AUSTIN – Gov. Rick Perry's homeland security czar would have to be confirmed by the Senate, and a much-criticized law-enforcement database on more than a million Texans would move out of the purview of the governor's office to the Texas Department of Public Safety, under legislation overwhelmingly approved by the House on Monday.

The massive border-security bill – which House Speaker Tom Craddick has called "one of the most important bills of the session to the state" – would allocate $103 million in border-security dollars to cities, counties and border sheriffs to combat human smuggling and drug trafficking.

Perry appointees in a newly created Border Security Council would oversee the funding grants, which will be doled out by the director of the State Office of Homeland Security – a new agency.

After emotional debate stretching over several weeks, the bill was approved 140-5. It now faces a final procedural vote today and then heads to the Senate.

"Mexican cartels take advantage of our porous border with Mexico to traffic drugs and other criminal activity throughout Texas and the rest of the United States," said Rep. David Swinford, the Dumas Republican who authored the bill. "Portions of our border with Mexico are controlled by drug lords where murder and crime is skyrocketing. We must take control of our border, and this legislation will get us closer to that goal."

Opponents said their constituents were concerned about parts of the bill they said might turn police officers into immigration agents. They also said that it still gives political offices too much control over law enforcement and doesn't offer any accountability for the counties that are awarded the money.

The legislation was Mr. Swinford's answer to the immigration debate in the Capitol and throughout the election season – without actually dealing with any issues regarding illegal immigration.

Mr. Swinford, who heads the State Affairs Committee, which deals with major issues, said the need was to combat drugs, crime and human trafficking that happens as a result of weak or insecure borders – not to pass legislation regarding immigration laws that would be struck down anyway.

"The focus of the bill was on border and border security, and we're focusing on criminal activities," Mr. Swinford said.

Attempts to add immigration-related amendments to the bill were rebuffed by Mr. Craddick.

"We've been shut out of this bill at every turn," said Rep. Leo Berman, R-Tyler. "Nearly a majority of the members on this floor consider [the legislation] to be half a bill."

Earlier versions had the database known as the Texas Data Exchange, or TDEx – which was originally controlled by the security czar, Steve McCraw – under the Texas Rangers but still managed by a division of Mr. Perry's office.

It was shifted to the DPS last week by a bipartisan coalition of more than 100 House members concerned about sensitive law-enforcement information being under the control of a political office.

Mr. McCraw's position currently falls in the governor's office, but the bill would turn the job into a political appointment – director of the State Office of Homeland Security – that would require Senate confirmation. He would be in charge of allocating money, which would also be used to draw down federal grants, under the oversight of the Border Security Council.

Critics say the setup creates a quid-pro-quo situation, in which county sheriffs that support the governor would get more money than those who don't.

An amendment by Rep. Rafael Anchiá, D-Dallas, sets up a public-integrity unit in the attorney general's office to investigate police who traffic in drugs and people.