Public Land Search and Rescue Act

[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 439 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 439

To direct the Secretary of the Interior to establish a grant program to 
  allocate resources for remote search and rescue activities, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 20, 2023

 Mr. Stewart (for himself and Mr. Case) introduced the following bill; 
   which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, 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 direct the Secretary of the Interior to establish a grant program to 
  allocate resources for remote search and rescue activities, 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 ``Public Land Search and Rescue Act''.

SEC. 2. GRANT PROGRAM FOR REMOTE SEARCH AND RESCUE ACTIVITIES.

    (a) In General.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior shall establish a 
program (in this Act referred to as the ``Program'') to allocate 
resources to remote search and rescue activities conducted on lands 
under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of Agriculture or the Secretary 
of the Interior.
    (b) Grant Authority.--In carrying out the Program, the Secretary 
may award a grant on a competitive basis in accordance with this 
section.
    (c) Eligible Recipients.--The Secretary may award a grant under the 
Program to a State, political subdivision thereof, or their designee, 
that conducts search and rescue operations, determined by the Secretary 
to have the authority and capability to carry out a project described 
in subsection (d).
    (d) Eligible Projects.--Grant funds awarded under the Program may 
be used--
            (1) by an eligible recipient to purchase equipment and gear 
        necessary for remote search and rescue activities;
            (2) to reimburse an eligible recipient for the cost of 
        maintenance and repair of remote search and rescue equipment 
        owned or leased by an eligible recipient; and
            (3) by an eligible recipient to reimburse State and local 
        agencies responsible for remote search and rescue activities.
    (e) Application.--
            (1) In general.--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.
            (2) Additional application.--An eligible recipient may 
        submit to the Secretary an additional application in such form, 
        at such time, and containing such information as the Secretary 
        determines to be appropriate for additional funding for 
        purposes under subsection (d)(2).
    (f) Priority.--The Secretary shall prioritize an application from 
an eligible recipient who serves an area with a high ratio of visitors 
to residents.
    (g) Federal Share.--The Federal share of assistance under the 
Program shall be 75 percent of the cost of an eligible project.
    (h) Remote Search and Rescue Activity Defined.--In this section, 
the term ``remote search and rescue activity'' means an activity that 
utilizes, trains, or supports responders with specialized equipment to 
locate, provide assistance to, and remove to safety individuals who are 
lost, injured, stranded, or entrapped in remote areas.
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