BILL ANALYSIS H.B. 1544 By: Raymond State Affairs Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE According to the governor's office, Texas has spent over $11 billion on border security through Operation Lone Star. The bill author worked with several agencies to determine that from September 2001 to present day, Texas has spent over $20 billion on border security. The bill author informed the committee that maintaining the security of the border is a federal responsibility, and therefore, Texas should be reimbursed for those expenditures. H.B. 1544 seeks to address this issue by requiring the comptroller of public accounts to prepare and submit to the appropriate federal government agency an invoice for reimbursement of the funds Texas has spent on border security. CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS H.B. 1544 amends the Government Code, in provisions that expire August 31, 2027, to require the comptroller of public accounts, not later than the 30th day after the beginning of each state fiscal biennium, to do the following: determine the amount of money spent by the state on border security during the preceding state fiscal biennium; prepare an invoice requesting payment of the determined amount; and submit the invoice to the appropriate federal governmental agency for payment. The bill requires the comptroller, for the 2024-2025 state fiscal biennium, to take these actions not later than March 1, 2026, and to determine the amount of money spent by the state on border security to be the lesser of $20 billion or the amount of money spent by the state for that purpose during the period beginning September 1, 2001, and ending August 31, 2025. H.B. 1544 authorizes the comptroller to request the assistance of the Legislative Budget Board (LBB) in making such a determination and requires the LBB to provide the requested assistance. The bill requires the invoice to include the date the invoice is due, which must be at least six, but not more than eight, months after the date the invoice is submitted, and requires the comptroller to deposit the payment of an invoice paid on or before the due date in the state treasury to the credit of the general revenue fund. The bill requires the comptroller, if a submitted invoice is not timely paid, to certify the amount due as stated on the invoice to the attorney general, who is required to bring an action against the appropriate federal agency to recover the amount due as certified by the comptroller. The bill requires the comptroller to deposit any money received as a result of such an action in the state treasury to the credit of the general revenue fund. EFFECTIVE DATE On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2025.
BILL ANALYSIS
# BILL ANALYSIS
H.B. 1544
By: Raymond
State Affairs
Committee Report (Unamended)
H.B. 1544
By: Raymond
State Affairs
Committee Report (Unamended)
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE According to the governor's office, Texas has spent over $11 billion on border security through Operation Lone Star. The bill author worked with several agencies to determine that from September 2001 to present day, Texas has spent over $20 billion on border security. The bill author informed the committee that maintaining the security of the border is a federal responsibility, and therefore, Texas should be reimbursed for those expenditures. H.B. 1544 seeks to address this issue by requiring the comptroller of public accounts to prepare and submit to the appropriate federal government agency an invoice for reimbursement of the funds Texas has spent on border security.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS H.B. 1544 amends the Government Code, in provisions that expire August 31, 2027, to require the comptroller of public accounts, not later than the 30th day after the beginning of each state fiscal biennium, to do the following: determine the amount of money spent by the state on border security during the preceding state fiscal biennium; prepare an invoice requesting payment of the determined amount; and submit the invoice to the appropriate federal governmental agency for payment. The bill requires the comptroller, for the 2024-2025 state fiscal biennium, to take these actions not later than March 1, 2026, and to determine the amount of money spent by the state on border security to be the lesser of $20 billion or the amount of money spent by the state for that purpose during the period beginning September 1, 2001, and ending August 31, 2025. H.B. 1544 authorizes the comptroller to request the assistance of the Legislative Budget Board (LBB) in making such a determination and requires the LBB to provide the requested assistance. The bill requires the invoice to include the date the invoice is due, which must be at least six, but not more than eight, months after the date the invoice is submitted, and requires the comptroller to deposit the payment of an invoice paid on or before the due date in the state treasury to the credit of the general revenue fund. The bill requires the comptroller, if a submitted invoice is not timely paid, to certify the amount due as stated on the invoice to the attorney general, who is required to bring an action against the appropriate federal agency to recover the amount due as certified by the comptroller. The bill requires the comptroller to deposit any money received as a result of such an action in the state treasury to the credit of the general revenue fund.
EFFECTIVE DATE On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2025.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
According to the governor's office, Texas has spent over $11 billion on border security through Operation Lone Star. The bill author worked with several agencies to determine that from September 2001 to present day, Texas has spent over $20 billion on border security. The bill author informed the committee that maintaining the security of the border is a federal responsibility, and therefore, Texas should be reimbursed for those expenditures. H.B. 1544 seeks to address this issue by requiring the comptroller of public accounts to prepare and submit to the appropriate federal government agency an invoice for reimbursement of the funds Texas has spent on border security.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS
H.B. 1544 amends the Government Code, in provisions that expire August 31, 2027, to require the comptroller of public accounts, not later than the 30th day after the beginning of each state fiscal biennium, to do the following:
determine the amount of money spent by the state on border security during the preceding state fiscal biennium;
prepare an invoice requesting payment of the determined amount; and
submit the invoice to the appropriate federal governmental agency for payment.
The bill requires the comptroller, for the 2024-2025 state fiscal biennium, to take these actions not later than March 1, 2026, and to determine the amount of money spent by the state on border security to be the lesser of $20 billion or the amount of money spent by the state for that purpose during the period beginning September 1, 2001, and ending August 31, 2025.
H.B. 1544 authorizes the comptroller to request the assistance of the Legislative Budget Board (LBB) in making such a determination and requires the LBB to provide the requested assistance. The bill requires the invoice to include the date the invoice is due, which must be at least six, but not more than eight, months after the date the invoice is submitted, and requires the comptroller to deposit the payment of an invoice paid on or before the due date in the state treasury to the credit of the general revenue fund. The bill requires the comptroller, if a submitted invoice is not timely paid, to certify the amount due as stated on the invoice to the attorney general, who is required to bring an action against the appropriate federal agency to recover the amount due as certified by the comptroller. The bill requires the comptroller to deposit any money received as a result of such an action in the state treasury to the credit of the general revenue fund.
EFFECTIVE DATE
On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2025.