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This bill would require the President to officially name certain airports near the U.S. northern or southern border as ports of entry. In simple terms, it is meant to make it easier for some border-area airports to handle customs and border crossings. The bill also says these airports would no longer have to pay a certain user fee that normally applies to some port operations. Only airports that meet several specific conditions would qualify, including being a primary airport, being within 30 miles of the border, and having a formal connection to a nearby land border crossing or seaport that helps them meet Customs and Border Protection standards.
- The airports must be “primary airports,” meaning they are major airports under federal law.
- They must be located within 30 miles of either the northern or southern U.S. land border.
- Each airport must have a formal legal link, such as a contract or local ordinance, with a nearby border crossing or seaport that is also within 30 miles.
- The airport must meet the number-based requirements used by U.S. Customs and Border Protection to decide whether a location can be a port of entry.
Official Summaries
Border Airport Fairness Act of 2025
This bill requires the President to designate certain primary airports near the border as ports of entry and terminate the user fee requirement for customs services at these airports.
Current Full Text
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 677 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 677
To require the designation of certain airports as ports of entry.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
February 20, 2025
Mr. Cruz (for himself, Mrs. Gillibrand, Mr. Cornyn, and Mr. Schumer)
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the
Committee on Finance
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the designation of certain airports as ports of entry.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Border Airport Fairness Act of
2025''.
SEC. 2. DESIGNATION OF CERTAIN AIRPORTS AS PORTS OF ENTRY.
(a) In General.--The President shall--
(1) pursuant to the Act of August 1, 1914 (38 Stat. 623,
chapter 223; 19 U.S.C. 2), designate each airport described in
subsection (b) as a port of entry; and
(2) terminate the application of the user fee requirement
under section 236 of the Trade and Tariff Act of 1984 (19
U.S.C. 58b) with respect to the airport.
(b) Airports Described.--An airport described in this subsection is
an airport that--
(1) is a primary airport (as defined in section 47102 of
title 49, United States Code);
(2) is located not more than 30 miles from the northern or
southern international land border of the United States;
(3) is associated, through a formal, legal instrument,
including a valid contract or governmental ordinance, with a
land border crossing or a seaport not more than 30 miles from
the airport; and
(4) through such association, meets the numerical criteria
considered by U.S. Customs and Border Protection for
establishing a port of entry, as set forth in--
(A) Treasury Decision 82-37 (47 Fed. Reg. 10137;
relating to revision of customs criteria for
establishing ports of entry and stations), as revised
by Treasury Decisions 86-14 (51 Fed. Reg. 4559) and 87-
65 (52 Fed. Reg. 16328); or
(B) any successor guidance or regulation.
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