S.Amdt. 1325

SA 1325. Mr. KENNEDY submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill H.R. 2555, making appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2004, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

Beginning on page 58, line one, strike all text through page 60, line 4, and insert the following in lieu thereof:

office for domestic preparedness

state and local programs

For grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, and other activities, including grants to State and local governments for terrorism prevention activities, notwithstanding any other provision of law, $6,638,000,000, which shall be allocated as follows:

(1) $4,750,000,000 for grants pursuant to section 1014 of the USA PATRIOT ACT of 2001 (42 U.S.C. 3711), of which $3,500,000,000 shall be available for State and local law enforcement terrorism prevention grants: Provided, That no funds shall be made available to any State prior to the submission of an updated state plan to the Officer for Domestic Preparedness: Provided further, That the application for grants shall be made available to States within 15 days after enactment of this Act; and that States shall submit applications within 30 days after the grant announcement; and that the Office for Domestic Preparedness shall act on each application within 15 days after receipt: Provided further, That each State shall obligate not less than 80 percent of the total amount of the grant to local governments within 45 days of the grant award: Provided further, That in obligating funds to local governments, each State shall give priority consideration to funding requests submitted by elected executive officials of municipal governments;

(2) $80,000,000 for technical assistance;

(3) $1,450,000,000 for discretionary grants for use in high-threat urban areas, as determined by the Secretary of Homeland Security: Provided, That no less than 80 percent of any grant to a State shall be made available by the State to local governments within 45 days after receipt of the funds: Provided further, That section 1014(c)(3) of the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 (42 U.S.C. 3711) shall not apply to these grants; and

(4) $358,000,000 for national programs: Provided, That none of the funds appropriated under this heading shall be used for the construction or renovation of facilities: Provided further, That funds appropriated for State and local law enforcement terrorism prevention grants under paragraph (1) and discretionary grants under paragraph (3) of this heading shall be available for operational costs, to include personnel overtime and overtime associated with Office for Domestic Preparedness certified training as needed: Provided further, That the Secretary of Homeland Security shall notify the Committees on Appropriations of the Senate and the House of Representatives 15 days prior to the obligation of any amount of the funds provided under paragraphs (1) and (3) of this heading.

firefighter assistance grants

For necessary expenses for programs authorized by section 33 of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2201 et seq.), $900,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2005: Provided, That up to 5 percent of this amount shall be available for program administration.