Faith-Based Community Center Protection Act

Faith-Based Community Center Protection Act

This bill amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to: (1) permit the use of Urban Area Security Initiative or State Homeland Security Grant Program grant funds to protect a faith-based community center or vulnerable populations, including children or the elderly; and (2) define "faith-based community center" as a facility operated by a nonprofit faith-based community organization for the provision of recreational, social, or education services to the general public.

The bill amends the federal criminal code to increase the term of imprisonment from 5 to 10 years for engaging in conduct with intent to convey false or misleading information that indicates that an activity has taken, is taking, or will take place that would constitute a violation of specified prohibitions, including certain prohibtions under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1740 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1740

To allow Homeland Security Grant Program funds to be used to safeguard 
 faith-based community centers across the United States, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 27, 2017

 Ms. Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico (for herself, Mr. Mast, Ms. 
 Rosen, Mr. Katko, Mr. Norcross, Mr. Sean Patrick Maloney of New York, 
 Mr. Tonko, Mrs. Murphy of Florida, Mr. Evans, Mr. Lance, Mr. Vargas, 
Ms. Slaughter, Mr. Peters, Ms. Frankel of Florida, Mr. Brendan F. Boyle 
   of Pennsylvania, Ms. Velazquez, Mr. Hastings, Ms. Schakowsky, Mr. 
Schneider, Mr. Blumenauer, Mr. Cicilline, Ms. Sinema, Ms. Shea-Porter, 
Mr. Brown of Maryland, Mr. Faso, Ms. Pingree, Ms. Titus, Mr. Sires, Ms. 
 Adams, Mr. Jeffries, Mr. Perlmutter, and Mr. Fitzpatrick) introduced 
  the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Homeland 
  Security, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, 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 allow Homeland Security Grant Program funds to be used to safeguard 
 faith-based community centers across 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 ``Faith-Based Community Center 
Protection Act''.

SEC. 2. AMENDMENT TO HOMELAND SECURITY GRANT PROGRAM.

    Title XX of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 601 et 
seq.) is amended--
            (1) in section 2001 (6 U.S.C. 601)--
                    (A) by redesignating paragraphs (6) through (14) as 
                paragraphs (7) through (15), respectively; and
                    (B) by inserting after paragraph (5) the following:
            ``(6) Faith-based community center.--The term `faith-based 
        community center' means a facility operated by a nonprofit 
        faith-based community organization for the provision of 
        recreational, social, or education services. For purposes of 
        this paragraph, the term `nonprofit' means an organization 
        described under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code 
        of 1986 and exempt from tax under section 501(a) of such 
        Code.''; and
            (2) in section 2008 (6 U.S.C. 609)--
                    (A) in subsection (a)--
                            (i) in paragraph (13), by striking ``and'' 
                        at the end;
                            (ii) by redesignating paragraph (14) as 
                        paragraph (15); and
                            (iii) by inserting after paragraph (13) the 
                        following:
            ``(14) protecting faith-based community centers or 
        vulnerable populations, including children or the elderly; 
        and''; and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(g) Protection of Faith-Based Community Centers and Vulnerable 
Populations.--
            ``(1) Allocation of grant funds.--Of the total amount 
        authorized to be appropriated under paragraph (3) for grants 
        awarded for the purpose described in subsection (a)(14), the 
        Administrator shall award--
                    ``(A) 50 percent for the protection of faith-based 
                community centers and vulnerable populations in 
                communities with a population of not more than 
                1,000,000 individuals, as determined by the latest 
                available decennial census; and
                    ``(B) 50 percent for the protection of faith-based 
                community centers and vulnerable populations in 
                communities with a population of more than 1,000,000 
                individuals, as determined by the latest available 
                decennial census.
            ``(2) Federal share.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The Federal share of a grant 
                awarded for the purpose described in subsection (a)(14) 
                may not exceed 50 percent of the total cost of a 
                project and the non-Federal share shall be the 
                remaining percentage of such total cost.
                    ``(B) Method of payment.--The non-Federal share of 
                project costs under a grant awarded for the purpose 
                described in subsection (a)(14) may be paid in cash or 
                in-kind from a grantee or a nonprofit entity involved 
                with the project.
            ``(3) Authorization of appropriations.--There are 
        authorized to be appropriated $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2017 
        to the Administrator to make grants for the purpose described 
        in subsection (a)(14).''.

SEC. 3. FALSE INFORMATION AND HOAXES.

    Section 1038(a)(1)(A) of title 18, United State Code, is amended by 
striking ``5 years'' and inserting ``10 years''.
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