First Responders Emergency Assistance Act

This Act may be cited as the First Responders Emergency Assistance Act.

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.

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.

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.

The Secretary of Homeland Security is authorized to make rules to carry out this section.

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).

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.