Southern Borderlands Public Safety Communications Act

Southern Borderlands Public Safety Communications Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to make competitive grants for public-private partnerships that finance equipment and infrastructure to improve the public safety of persons who are residents of rural areas of the United States near the border with Mexico by enhancing their access to reliable mobile communications. Directs the Secretary to focus on projects in areas impacted by the illegal smuggling and trafficking of people and drugs.

Declares that persons eligible for grants include states, counties, municipalities, organizations representing agricultural producers and other rural Americans, and telecommunications providers.

Repeals the International Forestry Cooperation Act of 1990 to offset sums appropriated under this Act.

[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1277 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1277

  To authorize the Secretary of Homeland Security to make grants for 
 public-private partnerships that finance equipment and infrastructure 
  to improve the public safety of persons who are residents of rural 
  areas of the United States near the border with Mexico by enhancing 
        access to mobile communications, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 31, 2011

 Mr. Poe of Texas introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee 
   on Agriculture, 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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To authorize the Secretary of Homeland Security to make grants for 
 public-private partnerships that finance equipment and infrastructure 
  to improve the public safety of persons who are residents of rural 
  areas of the United States near the border with Mexico by enhancing 
        access to mobile communications, 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 ``Southern Borderlands Public Safety 
Communications Act''.

SEC. 2. PURPOSE.

    The purpose of this Act is to improve the public safety of persons 
living in rural areas of the United States near the border with Mexico 
by enhancing mobile communications capabilities.

SEC. 3. GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Homeland Security may make 
competitive grants for public-private partnerships that finance 
equipment and infrastructure to improve the public safety of persons 
who are residents of rural areas of the United States near the border 
with Mexico, by enhancing access to mobile communications for such 
persons who do not currently have access to reliable mobile 
communications networks.
    (b) Focus Areas.--In making grants under this section, the 
Secretary shall focus on projects that improve mobile communications in 
areas impacted by the illegal smuggling and trafficking of people and 
drugs from Mexico into the United States.
    (c) Eligible Applicants.--Persons eligible for grants under this 
section include States, counties, municipalities, organizations 
representing agricultural producers and other rural Americans, and 
telecommunications providers.
    (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--For grants under this section 
there is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary $10,000,000 for 
the 3-fiscal-year period following the date of enactment of this Act.
    (e) Funding Offset.--To offset amounts appropriated pursuant to the 
authorization of appropriations in subsection (d), the International 
Forestry Cooperation Act of 1990 (16 U.S.C. 4501 et seq.) is repealed.
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