# Plain Language Summary: Public Land Search and Rescue Act

When someone gets lost or injured hiking in a remote national forest or wilderness area, search and rescue teams need specialized equipment and training to find and help them. This bill creates a new federal grant program to help pay for that equipment and the costs of running these rescue operations. The Secretary of the Interior will manage the program and award grants to states, counties, and local governments that run search and rescue operations on public lands managed by either the Interior Department or the Agriculture Department.

The money from these grants can be used in three main ways. First, search and rescue teams can buy the specialized gear they need, like helicopters, drones, communication equipment, or climbing gear. Second, the grants can pay to maintain and repair equipment that teams already own or lease. Third, the grants can reimburse the state and local agencies that actually conduct the rescues for their costs. The federal government will cover 75 percent of the cost of approved projects, meaning the state or local government has to pay for the remaining 25 percent.

The program prioritizes funding for areas that get a lot of visitors compared to the number of people who live there. This makes sense because popular hiking destinations and national parks tend to have more rescue calls. States and local governments will need to apply for the grants and show they have the authority and ability to carry out search and rescue work. Overall, this bill aims to make sure that remote areas have better-equipped rescue teams ready to respond when people get into trouble outdoors.

Public Land Search and Rescue Act

Stewart, Chris

Public Land Search and Rescue Act This bill directs the Department of the Interior to establish a program to allocate resources to remote search and rescue activities conducted on lands under the jurisdiction of the Department of Agriculture or Interior. Interior may award a grant under the program to a state or a political subdivision to (1) purchase equipment and gear necessary for remote search and rescue activities, (2) reimburse such an eligible recipient for the cost of maintenance and repair of remote search and rescue equipment owned or leased by the recipient, and (3) reimburse state and local agencies responsible for remote search and rescue activities. Interior must prioritize an application from an eligible recipient who serves an area with a high ratio of visitors to residents. The federal share of assistance under the program shall be 75% of the cost of an eligible project.