Strong Ports, Strong Communities Act

Key Points

• This bill lets the Department of Homeland Security give grants to states, tribes, towns, and certain local utilities to fix local infrastructure tied to land border crossings.
• Projects can include roads and traffic fixes, water and wastewater systems, power and communications, and other upgrades within 25 miles of a land border crossing.
• Money can also go toward things like stronger border security at crossings, emergency readiness, and reducing pollution or other community problems caused by heavy border traffic.
• Most projects must cover at least 30% of the cost with non-federal money, but rural places (under 100,000 people) or security-critical projects could get that reduced or waived.
• Communities may be able to get reimbursed for eligible projects they already paid for going back to November 15, 2021, with the federal share up to 70% in many cases.