II 

110TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 3293 

To provide financial aid to local law enforcement officials along the Nation’s 

borders, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 21 (legislative day, JULY 17), 2008 

Mr. BINGAMAN (for himself, Mrs. HUTCHISON, Mr. DOMENICI, and Mr. 

CORNYN) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on the Judiciary 

A BILL 

To provide financial aid to local law enforcement officials 

along the Nation’s borders, 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 ‘‘Border Law Enforce5 ment Relief Act of 2008’’. 

6 SEC. 2. BORDER RELIEF GRANT PROGRAM. 

7 (a) GRANTS AUTHORIZED.— 

8 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Attorney General is au9 thorized to award grants to an eligible law enforce10 ment agency to provide assistance to such agency to 


hsrobinson on PROD1PC76 with BILLS
2 

•S 3293 IS

1 address border-related criminal activity that occurs 

2 in the jurisdiction of such agency. 

3 (2) COMPETITIVE BASIS.—The Attorney Gen4 eral shall award grants under this subsection on a 

5 competitive basis. 

6 (b) USE OF FUNDS.—Grants awarded pursuant to 

7 subsection (a) may only be used to provide additional re8 sources for an eligible law enforcement agency, including 

9 resources to— 

10 (1) obtain equipment; 

11 (2) hire additional personnel; 

12 (3) upgrade and maintain law enforcement 

13 technology; 

14 (4) cover the operational costs, including over15 time and transportation costs; and 

16 (5) assist that agency in responding to border17 related criminal activity. 

18 (c) APPLICATION.— 

19 (1) IN GENERAL.—Each eligible law enforce20 ment agency seeking a grant under this section shall 

21 submit an application to the Attorney General at 

22 such time, in such manner, and accompanied by 

23 such information as the Attorney General may rea24 sonably require. 


hsrobinson on PROD1PC76 with BILLS
3 

•S 3293 IS

1 (2) CONTENTS.—Each application submitted 

2 under paragraph (1) shall— 

3 (A) describe the activities for which assist4 ance under this section is sought; and 

5 (B) provide such additional assurances as 

6 the Attorney General determines to be essential 

7 to ensure compliance with the requirements 

8 under this section. 

9 (d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

10 (1) ELIGIBLE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY.— 

11 The term ‘‘eligible law enforcement agency’’ means 

12 a tribal, State, or local law enforcement agency lo13 cated or performing duties in— 

14 (A) a county that is not more than 100 

15 miles from a United States border with— 

16 (i) Canada; or 

17 (ii) Mexico; or 

18 (B) a county that is more than 100 miles 

19 from each of the borders described in subpara20 graph (A), if such county has been certified by 

21 the Attorney General as a High Impact Area. 

22 (2) HIGH IMPACT AREA.—The term ‘‘High Im23 pact Area’’ means any county designated by the At24 torney General as a High Impact Area, taking into 

25 consideration— 


hsrobinson on PROD1PC76 with BILLS
4 

•S 3293 IS

1 (A) whether an eligible law enforcement 

2 agency in that county has the resources to pro3 tect the lives, property, safety, or welfare of the 

4 residents of that county; 

5 (B) whether the county has been des6 ignated as a ‘‘High Intensity Drug Trafficking 

7 Area’’ by the National Drug Control Program 

8 under section 707 of the Office of National 

9 Drug Control Policy Reauthorization Act of 

10 1998 (21 U.S.C. 1706); 

11 (C) the relationship between any lack of 

12 security along the United States border and the 

13 rise, if any, of criminal activity in that county; 

14 and 

15 (D) any other unique challenges that eligi16 ble law enforcement agencies face due to a lack 

17 of security along the United States border. 

18 (e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

19 (1) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be 

20 appropriated $100,000,000 for each of the fiscal 

21 years 2009 through 2013 to carry out the provisions 

22 of this section. 

23 (2) ALLOCATION OF AUTHORIZED FUNDS.—Of 

24 the amounts appropriated pursuant to paragraph 

25 (1), 33 percent shall be set aside for areas desVerDate Aug 31 2005 23:22 Jul 21, 2008 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3293.IS S3293

hsrobinson on PROD1PC76 with BILLS
5 

•S 3293 IS

1 ignated as High Impact Areas under subsection 

2 (d)(2). 

3 (f) SUPPLEMENT NOT SUPPLANT.—Amounts appro4 priated for grants under this section shall be used to sup5 plement and not supplant other tribal, State, and local 

6 public funds obligated for the purposes provided under 

7 this title. 

8 SEC. 3. ENFORCEMENT OF FEDERAL IMMIGRATION LAW. 

9 Nothing in this Act shall be construed to authorize 

10 tribal, State, or local law enforcement agencies or their 

11 officers to exercise Federal immigration law enforcement 

12 authority. 

Æ 


hsrobinson on PROD1PC76 with BILLS