[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 315 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
108th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 315
To support first responders to protect homeland security and prevent
and respond to acts of terrorism.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
February 5, 2003
Mr. Leahy (for himself, Mr. Daschle, and Mr. Reid) introduced the
following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on
the Judiciary
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To support first responders to protect homeland security and prevent
and respond to acts of terrorism.
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 ``First Responders Partnership Grant
Act of 2003''.
SEC. 2. PURPOSE.
The purpose of this Act is to support first responders to protect
homeland security and prevent and respond to acts of terrorism.
SEC. 3. FIRST RESPONDERS PARTNERSHIP GRANT PROGRAM FOR PUBLIC SAFETY
OFFICERS.
(a) In General.--The Director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance
is authorized to make grants to States, units of local government, and
Indian tribes to support public safety officers in their efforts to
protect homeland security and prevent and respond to acts of terrorism.
(b) Uses of Funds.--Grants awarded under this section shall be--
(1) distributed directly to the State, unit of local
government, or Indian tribe; and
(2) used to fund overtime expenses, equipment, training,
and facilities to support public safety officers in their
efforts to protect homeland security and prevent and respond to
acts of terrorism.
(c) Minimum Amount.--Unless all eligible applications submitted by
any State or unit of local government within such State for a grant
under this section have been funded, such State, together with grantees
within the State (other than Indian tribes), shall be allocated in each
fiscal year under this section not less than 0.75 percent of the total
amount appropriated in the fiscal year for grants pursuant to this
section, except that the United States Virgin Islands, American Samoa,
Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands shall each be allocated not less
than 0.25 percent.
(d) Maximum Amount.--A qualifying State, unit of local government,
or Indian tribe may not receive more than 5 percent of the total amount
appropriated in each fiscal year for grants under this section, except
that a State, together with the grantees within the State may not
receive more than 20 percent of the total amount appropriated in each
fiscal year for grants under this section.
(e) Matching Funds.--The portion of the costs of a program provided
by a grant under subsection (a) may not exceed 90 percent. Any funds
appropriated by Congress for the activities of any agency of an Indian
tribal government or the Bureau of Indian Affairs performing law
enforcement functions on any Indian lands may be used to provide the
non-Federal share of a matching requirement funded under this
subsection. The Director may waive, in whole or in part, the
requirement of this subsection in the case of fiscal hardship as
determined by the Director.
SEC. 4. APPLICATIONS.
(a) In General.--To request a grant under this Act, the chief
executive of a State, unit of local government, or Indian tribe shall
submit an application to the Director of the Bureau of Justice
Assistance in such form and containing such information as the Director
may reasonably require.
(b) Regulations.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance
shall promulgate regulations to implement this section (including the
information that must be included and the requirements that the States,
units of local government, and Indian tribes must meet) in submitting
the applications required under this section.
SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.
For purposes of this Act--
(1) the term ``public safety officer'' means any person
serving a public or private agency with or without compensation
as a law enforcement officer, as a firefighter, or as a member
of a rescue squad or ambulance crew;
(2) the term ``State'' means each of the 50 States, the
District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the
United States Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and the
Northern Mariana Islands;
(3) the term ``unit of local government'' means a county,
municipality, town, township, village, parish, borough, or
other unit of general government below the State level;
(4) the term ``Indian tribe'' has the same meaning as in
section 4(e) of the Indian Self-Determination and Education
Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 450b(e)); and
(5) the term ``law enforcement officer'' means any officer,
agent, or employee of a State, unit of local government, public
or private college or university, or Indian tribe authorized by
law or by a government agency to engage in or supervise the
prevention, detection, or investigation of any violation of
criminal law, or authorized by law to supervise sentenced
criminal offenders.
SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act
$4,000,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2004 and 2005.
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