SUMMARY OF AMENDMENTS SUBMITTED TO THE RULES COMMITTEE ON
H.R. 1544, FASTER & SMARTER FUNDING FOR FIRST RESPONDERS ACT OF 2005

(in alphabetical order)

SUMMARY OF AMENDMENTS

(summaries derived from information provided by sponsors)

Bass/Norwood #2
Allows States to use Federal homeland security funds for the cost of any activity relating to the prevention of, preparation for, response to, or recovery from acts of terrorism that would otherwise be a Federal duty performed by Federal agencies.

Berry #11
Requires Department of Homeland Security to coordinate with State, local, and tribal governments in establishing criteria for prioritizing applications for first responder grants. (LATE)

Berry #12
Adds the Administrator of Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to the First Responder Grants Board. (LATE)

Berry #13
Changes the minimum level of funding each State would be guaranteed in State Homeland Security Grant Program (SHSGP) funding from 0.25 to 0.75 percent.

Castle #1
Seeks to better equip and protect our communities’ firefighters. Under current law, the threat of civil liability has caused some organizations to destroy fire fighting equipment, rather than donating it to volunteer, rural, and other financially-strapped fire departments. Encourages donations by raising the liability standard for donors of fire fighting equipment from negligence to gross negligence.

Cuellar #5
Allows rural areas that serve two or more rural communities or urban areas that serve an adjacent rural community to use funding for the building of joint emergency operations facilities.

Fossella #3
Expands allowable uses for Homeland Security grant funding to pay for dedicated counter-terrorism personnel, as long as a jurisdiction pays for the first 100 of such officers on its own. Also includes as an allowable use the constructing, developing, expanding, modifying, operating, and improving of facilities to provide training or assistance to State and local first responders.

Higgins #6
Authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Attorney General and the Director of the FBI, to reimburse local first responder units for their assistance in the apprehension of terrorists within their jurisdictions.

Nadler #4
Eliminates the state minimum section of the bill to ensure that all homeland security funding is distributed on the basis of threat.

Weiner #7
Limits the number of Urban Area Security Initiative grants during any given fiscal year to 50.

Weiner #8
Allows homeland security funding to be used for construction of buildings or other physical infrastructure.

Weiner #9
Prohibits the Department of Homeland Security from restricting the use of homeland security funds for overtime expenses.

Weiner #10
Allows municipalities to use homeland security funding to pay for law enforcement personnel working exclusively on homeland security issues.

* Summaries derived from information submitted by the amendment sponsors.