Tourism District Protection Act
Bill: S.2480 | Sponsor: Sen. Kennedy, John (R-LA)
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement

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

To allow for use of grants funds in order to promote safety in tourist 
      areas located in the United States, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Tourism District Protection Act''.

SEC. 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.

SEC. 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)) 
is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (2)(C), by striking ``or'' at the end;
            (2) in paragraph (3)(B), by striking the period at the end 
        and inserting ``; or''; and
            (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)) is amended by inserting before ``except that'' the 
following: ``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)) 
is amended--
            (1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking 
        ``may reserve'' and inserting ``shall reserve'';
            (2) in paragraph (1), by striking ``or'' at the end;
            (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.
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