To appropriate funds for grants by the Office for Domestic Preparedness of the Department of Homeland Security.

February 13, 2003

Mr. SKELTON (for himself and Ms. HARMAN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Appropriations

To appropriate funds for grants by the Office for Domestic Preparedness of the Department of Homeland Security.

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 Expedited Assistance Act of 2003'.

SEC. 2. FUNDING FOR GRANTS BY THE OFFICE FOR DOMESTIC PREPAREDNESS.

(a) APPROPRIATION-

(1) IN GENERAL- For grants by the Office for Domestic Preparedness of the Department of Homeland Security, as authorized by the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (Public Law 107-296) and the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 (Public Law 107-56), there is appropriated to the Secretary of Homeland Security $7,122,000,000 for fiscal year 2003 and $10,600,000,000 for fiscal year 2004, to remain available until expended, of which--

(A) not less than $1,000,000,000 each fiscal year shall be for grants authorized by section 33 of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2201 et seq.); and

(B) not less than $1,000,000,000 each fiscal year shall be for grants to State and local law enforcement for terrorism prevention activities.

(2) MATCHING REQUIREMENT- The Secretary shall require, as a condition of each grant under this section, that the grantee shall provide a matching amount of not less than 25 percent of the amount of the grant, at the time of the award of the grant.

(b) EXPEDITED PROCESS FOR AWARDING GRANTS- The Secretary shall award grants under this section under the following expedited process:

(1) EXPEDITED PROCESS- Within 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall award as grants to the maximum extent practicable not less than 60 percent of the funds available for each of fiscal years 2003 and 2004 for grants referred to in subsection (a)(1).

(2) WAIVER OF MATCHING REQUIREMENT- The Secretary may waive any requirement that a grantee provide a matching amount for a grant referred to in subsection (a)(1), upon certification that the grantee has expended an amount equal to at least 25 percent of the grant for domestic preparedness activities since September 11, 2001.

(3) ADMINISTRATIVE FLEXIBILITY- If the Secretary determines that, because of the potential for fraud or waste, the Secretary cannot award the percentage of funds required under paragraph (1), the Secretary may exercise flexibility regarding such percentage consistent with the goal of expediting the awarding of grants to eligible grantees.

(c) REPORT TO CONGRESS- Within 190 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall report to the appropriate committees of the Congress the percentage of funds awarded as grants pursuant to the expedited process in subsection (b), the names of grantees, and the activities funded.

END