[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 95 (Thursday, June 4, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Page S2630]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 5786. Mr. LEE (for himself and Mr. Hagerty) submitted an amendment
intended to be proposed to amendment SA 5453 proposed by Mr. Thune (for
Mr. Graham) to the bill S. 2, to provide for reconciliation pursuant to
title II of S. Con. Res. 33; which was ordered to lie on the table; as
follows:
At the end of the amendment, add the following:
SEC. 204. REAL ID ENHANCEMENT FUND.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) REAL id-compliant.--The term ``REAL ID-compliant''
means a document that complies with the requirements set
forth in section 202 of the REAL ID Act of 2005 (division B
of Public Law 109-13; 49 U.S.C. 30301 note).
(2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Homeland Security.
(b) Establishment.--There is established, in the Department
of Homeland Security, a fund, which shall be known as the
``REAL ID Enhancement Fund'' (referred to in this section as
the ``Fund'').
(c) Purposes.--The Secretary shall use amounts appropriated
or otherwise made available for the Fund for grants to
eligible State, territorial, and Tribal agencies--
(1) to enhance, with an indication of citizenship, all REAL
ID-compliant driver's licenses and identification cards
issued by the State, territory or Tribe to their citizens or
members upon confirmation of the bearer's status as a United
States citizen;
(2) to carry out any work necessary to carry out the
requirement described in paragraph (1); and
(3) to provide REAL ID-compliant driver's licenses or
identification cards that are enhanced with an indication of
citizenship to each United States citizen who is residing in
each State or territory or is a member of such Tribe.
(d) Additional Appropriation.--In addition to amounts
otherwise available for the purposes described in subsection
(c), there is appropriated for fiscal year 2026, out of any
money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, to the
Department of Homeland Security for the Fund, $6,165,000,000,
which shall remain available until September 30, 2029, for
qualified expenses for such purposes.
(e) Eligibility.--The Secretary may provide grants from the
Fund to State and territorial agencies for expenditures made
for completed, ongoing, or new activities in support of the
purposes described in subsection (c).
(f) Application.--
(1) In general.--Each State or territorial agency seeking a
grant under this section shall submit an application to the
Secretary that contains such information in support of the
application as the Secretary may require, including--
(A) a description of the purposes for which the State
agency seeks such grant funds; and
(B) a description of the plans of the State or territory
for allocating such funds.
(2) Acceptance.--The Secretary shall begin accepting
applications for grants under this section not later than 90
days after the date of the enactment of this Act.
(g) Savings Provision.--Nothing in this section may
construed to authorize any State, territorial, or local
government to exercise authorities reserved exclusively to
the Federal Government under the Immigration and Nationality
Act (8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.) or the Homeland Security Act of
2002 (6 U.S.C. 101 et seq.).
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