Federal grant program funds search and rescue on public lands
H.R. 3777 — Public Land Search and Rescue Act · Filed by Celeste Maloy (R-UT) · 7 cosponsors · Introduced Jun 5, 2025 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill directs the Interior Secretary to create a federal grant program that funds remote search and rescue operations on public lands managed by Interior and Agriculture. States and local governments can apply for grants covering up to 75% of costs for equipment, maintenance, and actual rescue operations in remote areas, with priority given to regions with high visitor-to-resident ratios.
Why we flagged it
The bill's operative mechanism is straightforward: a federal grant program for state and local search and rescue capacity on public lands. It is a standard intergovernmental funding instrument with no hidden provisions or narrow beneficiaries.
What the text implies
- Grant prioritization for high-visitor areas may concentrate resources in popular national parks and recreation zones, potentially leaving remote wilderness areas with lower visitor traffic underserved.
- The 75% federal cap means poorer states or rural counties with limited budgets may struggle to fund the 25% local match, creating a de facto eligibility barrier despite formal openness.
The full analysis lists 3 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
state and local government search and rescue agencies; equipment manufacturers and suppliers (rescue gear, communications, vehicles)