The “One Big, Beautiful Bill” signed into law July 4 provides money for Palm Beach County to compensate law enforcement for providing presidential security for Donald Trump.
Exactly how much the county and other government agencies will receive has yet to be determined, but the county is expected to receive the lion’s share of the $300 million, which will be distributed to jurisdictions that have been protecting the president.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office has struggled to cope with substantial overtime costs to compensate its deputies for ensuring the president’s security during his frequent visits to Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach.
Trump’s second first 100 days included more trips and days at Mar-a-Lago than in his previous term. The president has traveled to his Palm Beach County residence and golf clubs nine times, spending all or part of 31 days through April 29. The president then spent another four days at his club from May 1-4.
Trump security during Palm Beach visits runs up PBSO overtime
The county has dipped into its reserves to pay for the security expenses, which are expected to exceed $45 million annually. Sheriff Ric Bradshaw agreed to cut his budget by $37 million to soften the impact. When the county receives its funds, they are expected to be used to replenish those reserves.
A database obtained by The Palm Beach Post shows that deputies worked nearly 91,000 hours of overtime in February, when the president visited Mar-a-Lago nearly every weekend. Much of the overtime was incurred in protecting the president.
The bill appropriates the $300 million to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The money would be available to compensate impacted jurisdictions through Sept. 30, 2029.
It would be used “for the reimbursement of extraordinary law enforcement personnel costs for protection activities directly and demonstrably associated with any residence of the President” that is secured by the U.S. Secret Service, according to the bill.
There are jurisdictions in New York and New Jersey that would also be eligible for reimbursement. It’s not known how FEMA would distribute the money.
Under the current wording, expenses incurred on or after July 1, 2024, are eligible for reimbursement. This is significant for Palm Beach County, as the sheriff’s security costs significantly increased following the second assassination attempt on Trump on Sept. 15, 2024, at the edge of Trump International Golf Club near West Palm Beach.
To obtain the funds, the public entity must demonstrate to FEMA that it incurred costs “in excess of the costs of normal and typical law enforcement operation” and that those expenses are “directly attributable” to presidential security costs.
Frankel bill would make Trump security funding permanent
A bill has also been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives in effect to do what the Trump tax-and-spending bill does.
The legislation, a bipartisan effort by U.S. Reps. Lois Frankel, D-West Palm Beach, and Thomas Kean, R-New Jersey, would allow the Secret Service to reimburse state and local law-enforcement agencies and fire departments for the assistance provided to protect Trump at his residences in Florida, New Jersey and New York.
Kean said he will continue to press for its adoption, noting that without its passage, presidential security reimbursement would expire in 2029. Frankel voted against the “Big, Beautiful Bill”; Kean voted for it.
In addition to the sheriff’s office, Palm Beach County Fire Rescue, the Palm Beach Police Department, and the West Palm Beach Police Department are also expected to be reimbursed for their costs in protecting President Trump when he is home.
Frankel said the new grant program will ensure local and state agencies are not left shouldering the financial burden of presidential security operations. It will provide long-term support for those on the front lines of public safety, she said.
Mike Diamond is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. He covers Palm Beach County government. You can reach him at mdiamond@pbpost.com. Help support local journalism. Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ to cover some of PBSO’s multimillion-dollar costs in protecting Trump
Reporting by Mike Diamond, Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
