Sponsors (5)
The bill directs user fees into a dedicated Trust Fund to upgrade land port infrastructure and hire inspectors—speeding trade and border processing—but raises fees for travelers and importers, reallocates existing fee revenue away from other programs, and risks prioritizing commercial interests over equity and local environmental concerns.
Travelers, port users, small businesses, and freight operators will face shorter wait times and faster inspections because land port facilities are upgraded to handle higher commercial and vehicle volumes.
CBP officers and agricultural specialists will be funded for hiring, increasing processing capacity at ports and improving inspection speed and border operations.
Businesses that rely on cross‑border trade (importers, small exporters, and freight firms) will benefit economically from reduced inspection bottlenecks and faster trade flows.
Travelers, visa applicants, and importers will face higher out‑of‑pocket costs because portions of fees and new surcharges (up to ~$40, $6, and $20 in specified surcharges) are added or reallocated to the Trust Fund.
Importers, taxpayers, and other programs could lose resources because up to $1.6 billion of Merchandise Processing Fees and portions of customs fees are redirected to the Trust Fund unless appropriations offset the transfer.
Even though Trust Fund collections are invested, disbursement of those funds still depends on annual appropriations, so projects may be delayed or limited by Congress's budgeting decisions.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Creates a Treasury trust fund (effective FY2026) that directs parts of certain customs and immigration fees to finance land port of entry construction and modernization.
Introduced February 13, 2025 by Henry Cuellar · Last progress February 13, 2025
Creates a dedicated Treasury trust fund to pay for construction, modernization, repairs, and technology upgrades at U.S. land ports of entry and to support hiring of inspection and trade staff. The fund is fed beginning in FY2026 by specified shares of existing customs and immigration-related fee collections and by up to $1.6 billion of Merchandise Processing Fees; money in the Trust Fund is invested and is only available for use if later provided in advance by Congress through appropriations.