Photo courtesy of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office

MIAMI – Florida law enforcement and other first responders who assist U.S. Secret Service agents protecting President Donald Trump when he spends time at his Palm Beach residency should get reimbursed for their service.

U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel (D-Palm Beach) sponsored a bill that, if approved, would require the U.S. Secret Service to repay local agencies when Trump takes up residency at Mar-a-Lago resort.

U.S. Rep. Thomas Kean (R-New Jersey) is co-sponsor of the bill, which is called the Presidential Security Resources Reimbursement Act.

The bill would retroactively cover expenses dating back to July 12, 2024.

In her letter introducing the bill, Frankel said the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, the Palm Beach County Fire Rescue, the town of Palm Beach Police Department and the city of West Palm Beach anticipate a total of $45 million in expenses tallied by the end of 2025 for protecting Trump at the direction of the Secret Service.

“Protecting the President is a matter of national security and should be a federal responsibility to bear the costs,” said Frankel. “Diverting funds for presidential security can strain local governments’ ability to provide essential public services. That’s why I’m proud to co-lead this bipartisan legislation with Rep. Kean, Jr., to ensure that local governments are fully reimbursed for these necessary costs.”