Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Public Land Search and Rescue Act.
(a) In general
Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish a program to provide grants to allocate resources for remote search and rescue activities conducted on Federal land under the jurisdiction of the Secretary or the Secretary of Agriculture.
(b) Application
To be eligible for a grant under the Program, an eligible recipient shall submit to the Secretary an application in such form, at such time, and containing such information as the Secretary determines to be appropriate.
(c) Priority
The Secretary shall prioritize applications from eligible recipients that serve an area with a high ratio of visitors to residents.
(e) Definitions
In this section:
(1) Eligible purpose
The term eligible purpose means—
(A) the purchase of equipment and gear necessary for remote search and rescue activities;
(B) the cost of maintenance and repair of remote search and rescue equipment owned or leased by an eligible recipient; and
(C) reimbursement to an eligible recipient for remote search and rescue activities conducted on Federal land under the jurisdiction of the Secretary or the Secretary of Agriculture.
(2) Eligible recipient
The term eligible recipient means a State, political subdivision thereof, or their designee, that is—
(A) authorized by State or Federal law to conduct remote search and rescue activities; and
(B) determined by the Secretary to have the capability to carry out a project described in subsection (d).
(3) Program
The term Program means the program established under subsection (a).
(4) Remote search and rescue activity
The term remote search and rescue activity means an activity that uses, trains, or supports responders with specialized equipment to—
(A) locate and recover the remains of deceased individuals in remote areas; and
(B) locate, provide assistance to, and remove to safety individuals who are lost, injured, stranded, or entrapped in remote areas.
(5) Secretary
The term Secretary means the Secretary of the Interior.