[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1444 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1444

  To establish a grant program to install safety devices and improve 
                     safety at convenience stores.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 24, 1997

Mr. Kennedy of Massachusetts (for himself, Mr. Olver, Mr. Serrano, Mr. 
 Towns, Mr. Underwood, Mr. Thompson, Ms. Brown of Florida, Mr. Fox of 
 Pennsylvania, Mr. Frost, Mr. Faleomavaega, Mr. McGovern, Mr. Dellums, 
 and Mr. Bishop) introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
                     the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To establish a grant program to install safety devices and improve 
                     safety at convenience stores.

    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 ``Mom and Pop Protection Act''.

SEC. 2. PROGRAM AUTHORITY.

     (a) In General.--The Attorney General may provide grants to States 
to establish a loan program for convenience store owners to install 
security devices and improve safety in convenience stores.
    (b) Payment and Interest Rate.--The State shall determine a 
repayment schedule of not more than 5 years and an interest rate not to 
exceed 3 percent for convenience store owners to cover administrative 
expenses for the State.

SEC. 3. STATE APPLICATION.

    To receive a grant under this Act, the chief executive officer of a 
State shall submit an application, at such time, in such manner and 
form as the Attorney General may prescribe that includes an assurance 
from the chief executive officer that the State shall develop a process 
of certification and review to ensure that funds received under this 
Act are used only for the purpose of installing safety devices in 
convenience stores.

SEC. 4. ELIGIBILITY FOR LOANS.

    (a) In General.--To be eligible to receive a loan from a State, a 
convenience store owner shall submit an application to the State which 
includes--
            (1) an assurance that security devices purchased from funds 
        received under this Act shall be used to install security 
        devices not later than 30 days after receipt of such funds;
            (2) if practicable, an assurance that each such store owner 
        will maintain an unobstructed view of the cash register from 
        the exterior of the store, removing any material that obstructs 
        such view; and
            (3) an assurance from each owner that such owner will repay 
        a loan from the State in not less than 5 years.
    (b) Eligibility.--To be eligible to receive a loan from a State, a 
convenience store shall meet the following qualifications:
            (1) The owner may not own more than 5 convenience stores.
            (2) The gross receipts of any store may not exceed $700,000 
        for the preceding fiscal year, excluding proceeds from the sale 
        of gasoline.
    (c) State Minimum.--A State that receives a grant under this Act 
shall receive not less than $200,000.

SEC. 5. USES OF FUNDS.

    A loan received under this Act shall be used to install the 
following:
            (1) A video security system capable of 24-hour 
        surveillance.
            (2) A drop safe or cash management device with restricted 
        access and posters that indicate not more than $50 is 
        accessible to store personnel.
            (3) A silent alarm system to alert local law enforcement 
        officers of a problem.
            (4) Height markers at store exits.

SEC. 6. DETERMINATION TO TERMINATE PROGRAM.

    (a) Termination.--The Attorney General shall, by notice in the 
Federal Register, terminate the State loan program once the Attorney 
General determines that a sufficient number of eligible convenience 
stores has had the opportunity to apply for a loan from a State.
    (b) Notice.--Not later than 60 days after publication of such 
termination is published in the Federal Register, the State shall 
provide notice to convenience store owners regarding such termination.
    (c) Remaining Funds.--Any funds, excluding the amount of interest 
collected, that a State receives as repayment from a convenience store 
owner after the date that the Attorney General terminates the State 
loan program shall be used by such State for law enforcement purposes.

SEC. 7. DEFINITIONS.

    For purposes of this Act--
            (1) the term ``convenience store'' includes a retail store 
        that may sell fast foods, beverages, dairy products, 
        publications, grocery items, snacks, some nonfood items, and 
        gasoline; and
            (2) the term ``State'' means each of the 50 States, the 
        Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, the 
        United States Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the 
        Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

SEC. 8. REPORT.

    The chief executive officer of a State that receives a grant under 
this Act shall submit an annual report to the Attorney General 
regarding the number of loans, locations, amounts, terms, and repayment 
record of convenience stores in such State that receive funds under 
this Act.

SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATION.

    There are authorized to be appropriated for fiscal year 1998 
$50,000,000 to carry out this Act.
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