FLASH Act

This bill focuses on federal lands along the southern border. It adds road access and security tech so Border Patrol can reach and patrol remote areas more easily, including at least 584 miles of navigable roads placed within 10 miles of the border, with fencing and surveillance along those roads . It also lets Border Patrol use vehicles, aircraft, and other tools in wilderness areas for border security, while aiming to protect wilderness character. Border States could place temporary movable barriers on certain federal land with 45 days’ notice for up to one year, with 90‑day extensions if “operational control” has not been achieved; and the Interior or Agriculture Departments may not restrict Border Patrol operations on covered federal lands within 100 miles of the border. The bill also bans using federal lands to house migrants who have not been admitted and revokes a lease for a large temporary site at Floyd Bennett Field in New York City.

It targets trash, wildfire risk, and illegal cannabis grows on public lands. Within 90 days, agencies must set policies to reduce trash and other harm linked to crossings, then report yearly on waste collected and wildfires; penalties for breaking fire and sanitation rules on these lands are increased and tracked in annual reports . New cleanup programs would address toxic pesticides and other hazards from trespass cannabis grow sites, with dedicated accounts and funding through fiscal years 2026–2032; criminal penalties increase for illegal pesticide use and for violations tied to illegal cannabis grows on federal land, including up to 20 years in prison . A Southern Border Fuels Management Initiative would reduce wildfire risk by treating vegetation and installing fuel breaks along the border, funded through 2032 and ending seven years after enactment; agencies may coordinate with Border Patrol and State, local, and Tribal law enforcement on this work. The bill says it does not restrict legal uses like grazing, hunting, or recreation, does not affect State or private lands, and does not change Tribal treaties.

• Who is affected: U.S. Customs and Border Protection; the Interior and Agriculture Departments; Border States; and people on federal lands near the southern border. Housing on federal lands (including at Floyd Bennett Field in NYC) is directly restricted for people who have not been admitted to the U.S..
• What changes: More roads and technology near the border; Border Patrol access in wilderness areas; temporary state‑placed barriers on some federal lands; trash‑reduction policies and yearly waste/wildfire reports; higher fines for breaking fire and sanitation rules; cleanup programs and stronger penalties tied to illegal cannabis grows; new wildfire fuels management along the border; and a ban on using federal lands to house migrants who have not been admitted .
• When: Policies to reduce trash are due within 90 days; the first trash report is due in 180 days, then annually; fines reporting is annual; the fuels‑management program must be set up within one year and runs seven years; related funding authorizations run through fiscal years 2026–2032; temporary barriers can last up to one year with 90‑day extensions if needed .