16 USC 7141-7144 as amended in Public Law 112-141

16 USC 7141-7144 as amended in Public Law 112-141.

TITLE III—COUNTY FUNDS

Sec. 301. (16 USC 7141) Definitions

In this title:

(1) County funds

The term “county funds” means all funds an eligible county elects under section 7112(d) of this title to reserve for expenditure in accordance with this subchapter.

(2) Participating county

The term “participating county” means an eligible county that elects under section 7112(d) of this title to expend a portion of the Federal funds received under section 7112 of this title in accordance with this subchapter.

Sec. 302. (16 USC 7142) Use

(a) Authorized uses

A participating county, including any applicable agencies of the participating county, shall use county funds, in accordance with this subchapter, only—

(1) to carry out activities under the Firewise Communities program to provide to homeowners in fire-sensitive ecosystems education on, and assistance with implementing, techniques in home siting, home construction, and home landscaping that can increase the protection of people and property from wildfires;

(2) to reimburse the participating county for search and rescue and other emergency services, including firefighting, that are—

(A) performed on Federal land after the date on which the use was approved under subsection (b); 

(B) paid for by the participating county; and

(3) to develop community wildfire protection plans in coordination with the appropriate Secretary concerned.

(b) Proposals

A participating county shall use county funds for a use described in subsection (a) only after a 45-day public comment period, at the beginning of which the participating county shall—

(1) publish in any publications of local record a proposal that describes the proposed use of the county funds; and

(2) submit the proposal to any resource advisory committee established under section 7125 of this title for the participating county.

Sec 303. (16 USC 7143) Certification

(a) In general

Not later than February 1 of the year after the year in which any county funds were expended by a participating county, the appropriate official of the participating county shall submit to the Secretary concerned a certification that the county funds expended in the applicable year have been used for the uses authorized under section 7142(a) of this title, including a description of the amounts expended and the uses for which the amounts were expended.

(b) Review

The Secretary concerned shall review the certifications submitted under subsection (a) as the Secretary concerned determines to be appropriate.

Sec. 304. (16 USC 7144) Termination of authority

(a) In general

The authority to initiate projects under this subchapter terminates on September 30, 2012.

(b) Availability

Any county funds not obligated by September 30, 2013, shall be returned to the Treasury of the United States.