I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 42 
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 3, 2019 
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-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘First Responder Iden-
tification of Emergency Needs in Disaster Situations’’ or 
the ‘‘FRIENDS Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. CIRCUMSTANCES WHICH MAY IMPACT FIRST RE-
SPONDERS DURING A TERRORIST EVENT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General 
of the United States shall submit to the Committees on 
Homeland Security and Transportation and Infrastruc-
ture of the House of Representatives and the Committee 
on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the 
Senate a report that describes select State and local pro-
grams and policies, as appropriate, related to the pre-
paredness and protection of first responders. The report 
may include information on— 
(1) the degree to which such programs and poli-
cies include consideration of the presence of a first 
responder’s family in an area impacted by a terrorist 
attack; 
(2) the availability of personal protective equip-
ment for first responders; 
(3) the availability of home Medkits for first re-
sponders and their families for biological incident re-
sponse; and 
(4) other related factors. 
(b) CONTEXT.—In preparing the report required 
under subsection (a), the Comptroller General of the 
United States may, as appropriate, provide information— 
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(1) in a format that delineates high risk urban 
areas from rural communities; and 
(2) on the degree to which the selected State 
and local programs and policies included in such re-
port were developed or are being executed with fund-
ing from the Department of Homeland Security, in-
cluding grant funding from the State Homeland Se-
curity Grant Program or the Urban Area Security 
Initiative under sections 2002 and 2003, respec-
tively, of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 
U.S.C. 603 and 604). 
(c) HOMELAND SECURITY CONSIDERATION.—After 
issuance of the report required under subsection (a), the 
Secretary of Homeland Security shall consider such re-
port’s findings and assess its applicability for Federal first 
responders. 
Æ 
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