A bill to amend the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 to modify the authorized uses of certain county funds and to extend the deadline for participating counties to initiate projects and obligate funds.

Bill: 115-s-1508
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR]
Introduced: 2017-06-29
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Emergency planning and evacuation

First responders and emergency personnel

Forests, forestry, trees

Law enforcement administration and funding

State and local finance
Latest action: action_date: 2017-06-29
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

Summaries:
action_date: 2017-06-29
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p>This bill amends the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 to modify the authorized uses of funds a county elects to receive under such Act to include:</p> <ul> <li> reimbursing the county for law enforcement patrols and evacuations that are performed on federal land;</li> <li>search and rescue preparedness training; and </li> <li>capital equipment, equipment maintenance, and other purchases related to carrying out search and rescue and other emergency services. </li> </ul> <p>A participating county may reallocate funds for a different use than authorized only after the 45-day public comment period has ended, at the beginning of which the county shall publish a description of how it proposes to use the funds. </p> <p>The bill extends the authority for the initiation of county projects until the end of FY2019 and allows county funds to remain available until expended. </p>

tv_txt: II 115th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 1508 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES June 29, 2017 Mr. Merkley (for himself, Mr. Wyden , Mr. Crapo , Ms. Cantwell , Mr. Risch , Mr. Hatch , and Mrs. Murray ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources A BILL To amend the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 to modify the authorized uses of certain county funds and to extend the deadline for participating counties to initiate projects and obligate funds.

1. Authorized uses of county funds (a) In general Section 302(a) of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 ( 16 U.S.C. 7142(a) ) is amended by striking paragraphs (2) and (3) and inserting the following: (2) to reimburse the participating county for— (A) search and rescue and other emergency services, including firefighting, law enforcement patrols, and evacuations, that are— (i) performed on Federal land after the date on which the use was approved under subsection (b); and (ii) paid for by the participating county; (B) search and rescue preparedness training; and (C) capital equipment, equipment maintenance, and other purchases relating to carrying out search and rescue and other emergency services; and (3) to develop and implement community wildfire protection plans in coordination with the appropriate Secretary concerned. . (b) Availability of funds (1) Definitions In this subsection: (A) Approved county funds The term approved county funds means county funds (as defined in section 301 of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 ( 16 U.S.C. 7141 )) the use of which, as of the date of enactment of this Act, has been approved under section 302(b) of that Act ( 16 U.S.C. 7142(b) ) for an authorized use described in section 302(a) of that Act (as in effect on the day before the date of enactment of this Act). (B) New authorized use The term new authorized use means— (i) a law enforcement patrol or evacuation authorized under subparagraph (A) of section 302(a)(2) of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 ( 16 U.S.C. 7142(a)(2) ) (as amended by subsection (a)); and (ii) any other authorized use described in subparagraph (B) or (C) of section 302(a)(2) of that Act ( 16 U.S.C. 7142(a)(2) ) (as so amended). (C) Participating county The term participating county has the meaning given the term in section 301 of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 ( 16 U.S.C. 7141 ). (2) New authorized uses Notwithstanding section 302(b) of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 ( 16 U.S.C. 7142(b) ), effective beginning on the date of enactment of this Act, a participating county may use any approved county funds for a new authorized use. 2. Reallocation of county funds Section 302 of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 ( 16 U.S.C. 7142 ) is amended by adding at the end the following: (c) Reallocation of county funds (1) In general A participating county may reallocate county funds that have been allocated for a use described in subsection (a) for a different use described in subsection (a). (2) Proposals A participating county may reallocate county funds under paragraph (1) only after a 45-day public comment period, at the beginning of which the participating county shall publish in any publications of local record a proposal that describes the proposed use of the county funds to be reallocated. . 3. Termination of authority Section 304 of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 ( 16 U.S.C. 7144 ) is amended— (1) in subsection (a), by striking 2017 and inserting 2019 ; and (2) by striking subsection (b) and inserting the following: (b) Availability County funds shall remain available until expended. .