II 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 2480 

To allow for use of grants funds in order to promote safety in tourist 

areas located in the United States, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 27, 2021 

Mr. KENNEDY introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on the Judiciary 

A BILL 

To allow for use of grants funds in order to promote safety 

in tourist areas located in the United States, and for 

other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Tourism District Pro5 tection Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 

7 It is the sense of Congress that the Attorney General 

8 of the United States should provide whatever assistance 

9 possible within the authority of the Department of Justice 


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1 to help combat crime in areas of the United States that 

2 are dependent economically on tourism. 

3 SEC. 3. USE OF GRANT FUNDS. 

4 (a) PRIORITY OF COPS GRANTS.—Section 1701(c) 

5 of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets 

6 Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10381(c)) is amended— 

7 (1) in paragraph (2)(C), by striking ‘‘or’’ at the 

8 end; 

9 (2) in paragraph (3)(B), by striking the period 

10 at the end and inserting ‘‘; or’’; and 

11 (3) by adding at the end the following: 

12 ‘‘(4) from an applicant in a State that provides 

13 evidence to the Attorney General that crime is in14 creasing in tourist areas within the jurisdiction of 

15 the applicant and that the grant amounts will be 

16 used by the application for permissible purposes that 

17 will reduce crime in tourist areas.’’. 

18 (b) EXPANDED ELIGIBILITY FOR FEDERAL EMER19 GENCY LAW ENFORCEMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.— 

20 Section 609N of the Justice Assistance Act of 1984 (34 

21 U.S.C. 50102(3)) is amended by inserting before ‘‘except 

22 that’’ the following: ‘‘including a significant increase in 

23 crime, which threatens to become serious and for which 

24 the State and local resources are inadequate to protect the 


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1 lives and property of citizens or enforce the law, in tourist 

2 areas,’’. 

3 (c) USE OF BYRNE JAG GRANT FUNDS.—Section 

4 506(b) of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe 

5 Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10157(b)) is amended— 

6 (1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by 

7 striking ‘‘may reserve’’ and inserting ‘‘shall reserve’’; 

8 (2) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘or’’ at the 

9 end; 

10 (3) by redesignating paragraph (2) as para11 graph (3); and 

12 (4) by inserting after paragraph (1) the fol13 lowing: 

14 ‘‘(2) to combat, address, or otherwise respond 

15 to significant increases in crime in tourist areas; 

16 or’’. 

17 (d) LIMITATION ON SUPPLANTING OF STATE AND

18 LOCAL FUNDS.—Amounts made available to a State or 

19 unit of local government under this Act or an amendment 

20 made by this Act may not— 

21 (1) supplant State or local funds designated for 

22 use in combatting crime in areas of the State, coun23 ty, or city; or 

24 (2) be used for the costs of activities incurred 

25 before the date of enactment of this Act. 


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1 (e) LIMITATION ON USE OF FUNDS.—None of the 

2 amounts made available under this Act or an amendment 

3 made by this Act may be used to purchase technology or 

4 equipment prohibited by the State and local laws gov5 erning the grant recipient. 

6 (f) RULEMAKING.—Not later than 1 year after the 

7 date of enactment of this Act, the Attorney General shall 

8 promulgate rules establishing the criteria for an entity to 

9 qualify for the assistance authorized by this Act and the 

10 amendments made by this Act. 

Æ 


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