[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.
                                 <all>