Tourism District Protection Act

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. Short title This Act may be cited as the Tourism District Protection Act 2. Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that the Attorney General of the United States should provide whatever assistance possible within the authority of the Department of Justice to help combat crime in areas of the United States that are dependent economically on tourism. 3. Use of grant funds (a) Priority of COPS grants Section 1701(c) of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 ( 34 U.S.C. 10381(c) (1) in paragraph (2)(C), by striking or (2) in paragraph (3)(B), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; or (3) by adding at the end the following: (4) from an applicant in a State that provides evidence to the Attorney General that crime is increasing in tourist areas within the jurisdiction of the applicant and that the grant amounts will be used by the application for permissible purposes that will reduce crime in tourist areas. . (b) Expanded eligibility for Federal Emergency Law Enforcement Assistance program Section 609N of the Justice Assistance Act of 1984 ( 34 U.S.C. 50102(3) except that including a significant increase in crime, which threatens to become serious and for which the State and local resources are inadequate to protect the lives and property of citizens or enforce the law, in tourist areas, (c) Use of Byrne JAG grant funds Section 506(b) of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 ( 34 U.S.C. 10157(b) (1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking may reserve shall reserve (2) in paragraph (1), by striking or (3) by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph (3); and (4) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following: (2) to combat, address, or otherwise respond to significant increases in crime in tourist areas; or . (d) Limitation on supplanting of State and local funds Amounts made available to a State or unit of local government under this Act or an amendment made by this Act may not— (1) supplant State or local funds designated for use in combatting crime in areas of the State, county, or city; or (2) be used for the costs of activities incurred before the date of enactment of this Act. (e) Limitation on use of funds None of the amounts made available under this Act or an amendment made by this Act may be used to purchase technology or equipment prohibited by the State and local laws governing the grant recipient. (f) Rulemaking Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Attorney General shall promulgate rules establishing the criteria for an entity to qualify for the assistance authorized by this Act and the amendments made by this Act.

Summary: Tourism District Protection Act This bill allows state and local governments to use criminal justice and law enforcement grant program funds to address crime in tourist areas. Specifically, the bill creates a preference for grants under the Community Oriented Policing Services program for applicants from states that will use grants to address increased crime in tourist areas, allows grants under the Emergency Federal Law Enforcement Assistance Program to support state and local efforts to respond to a significant increase in crime in tourist areas, and requires (currently, permits) up to 5% of funds under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant program to be awarded for certain specified purposes and includes as an eligible purpose addressing significant increases in crime in tourist areas.