What This Bill Does
This bill requires the Comptroller General of the United States (the head of an agency that audits federal spending) to write a report about state and local programs that prepare and protect first responders (firefighters, police officers and emergency medical personnel) during terrorist attacks. The bill also requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to review this report and decide if its findings apply to federal first responders.
Who It Affects
The Comptroller General of the United States, the Secretary of Homeland Security, state and local first responder programs, and federal first responders.
Key Provisions
• The Comptroller General must submit a report to Congress within one year describing state and local first responder preparedness and protection programs and policies (Sec. 2(a))
• The report may include information about whether programs consider first responders' families in areas affected by terrorist attacks, availability of personal protective equipment for first responders, availability of home medical kits for first responders and their families for biological incidents, and other related factors (Sec. 2(a))
• The report may present information separately for high-risk urban areas and rural communities (Sec. 2(b))
• The report may describe which selected programs received Department of Homeland Security funding (Sec. 2(b))
• The Secretary of Homeland Security must review the report's findings and assess whether they apply to federal first responders (Sec. 2(c))
What Changes
Congress will receive a new report analyzing state and local first responder preparedness programs. The Secretary of Homeland Security will evaluate whether findings from this report should apply to federal first responders.
Important Definitions
None defined in bill text.
Effective Date
Not later than one year after the date of enactment (Sec. 2(a)).
I
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 275
To require the Secretary of Homeland Security to submit a study on the
circumstances which may impact the effectiveness and availability of
first responders before, during, or after a terrorist threat or event,
and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JANUARY 11, 2023
Ms. JACKSON LEE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the
Committee on Homeland Security, for a period to be subsequently deter-
mined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions
as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
A BILL
To require the Secretary of Homeland Security to submit
a study on the circumstances which may impact the
effectiveness and availability of first responders before,
during, or after a terrorist threat or event, and for
other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘First Responder Iden-
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tification of Emergency Needs in Disaster Situations Act’’
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or the ‘‘FRIENDS Act’’.
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•HR 275 IH
SEC. 2. CIRCUMSTANCES WHICH MAY IMPACT FIRST RE-
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SPONDERS DURING A TERRORIST EVENT.
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(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year after the
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date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General
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of the United States shall submit to the Committees on
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Homeland Security and Transportation and Infrastruc-
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ture of the House of Representatives and the Committee
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on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the
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Senate a report that describes select State and local pro-
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grams and policies, as appropriate, related to the pre-
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paredness and protection of first responders. The report
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may include information on the following:
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(1) The degree to which such programs and
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policies include consideration of the presence of a
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first responder’s family in an area impacted by a
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terrorist attack.
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(2) The availability of personal protective equip-
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ment for first responders.
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(3) The availability of home Medkits for first
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responders and their families for biological incident
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response.
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(4) Other related factors.
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(b) CONTEXT.—In preparing the report required
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under subsection (a), the Comptroller General of the
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United States may, as appropriate, provide information—
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•HR 275 IH
(1) in a format that delineates high risk urban
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areas from rural communities; and
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(2) on the degree to which the selected State
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and local programs and policies included in such re-
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port were developed or are being executed with fund-
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ing from the Department of Homeland Security, in-
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cluding grant funding from the State Homeland Se-
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curity Grant Program or the Urban Area Security
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Initiative under sections 2002 and 2003, respec-
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tively, of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6
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U.S.C. 603 and 604).
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(c) HOMELAND SECURITY CONSIDERATION.—After
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issuance of the report required under subsection (a), the
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Secretary of Homeland Security shall consider such re-
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port’s findings and assess its applicability for Federal first
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responders.
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Æ
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