# Understanding the Southern Border Communities Reimbursement Act of 2021

This bill sets aside $30 million per year for three years (2021, 2022, and 2023) to help communities near the U.S.-Mexico border pay for humanitarian assistance. The money is specifically meant to reimburse local organizations and governments for costs they've already spent or will spend helping migrants and asylum seekers, including providing emergency food, shelter, and emergency preparedness activities.

The funding is distributed with a focus on border states. Out of each year's $30 million, $25 million goes to Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas—the four states that directly border Mexico. The remaining $5 million goes to other states that aren't on the border but may also be helping migrants. The bill requires that money start getting distributed within 60 days, so communities don't have to wait long to receive reimbursement for expenses they've already covered.

For people living in border communities, this means local governments and nonprofits that have been spending their own money on humanitarian services could get federal reimbursement. For taxpayers in other states, this represents a federal investment in helping border communities manage the costs of migration. The bill essentially acknowledges that border communities have been absorbing significant expenses and provides federal funding to help offset those costs, though the $30 million annually is relatively modest compared to the total expenses these communities typically face.

Southern Border Communities Reimbursement Act of 2021

Cuellar, Henry

Southern Border Communities Reimbursement Act of 2021 This bill authorizes reimbursement to jurisdictions and organizations for the costs of providing humanitarian relief to aliens, including the cost of emergency preparedness activities. The reimbursement authorized under this bill shall be for FY2021-FY2023 and shall be distributed by the Emergency Food and Shelter Program National Board.