To require that 50 percent of the amounts provided under certain grants provided by the Department of Homeland Security for first responders shall be distributed directly to local entities, and for other purposes.

July 9, 2004

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce 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

To require that 50 percent of the amounts provided under certain grants provided by the Department of Homeland Security for first responders shall be distributed directly to local entities, and for other purposes.

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 `Direct Funding for First Responders Act of 2004'.

SEC. 2. DISTRIBUTION OF 50 PERCENT OF GRANT FUNDS TO LOCAL ENTITIES.

(a) Direct Distribution to Local Entities- Fifty percent of the amounts provided under a grant to which this section applies shall be distributed directly to local entities (including local governments and first responders).

(b) Allocation- The funds distributed directly to local entities under subsection (a) shall be allocated among and by such entities in the manner proposed in the approved application for the grant.

SEC. 3. COVERED GRANTS.

(a) In General- Section 2 applies to any grant provided by the Department of Homeland Security to States or regions to improve the ability of first responders to prevent, prepare for, respond to, or mitigate threatened or actual terrorist attacks, especially those involving weapons of mass destruction, and including any grant under the following:

(1) State homeland security grant program- The State Homeland Security Grant Program of the Department, or any successor to such grant program.

(2) Urban area security initiative- The Urban Area Security Initiative of the Department, or any successor to such grant program.

(b) Excluded Programs- Section 2 does not apply to or otherwise affect the following Federal grant programs or any grant under such a program:

(1) Nondepartment programs- Any Federal grant program that is not administered by the Department of Homeland Security.

(2) Fire grant programs- The fire grant programs authorized by sections 33 and 34 of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2229, 2229a).

(3) Emergency management planning and assistance account grants- The Emergency Management Performance Grant program and the Urban Search and Rescue Grants program authorized by title VI of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5195 et seq.); the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 2000 (113 Stat. 1047 et seq.); and the Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 1977 (42 U.S.C. 7701 et seq.).

SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.

In this Act:

(1) Region- The term `region' means--

(A) any geographic area consisting of all or parts of 2 or more contiguous States, counties, municipalities, or other local governments that have a combined population of at least 1,650,000 or have an area of not less than 20,000 square miles, and that, for purposes of an application for a covered grant, is represented by 1 or more governments or governmental agencies within such geographic area, and that is established by law or by agreement of 2 or more such governments or governmental agencies in a mutual aid agreement; or

(B) any other combination of contiguous local government units (including such a combination established by law or agreement of two or more governments or governmental agencies in a mutual aid agreement) that is formally certified by the Secretary as a region for purposes of this Act with the consent of--

(i) the State or States in which they are located, including a multi-State entity established by a compact between two or more States; and

(ii) the incorporated municipalities, counties, and parishes which they encompass.

(2) Emergency response providers- The term `emergency response providers' includes Federal, State, and local emergency public safety, law enforcement, emergency response, emergency medical (including hospital emergency facilities), and related personnel, agencies, and authorities.

(3) Local government- The term `local government' means--(A) a county, municipality, city, town, township, local public authority, school district, special district, intrastate district, council of governments (regardless of whether the council of governments is incorporated as a nonprofit corporation under State law), regional or interstate government entity, or agency or instrumentality of a local government; (B) an Indian tribe or authorized tribal organization, or in Alaska a Native village or Alaska Regional Native Corporation; and (C) a rural community, unincorporated town or village, or other public entity.

(4) State- The term `State' means any State of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and any possession of the United States.

END