[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1554 Introduced in Senate (IS)]








109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1554

To establish an intergovernmental grant program to identify and develop 
 homeland security information, equipment, capabilities, technologies, 
and services to further the homeland security of the United States and 
  to address the homeland security needs of Federal, State, and local 
                              governments.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 29, 2005

 Ms. Collins (for herself and Mr. Lieberman) introduced the following 
 bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland 
                   Security and Governmental Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To establish an intergovernmental grant program to identify and develop 
 homeland security information, equipment, capabilities, technologies, 
and services to further the homeland security of the United States and 
  to address the homeland security needs of Federal, State, and local 
                              governments.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. INTERGOVERNMENTAL GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--Subtitle H of title VIII of the Homeland Security 
Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 451 et seq.) is amended by inserting after 
section 890 the following:

``SEC. 890A. HOMELAND SECURITY INFORMATION, EQUIPMENT, CAPABILITIES, 
              TECHNOLOGIES, AND SERVICES GRANT PROGRAM.

    ``(a) In General.--There is established the Homeland Security 
Information, Equipment, Capabilities, Technologies, and Services Grant 
Program. The program shall identify, develop, or modify existing or 
near term homeland security information, equipment, capabilities, 
technologies, and services to further the homeland security of the 
United States and to address the homeland security needs of Federal, 
State, and local governments.
    ``(b) Administration.--
            ``(1) In general.--In developing the program established 
        under subsection (a), the Secretary, acting through the 
        Director of the Office for Domestic Preparedness and the Under 
        Secretary for Science and Technology, shall--
                    ``(A) conduct a needs assessment of Federal, State, 
                and local governments and first responders to 
                identify--
                            ``(i) the homeland security needs of 
                        Federal, State, and local governments and first 
                        responders; and
                            ``(ii) areas where specific homeland 
                        security information, equipment, capabilities, 
                        technologies, and services could address those 
                        needs;
                    ``(B) survey near term and existing homeland 
                security information, equipment, capabilities, 
                technologies, and services developed within the United 
                States and within other countries that--
                            ``(i) are highly focused on homeland 
                        security issues; and
                            ``(ii) have demonstrated the capability for 
                        fruitful cooperation with the United States in 
                        the area of counterterrorism; and
                    ``(C) provide grants, directly or through a 
                nonprofit, nongovernmental organization, to eligible 
                applicants to develop new, or modify existing, homeland 
                security information, equipment, capabilities, 
                technologies, and services to address the needs 
                identified in subparagraph (A).
            ``(2) Eligible applicants.--An applicant is eligible to 
        receive a grant under this subsection if the applicant--
                    ``(A) addresses 1 or more needs of Federal, State, 
                and local governments and first responders, as 
                identified through the assessment conducted under 
                paragraph (1)(A);
                    ``(B) is a joint venture between--
                            ``(i) a for profit business entity, 
                        academic institution, or non-profit entity; and
                            ``(ii) another entity that has demonstrated 
                        capability in the area of counterterrorism or 
                        homeland security; and
                    ``(C) meets any other qualifications that the 
                Secretary may reasonably require.
            ``(3) Priority.--The Secretary shall give priority to those 
        applicants who propose to provide the homeland security 
        information, equipment, technologies, or services developed or 
        modified with grant funds to Federal, State, and local 
        governments and first responders.
            ``(4) Matching requirement.--The Secretary may require a 
        recipient of a grant under this subsection to make available 
        non-Federal matching contributions in an amount equal to up to 
        50 percent of the total proposed cost of the project for which 
        the grant was awarded.
            ``(5) Grant repayment.--The Secretary may require a 
        recipient of a grant under this subsection to repay to the 
        Secretary the amount of the grant, interest at an appropriate 
        rate, and such charges for administration of the grant as the 
        Secretary determines appropriate. The Secretary may not require 
        that such repayment be more than 150 percent of the amount of 
        the grant, adjusted for inflation on the basis of the Consumer 
        Price Index.
            ``(6) Authorization of appropriations.--There are 
        authorized to be appropriated $25,000,000 for fiscal year 2006 
        to carry out the grant program established under this 
        section.''.
    (b) Technical and Conforming Amendment.--The table of sections 
under section 1(b) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 
101(b)) is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 890 
the following:

        ``Sec. 890a. Homeland Security Information, Equipment, 
                            Capabilities, Technologies, and Services 
                            Grant Program.''.
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