applicable law or regulation.
If, under applicable Federal law, surety bonds are required for any direct Federal procurement of any contract under this section to carry out a covered response action, no right of action shall accrue on the performance bond issued on such contract to or for the use of any person other than an obligee named in the bond.
If, under applicable Federal law, surety bonds are required for any direct Federal procurement of any contract under this section to carry out a covered response action, unless otherwise provided for by the Secretary concerned in the bond, in the event of a default, the surety’s liability on a performance bond shall be only for the cost of completion of the contract work in accordance with the plans and specifications of the contract less the balance of funds remaining to be paid under the contract, up to the penal sum of the bond. The surety shall in no event be liable on bonds to indemnify or compensate the obligee for loss or liability arising from personal injury or property damage whether or not caused by a breach of the bonded contract.
Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed as— (I) preempting, limiting, superseding, affecting, applying to, or modifying any State laws, regulations, requirements, rules, practices, or procedures; or (II) affecting, applying to, modifying, limiting, superseding, or preempting any rights, authorities, liabilities, demands, actions, causes of action, losses, judgments, claims, statutes of limitation, or obligations under Federal or State law, which do not arise on or under the bond.
Subparagraphs (A) and (B) shall not apply to bonds executed before December 5, 1991.
Subparagraphs (A) and (B) shall not apply to bonds required with respect to response action contracts under section 119 of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (42 U.S.C. 9619).
Full text preserved for this analysis. Legislative record snapshot: Sep 8, 2026. How PlainBill uses AI