[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7456 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7456

     To create emergency supplemental grants to local agencies for 
    maintenance of operations during periods of increased migration.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 26, 2024

 Mr. Gallego introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                       Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
     To create emergency supplemental grants to local agencies for 
    maintenance of operations during periods of increased migration.

    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 Emergency 
Assistance Act''.

SEC. 2. LAW ENFORCEMENT GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) Authorization.--The Secretary of Homeland Security is 
authorized to make grants to States, Indian Tribes, and units of local 
government for use by law enforcement agencies, first responders, and 
emergency operation centers to maintain resources that are available to 
residents of the jurisdiction during periods of increased demand for 
such resources due to an increase in the arrival or presence of aliens 
entering the United States.
    (b) Geographic Distribution.--In awarding grants under this 
section, the Secretary shall award not less than 25 percent of the 
funds to applicants located not more than 100 miles from the southern 
border of the United States.
    (c) Priority.--In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary 
shall give priority applicants located in areas experiencing an 
increased presence of aliens entering the United States based on data 
gathered by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and 
Customs Enforcement on the number of encounters with such aliens and 
the number of such aliens released in that area.
    (d) Rules.--The Secretary of Homeland Security is authorized to 
make rules to carry out this section.
    (e) Definitions.--In this Act:
            (1) The term ``emergency operation center'' means a 
        physical or virtual location from which leaders of a 
        jurisdiction or organization coordinate and provide policy 
        direction related to an emergency, including--
                    (A) coordinating information and resources to 
                support resource needs and requests, including 
                allocation and tracking;
                    (B) collecting, analyzing, and sharing information 
                and
                    (C) coordinating plans and determining current and 
                future needs.
            (2) The term ``law enforcement officer'' has the meaning 
        given such term in section 232 of title 18, United States Code.
            (3) The term ``first responder'' includes a firefighter, 
        law enforcement officer, paramedic, emergency medical 
        technician, or other individual (including an employee of a 
        legally organized and recognized volunteer organization, 
        whether compensated or not), who, in the course of his or her 
        professional duties, responds to fire, medical, hazardous 
        material, or other similar emergencies and is an employee of a 
        unit of local government, Indian Tribe or State.
            (4) The term ``firefighter'' has the meaning given the term 
        ``employee in fire protection activities'' under section 3 of 
        the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 203).
            (5) The term ``State'' means any State of the United 
        States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto 
        Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and the 
        Northern Mariana Islands.
            (6) The term ``unit of local government'' means any city, 
        county, township, town, borough, parish village, special 
        district, fire authority, county improvement district, or other 
        general purpose political subdivision of a State, and includes 
        any entity jointly created by 2 or more public employers.
            (7) The term ``Indian Tribe'' has the meaning given the 
        term in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and 
        Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).
    (f) Appropriations.--The program authorized by this Act shall be 
subject to the availability of appropriations made in advance for such 
purposes. Not later than 90 days after funds are appropriated to carry 
out this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall obligate such 
funds for such purposes.
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