First Responders Emergency Assistance Act

The First Responders Emergency Assistance Act would create a FEMA-administered grant program to help law enforcement and other first responder agencies respond to sudden, large increases in the arrival or presence of aliens who have recently entered the United States. Eligible recipients include state, tribal, territorial, or local law enforcement agencies, emergency operations centers, and other first responder entities. Grants could be used for equipment, personnel costs (including overtime and backfill), and other reasonable costs tied to surge responses, with DHS authority to determine eligible activities. The bill requires at least 25% of grant funds to go to entities in border states (those sharing a border with Canada or Mexico). It also establishes reporting, performance measurement, and oversight requirements for the program, and prohibits using grant funds to reimburse enforcement of federal immigration laws. The act authorizes funding as necessary (subject to future appropriations) and contemplates annual reporting to Congress for five years after enactment.