118th CONGRESS 2d Session |
To statutorily establish Operation Stonegarden, through which eligible law enforcement agencies shall be awarded grants for border security enhancement.
February 29, 2024
Ms. Caraveo (for herself and Mr. Finstad) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Homeland Security, and Oversight and Accountability, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
To statutorily establish Operation Stonegarden, through which eligible law enforcement agencies shall be awarded grants for border security enhancement.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
This Act may be cited as the “Assisting Narcotics and Trafficking officers in Interdicting Drugs Act” or the “ANTI-Drugs Act”.
SEC. 2. Operation Stonegarden.
(a) In general.—Subtitle A of title XX of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:
“(a) Establishment.—There is established in the Department a program, which shall be known as ‘Operation Stonegarden’, under which the Secretary, acting through the Administrator, shall award grants to eligible law enforcement agencies, through the State administrative agency, to enhance border security in accordance with this section.
“(b) Eligible recipients.—A law enforcement agency is eligible to receive a grant under this section if the agency—
“(A) a State bordering Canada or Mexico; or
“(B) a State or territory with a maritime border; and
“(2) is involved in an active, ongoing, U.S. Customs and Border Protection operation coordinated through a U.S. Border Patrol sector office.
“(c) Permitted uses.—Grant funds received under this section may be used for—
“(1) equipment, including maintenance and sustainment costs;
“(2) personnel, including overtime and backfill, in support of enhanced border law enforcement activities;
“(3) any activity permitted for Operation Stonegarden under the Department of Homeland Security’s most recent Homeland Security Grant Program Notice of Funding Opportunity; and
“(4) any other appropriate activity, as determined by the Administrator, in consultation with the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
“(d) Period of performance.—The Secretary shall award grants under this section to grant recipients for a period of not less than 3 years.
“(e) Report.—For each of the fiscal years 2024 through 2028, the Administrator shall submit a report to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives containing information on the expenditure of grants made under this section by each grant recipient.
“(f) Authorization of appropriations.—There is authorized to be appropriated $110,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2024 through 2028 for grants under this section.”.
(b) Conforming amendment.—Section 2002(a) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 603(a)) is amended to read as follows:
“(a) Grants authorized.—The Secretary, through the Administrator, may award grants under sections 2003, 2004, 2009, and 2010 to State, local, and tribal governments, as appropriate.”.
(c) Clerical amendment.—The table of contents in section 1(b) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 2009 the following:
SEC. 3. Reauthorization of the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Program.
Section 707(p) of the Office of National Drug Control Policy Reauthorization Act of 1998 (21 U.S.C. 1706(p)) is amended to read as follows:
“(p) Authorization of appropriations.—There is authorized to be appropriated to the Office of National Drug Control Policy $400,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2024 through 2028 to carry out this section.”.
Section 1701 of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10381) is amended—
(1) by striking subsection (m) and inserting the following:
“(m) Report.—Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of the ANTI-Drugs Act, the Attorney General shall submit a report to Congress that includes a description of efforts made by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services—
“(1) to improve and streamline the grant application and solicitation process under this section to increase applications for grants it administers from eligible local governments, including—
“(A) local governments in rural areas; and
“(B) law enforcement agencies with fewer than 200 sworn officers;
“(2) to address barriers in the grant application and solicitation process that prevent eligible governments in rural and underserved areas from utilizing the COPS Hiring Program and other grants it administers; and
“(3) to conduct additional outreach and provide technical assistance to eligible local governments in rural and underserved areas to increase utilization of grants it administers.”; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
“(o) Authorization of appropriations.—There is authorized to be appropriated to the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services to carry out this part $665,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2024 through 2028.”.