HR3777-119

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Public Land Search and Rescue Act.

2. Grant program for remote search and rescue activities Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish a program to provide grants to allocate resources for remote search and rescue activities conducted on Federal land under the jurisdiction of the Secretary or the Secretary of Agriculture. To be eligible for a grant under the Program, an eligible recipient shall submit to the Secretary an application in such form, at such time, and containing such information as the Secretary determines to be appropriate. The Secretary shall prioritize applications from eligible recipients that serve an area with a high ratio of visitors to residents. The Federal share of the cost of an eligible purpose funded under the Program shall not exceed 75 percent of the total cost of the eligible purpose, as determined by the Secretary. In this section: The term eligible purpose means— the purchase of equipment and gear necessary for remote search and rescue activities; the cost of maintenance and repair of remote search and rescue equipment owned or leased by an eligible recipient; and reimbursement to an eligible recipient for remote search and rescue activities conducted on Federal land under the jurisdiction of the Secretary or the Secretary of Agriculture. The term eligible recipient means a State, political subdivision thereof, or their designee, that is— authorized by State or Federal law to conduct remote search and rescue activities; and determined by the Secretary to have the capability to carry out a project described in subsection (d). The term Program means the program established under subsection (a). The term remote search and rescue activity means an activity that uses, trains, or supports responders with specialized equipment to— locate and recover the remains of deceased individuals in remote areas; and locate, provide assistance to, and remove to safety individuals who are lost, injured, stranded, or entrapped in remote areas. The term Secretary means the Secretary of the Interior.