[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2200 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 2200
To establish a law enforcement grant program to help law enforcement
agencies respond to rapid increases in the arrival or presence of
aliens who have recently entered the United States, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
June 26 (legislative day, June 24), 2025
Mr. Gallego introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish a law enforcement grant program to help law enforcement
agencies respond to rapid increases in the arrival or presence of
aliens who have recently entered the United States, 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 ``First Responders Emergency
Assistance Act''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the
Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
(2) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term
``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(A) the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate;
(B) the Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs of the Senate;
(C) the Committee on Appropriations of the House of
Representatives; and
(D) the Committee on Homeland Security of the House
of Representatives.
(3) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means--
(A) a State, Tribal, territorial, or local law
enforcement agency;
(B) an emergency operations center; or
(C) another State, Tribal, territorial, or local
first responder agency.
(4) Emergency operation center.--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.
(5) Firefighter.--The term ``firefighter'' has the meaning
given the term ``employee in fire protection activities'' under
section 3(y) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C.
203(y)).
(6) First responder.--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 or not compensated), who--
(A) in the course of his or her professional
duties, responds to fire, medical, hazardous material,
or similar emergencies; and
(B) is an employee of a State, Indian Tribe, or
unit of local government.
(7) Indian tribe.--The term ``Indian Tribe'' has the
meaning given such term in section 4(e) of the Indian Self-
Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304(e)).
(8) Law enforcement officer.--The term ``law enforcement
officer'' means an employee of a governmental or public agency
who is authorized by law--
(A) to engage in or supervise the prevention,
detection, or investigation of any criminal violation
of law; or
(B) to engage in or supervise the detention or
incarceration of any person for any criminal violation
of law.
(9) Recently.--The term ``recently'' means during the 4-
year period immediately preceding the public release of a
Notice of Funding Opportunity.
(10) State.--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.
(11) Unit of local government.--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 any entity jointly created by 2 or
more public employers.
SEC. 3. FIRST RESPONDERS GRANT PROGRAM.
(a) Authorization.--The Administrator may award grants to eligible
entities for the purpose of funding direct costs associated with
responding to a substantial and rapid increase in the arrival or
presence of aliens who have recently entered the United States.
(b) Permitted Uses.--Funds received under the grant program
authorized by this section may be used by an eligible entity for--
(1) equipment, including maintenance and sustainment costs;
(2) allowable and approved personnel costs, including
salaries, overtime pay, fringe benefits, and backfill positions
for law enforcement and first responder personnel; and
(3) any other appropriate activity or cost that was
incurred in the eligible entity's jurisdiction, as determined
by the Secretary of Homeland Security, to respond directly to a
substantial and rapid increase in the arrival or presence of
aliens who have recently entered the United States.
(c) Geographic Distribution.--The Administrator shall award not
less than 25 percent of the funds appropriated for grants under this
section to eligible entities located in States that share a border with
Canada or with Mexico.
(d) Collection of Information.--For each fiscal year during which
grants are awarded pursuant to this section that begins on or after the
date that is 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the
Administrator shall separately collect and maintain financial
information with respect to grants awarded under this section,
including--
(1) the amount of such awards;
(2) the amount obligated for such awards;
(3) the amount of outlays expended for such awards;
(4) financial plans with respect to the use of such awards;
(5) any funding transfers or reallocations related to such
awards; and
(6) any adjustments to spending plans or reprogramming
related to such awards.
(e) Administrator Oversight.--
(1) Guidelines.--The Administrator shall establish and
implement guidelines that--
(A) ensure amounts made available for grants under
this section are used in accordance with grant guidance
and applicable laws;
(B) increase the proportion of each grant made
under this section that is used for operational
expenses by the ultimate grantee;
(C) improve program performance reporting and
program performance measurements to facilitate
designing, implementing, and enforcing procedures under
this section; and
(D) require the recording of standardized
performance data regarding program output.
(2) Submission.--Not later than 90 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit the
guidelines established pursuant to paragraph (1) to the
appropriate congressional committees.
(f) Reports and Briefings.--During the 5-year period beginning on
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator, in
coordination with the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border
Protection and the Director of U.S. Customs and Immigration
Enforcement, shall submit an annual report and provide an annual
briefing to the appropriate congressional committees that includes, for
the period covered by each such report--
(1) information regarding how each recipient of grant funds
under this section expended amounts received under such grant;
(2) information regarding the nature of operations carried
out using such grant funds; and
(3) with respect to the first report submitted pursuant to
this subsection--
(A) an examination of the effects that changing the
grant program established under this section to award
multi-year grants would have on its mission; and
(B) any findings and recommendations regarding
changes that could improve the grant program, which may
include feedback from grant recipients.
SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) In General.--There are authorized to be appropriated such
amounts as may be necessary to carry out this Act.
(b) Limitation.--Amounts appropriated pursuant to subsection (a)
may not be expended to reimburse eligible entities for costs relating
to the enforcement of Federal immigration laws.
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