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H.R. 812: Security First Act

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H.R. 812: Security First Act

117th Congress · introduced 2021-02-04 · Immigration · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2021-02-04 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Rep. Gonzales, Tony [R-TX-23] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
  5. If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Security First Act

Plain summary

Security First Act This bill provides statutory authorization for the Operation Stonegarden program from FY2022 through FY2025 and contains other provisions related to border security. (Operation Stonegarden provides grants to enhance the border security capabilities of state, local, and tribal governments.) From FY2022 through FY2025, the money from unreported monetary instruments seized from individuals crossing the U.S.-Mexico border and transferred into the Department of the Treasury general fund shall be made available without further appropriation to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to fund Operation Stonegarden. DHS shall report to Congress on (1) DHS hiring practices from 2017 to 2020, and (2) whether certain Mexican drug cartels meet the criteria to be designated as foreign terrorist organizations. DHS shall also periodically report to Congress about the technology needed to secure the U.S.-Mexico land border.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Security First Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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The strongest published arguments

Arguments for (supporters)

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Arguments against (opponents)

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Gonzales, Tony [R-TX-23] · 15 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Pete Sessions (R-TX), Troy E. Nehls (R-TX), Ronny Jackson (R-TX), Stephanie I. Bice (R-OK), Beth Van Duyne (R-TX), Tracey Mann (R-KS), Jim Banks (R-IN), Kevin Hern (R-OK), Ashley Hinson (R-IA), Randy Feenstra (R-IA), Pete Stauber (R-MN), Jake Ellzey (R-TX)

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (5)
Appropriation
Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
Authorization
A law that creates or continues a government program and says what it may do, often with a suggested spending ceiling. An authorization alone does not provide money; a separate appropriation does.
Bill
A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
Securities
Financial investments that can be bought and sold, such as stocks and bonds.
Statute
A written law passed by a legislature. A statute can be changed by a later law; changing a constitution needs an amendment.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong117-hr812 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong117 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong117