Referred to the House Committee on Appropriations.
Congressional Research Service
Official summary
Version 00 · Introduced in House · Mar 11, 2025
Homeland Heroes Pay Act
This bill provides continuing appropriations for the salaries and expenses of certain U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers and agents during any lapse in appropriations (i.e., government shutdown).
If a lapse in appropriations occurs, the bill provides continuing appropriations for the salaries and expenses of (1) CBP officers and agents who are performing mission critical functions at U.S. southwest, northern, and maritime border ports of entry, and between such ports of entry; and (2) ICE officers and agents who conduct immigration enforcement and investigations of criminal operations and organizations.
No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: Jun 30, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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PlainBill explanation
Read the proposal in plain language
AI-generated · Source-checked by AI · Nov 7, 2026
Based on the full Introduced in House · 2025-03-11 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.
What it would do
The proposed Homeland Heroes Pay Act would fund salaries and expenses for specified federal border and immigration agents and officers during gaps in funding that Congress normally provides through appropriations laws. It covers specified border protection, immigration enforcement and criminal investigation work. The funding would apply to lapses occurring on or after enactment and would end when Congress enacted applicable funding legislation, including legislation that omitted funding for the covered purpose.
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This Act may be cited as the Homeland Heroes Pay Act.
There are appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, such sums as are necessary to pay, during the period of any lapse in discretionary appropriations occurring on or after the date of the enactment of this Act, the salaries and expenses of—
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and agents who conduct— (A) immigration enforcement, including detaining and removing aliens (as defined in section 101 of the Immigration and Nationality Act); and (B) investigations of criminal operations and organizations
Appropriations and funds made available and authority granted pursuant to this section shall be available until whichever of the following first occurs: (1) The enactment into law of an appropriation (including a continuing appropriation) for any purpose for which amounts are made available in subsection (a). (2) The enactment into law of the applicable regular or continuing appropriations resolution or other Act without any appropriation for such purpose.
The bill would directly provide as much funding as necessary for the covered salaries and expenses, using Treasury money not already appropriated for another purpose. It specifies no fixed dollar amount.
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There are appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, such sums as are necessary to pay
The proposed funding would cover periods when discretionary appropriations lapse—that is, when funding Congress normally supplies through appropriations laws expires. It would apply to any such lapse occurring on or after enactment.
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during the period of any lapse in discretionary appropriations occurring on or after the date of the enactment of this Act
Covered Customs and Border Protection personnel would be agents and officers performing mission-critical functions at and between ports of entry along the Southwest, Northern and maritime borders. The listed functions concern preventing terrorists, terrorist weapons, people entering unlawfully, illicit drugs and other illegal goods from entering.
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U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents and officers who are performing mission critical functions at United States Southwest, Northern, and maritime border ports of entry, and between such ports of entry, including preventing terrorists, terrorists weapons, illegal aliens, illicit drugs, and other illegal contraband
For Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and agents, the bill lists immigration enforcement, including detention and removal, and investigations of criminal operations and organizations. Its investigation examples include illegal trade in goods, weapons and drugs, as well as human smuggling and trafficking.
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U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and agents who conduct— (A) immigration enforcement, including detaining and removing aliens (as defined in section 101 of the Immigration and Nationality Act); and (B) investigations of criminal operations and organizations, including— (i) the illegal trade of contraband such as goods, weapons, and drugs; and (ii) the smuggling and trafficking of people.
The funding and authority would terminate at the first of two events: enactment of an appropriation for any covered purpose, including temporary funding through a continuing appropriation; or enactment of the applicable regular or continuing appropriations measure or other law without funding for that purpose.
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Appropriations and funds made available and authority granted pursuant to this section shall be available until whichever of the following first occurs: (1) The enactment into law of an appropriation (including a continuing appropriation) for any purpose for which amounts are made available in subsection (a). (2) The enactment into law of the applicable regular or continuing appropriations resolution or other Act without any appropriation for such purpose.
The supplied official-actions snapshot, updated June 30, 2025, records introduction in the House and referral to the House Committee on Appropriations on March 11, 2025.
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Source snapshot updated 2025-06-30T17:55:09Z.
2025-03-11: Referred to the House Committee on Appropriations.
2025-03-11: Introduced in House
Reviewed version: Introduced in House · 2025-03-11. 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 change attached to appropriations was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not establish absence in other versions or accompanying materials.
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 meeting the review definition was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version; formal earmark status cannot be fully assessed without accompanying materials.
Other targeted benefits
Narrow exceptions, exemptions, or preferential treatment that warrant a closer look.
None identified in the reviewed text
No separate narrow carve-out, special exemption or preferential exception was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. Coverage of the proposal's intended employee beneficiaries alone does not warrant a finding. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not establish absence in other versions or accompanying materials.
What this analysis cannot establish
This analysis covers the supplied full introduced text. The dated actions snapshot does not establish later advancement, amendments or enactment; the provisions are described as proposals.
The source bundle provides no cost estimate or number of employees covered. The bill does not define mission-critical functions or specify a process for deciding which employees qualify.
The Immigration and Nationality Act definition incorporated by reference is not supplied, limiting analysis of that definition's scope.
No earmark disclosures, member requests, committee reports or conference materials are supplied, limiting assessment of formal earmark status.
Full text preserved for this analysis. Legislative record snapshot: Jun 30, 2025. How PlainBill uses AI