[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3161 Introduced in House (IH)]







107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3161

 To direct the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to 
  provide grants to local governments and emergency response units to 
    develop plans for a clearly defined and coordinated response to 
 emergencies, and to provide grants to police and fire departments for 
                       counterterrorism training.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 23, 2001

Mr. Larson of Connecticut (for himself, Mr. Baldacci, Mr. Pascrell, Mr. 
Doyle, Mr. Weldon of Pennsylvania, Mrs. Jones of Ohio, Mr. Frank, Mrs. 
 Thurman, Mr. Wu, Ms. Jackson-Lee of Texas, Mr. Taylor of Mississippi, 
 Mrs. McCarthy of New York, Mr. Weiner, Mr. Langevin, Mr. Wexler, Mr. 
Delahunt, Mr. Olver, Mr. Holden, Mr. Cramer, Mr. Hoeffel, Mr. Holt, Mr. 
Kanjorski, Mr. Crowley, Mr. Stupak, Mr. Hill, Ms. Schakowsky, Mr. Ross, 
Mr. Abercrombie, Mr. Hinchey, Mr. Brady of Pennsylvania, Mr. Honda, Mr. 
 Reyes, Mr. Clyburn, Mr. Gonzalez, Mr. Fattah, Mr. Borski, Mr. Allen, 
Mr. Clay, Mr. Udall of Colorado, Mr. Cummings, Mr. Edwards, Mr. Sawyer, 
 Mr. Baca, Mr. Shows, Mr. Bishop, Mr. Mascara, Mr. Meeks of New York, 
 Mr. Kennedy of Rhode Island, Mr. Underwood, Ms. McCarthy of Missouri, 
 Mr. Moore, Mr. Wynn, Mr. George Miller of California, Mr. Filner, Mr. 
  McDermott, Mr. John, Mr. McGovern, Mr. Tierney, Mr. Ackerman, Mrs. 
Christensen, Mr. Kind, Ms. Pelosi, Mr. Lampson, Mr. Farr of California, 
Ms. Eshoo, Mrs. Capps, Ms. Millender-McDonald, Mr. Israel, Ms. DeLauro, 
   Mr. Turner, and Ms. Lee) introduced the following bill; which was 
referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in 
addition to the Committees on Science, and the Judiciary, for a period 
    to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
                          committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To direct the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to 
  provide grants to local governments and emergency response units to 
    develop plans for a clearly defined and coordinated response to 
 emergencies, and to provide grants to police and fire departments for 
                       counterterrorism training.

    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 ``Municipal Preparation and Strategic 
Response Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act, the following definitions apply:
            (1) Emergency response unit.--The term ``emergency response 
        unit'' means a State or local emergency response unit, 
        including any fire department, police department, sheriff's 
        office, paramedic unit, local public health unit, or hospital, 
        or any other entity determined by a State or unit of local 
        government to be essential to emergency response and 
        preparedness.
            (2) Unit of local government.--The term ``unit of local 
        government'' includes any city, county, town, borough, tribe, 
        or other municipality or consortia of local governments.

SEC. 3. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds that--
            (1) in the event of a catastrophe or an attack on the 
        Nation, emergency response units are the first to respond to 
        the scene and thereby take the greatest risks, underscoring the 
        need for a coordinated response to an emergency;
            (2) potential contamination of reservoirs, water supplies, 
        sewers, and food supplies, as well as the potential release of 
        biochemical agents and contaminants are a threat to front line 
        rescuers and appropriate protocols and procedures must be 
        established;
            (3) the potential threats of a disruption of communications 
        and other high technology systems through the use of electronic 
        warfare techniques must be identified and appropriate protocol 
        and procedures must be established; and
            (4) there is a clear and present need to coordinate a 
        response to terrorism-related emergencies among emergency 
        response units and between local, State, and Federal agencies.

SEC. 4. GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--The Director of the Federal Emergency Management 
Agency shall make grants on a competitive basis to units of local 
government and emergency response units.
    (b) Use of Grants.--Grants made under this section shall be used 
to--
            (1) develop strategic response plans that--
                    (A) provide for a clearly defined and unified 
                response to a terrorist attack or other catastrophe;
                    (B) coordinate the activities and procedures of 
                various emergency response units;
                    (C) define the relationship, roles, 
                responsibilities, jurisdictions, command structures, 
                and communication protocols of emergency response 
                units;
                    (D) coordinate response procedures with similar 
                emergency response units in neighboring units of local 
                government as well as with State and Federal agencies;
                    (E) identify potential local targets of terrorism 
                and include specific response procedures for each 
                potential target;
                    (F) assess and address threats and outline 
                coordinated response procedures; and
                    (G) identify areas where additional training, 
                equipment, or other assistance is needed to implement 
                such procedures;
            (2) prepare and issue reports to units of local government, 
        State legislatures, and Congress that include recommendations 
        for specific legislative action; and
            (3) conduct public forums or other appropriate activities 
        to educate the public about--
                    (A) potential threats and steps the public can take 
                to prepare for them;
                    (B) the contents of the strategic response plans;
                    (C) how to communicate with authorities in the 
                event of an emergency;
                    (D) the location of safe public assembly areas or 
                other emergency shelters; and
                    (E) other appropriate information.

SEC. 5. STATE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATORS.

    The Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency shall 
designate for each State a representative of the Federal Emergency 
Management Agency to--
            (1) advise and assist units of local government with the 
        development of strategic response plans;
            (2) act as a liaison between units of local government and 
        the Federal Government; and
            (3) coordinate the sharing of information about Federal 
        Government initiatives and protocol.

SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated for fiscal year 2002 
$1,000,000,000 to carry out this Act. Such sums shall remain available 
until expended.

SEC. 7. FIREFIGHTER COUNTERTERRORISM GRANTS.

    (a) Grants for Counterterrorism Training.--Section 33(b)(3) of the 
Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2229(b)(3)) 
is amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (M) by striking ``or'' at the end;
            (2) in subparagraph (N) by striking the period at the end 
        and inserting ``; or''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
                    ``(O) to fund counterterrorism training and provide 
                related equipment.''.
    (b) Special Rule.--Section 33(b)(6) of such Act (15 U.S.C. 
2229(b)(6)) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
subparagraph:
                    ``(C) Exemption.--This paragraph shall not apply to 
                grants that are made exclusively for the purposes 
                described in paragraph (3)(O).''.
    (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--Section 33 of such Act (15 
U.S.C. 2229) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
subsection:
    ``(f) Authorization for Counterterrorism Programs.--In addition to 
amounts authorized under subsection (e), there are authorized to be 
appropriated for fiscal year 2002 $250,000,000 for grants to be used 
exclusively for the purposes described in subsection (b)(3)(O). Such 
sums shall remain available until expended.''.

SEC. 8. LAW ENFORCEMENT COUNTERTERRORISM GRANTS.

    (a) Grants for Counterterrorism Training.--Section 1701(b)(1) of 
the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 
3796dd(b)(1)) is amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (B) by striking ``and'' at the end;
            (2) in subparagraph (C) by striking the period at the end 
        and inserting ``; and''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
                    ``(D) provide counterterrorism training and related 
                equipment.''.
    (b) Special Rule.--Section 1701(i) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
3796dd(i)) is amended by adding at the end ``This subsection shall not 
apply to grants that are made exclusively for the purposes described in 
subsection (b)(1)(D).''.
    (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--Section 1001(a)(11) of such 
Act (42 U.S.C. 3793(a)(11)) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subparagraph (B) as subparagraph (C); 
        and
            (2) by inserting after subparagraph (A) the following new 
        subparagraph:
    ``(B) In addition to the amounts authorized under subparagraph (A), 
there are authorized to be appropriated for fiscal year 2002 
$250,000,000 for grants to be used exclusively for the purposes 
described in section 1701(b)(1)(D). Such sums shall remain available 
until expended. Subparagraph (C) shall not apply to such sums.''.
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