Law Enforcement Education grant program

Part A of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070 et seq.) is amended by inserting at the end of subpart 7 the following new subpart:

Law Enforcement Education grants

420.

Law Enforcement Education grant program established

(a)

Program authority

(1)

Payments required

The Secretary is authorized to carry out a Law Enforcement Education Grants program to pay to each law enforcement candidate who is selected by the Secretary, on a competitive basis, to participate in such program, a Law Enforcement Education Grant in the amount of $4,000 for each year during which that candidate is eligible. (2)

References

Grants made under paragraph (1) shall be known as Law Enforcement Education Grants. (3)

Funding

Of the amounts otherwise authorized to be appropriated to carry out this title, such sums as may be necessary are authorized to be made available to carry out this subpart, except that— (A)none of the sums made available to carry out this subpart may be derived from amounts authorized to be appropriated to carry out the Federal Pell Grants program under section 401 or the Federal Direct Loan Program under part D; and (B)to the extent that insufficient amounts are made available in any fiscal year to carry out all programs authorized under this title, the Secretary shall give priority to fully funding the program under this subpart. (b)

Distribution of grants to law enforcement candidates

Payments under this subpart shall be made, in accordance with regulations promulgated by the Secretary for such purpose, in such manner as will best accomplish the purposes of this subpart. (c)

Reductions in amount

(1)

Part-time students

In any case where a law enforcement candidate attends an eligible institution on less than a full-time basis (including a law enforcement candidate who attends an eligible institution on less than a half-time basis) during any year, the amount of a grant under this subpart for which that law enforcement candidate is eligible shall be reduced in proportion to the degree to which that law enforcement candidate is not attending on a full-time basis, in accordance with a schedule of reductions established by the Secretary for the purposes of this subpart, computed in accordance with this subpart. Such schedule of reductions shall be established by regulation and published in the Federal Register in accordance with section 482 of this Act. (2)

No exceeding cost

The amount of a grant awarded under this subpart, in combination with Federal student assistance and other student assistance the law enforcement candidate may receive, shall not exceed the cost of attendance (as defined in section 472) at the eligible institution at which that law enforcement candidate is in attendance. (d)

Period of eligibility for grants

(1)

In general

The period during which a student may receive grants under this subpart shall be the period required for the completion of the first associate or baccalaureate course of study related to law enforcement or criminal justice being pursued by the law enforcement candidate at the eligible institution at which the law enforcement candidate is in attendance, except that— (A)any period during which the law enforcement candidate is enrolled in a noncredit or remedial course of study as described in paragraph (2) shall not be counted for the purpose of this paragraph; and (B)the total amount that a law enforcement candidate may receive under this subpart shall not exceed $16,000. (2)

Remedial course

Nothing in this subpart shall be construed to exclude from eligibility courses of study which are noncredit or remedial in nature (including courses in English language acquisition) which are determined by the eligible institution to be necessary to help the law enforcement candidate be prepared for the pursuit of a first associate or baccalaureate degree or, in the case of courses in English language instruction, to be necessary to enable the law enforcement candidate to utilize already existing knowledge, training, or skills.

421.

Applications; Eligibility; Selection

(a)

Applications

The Secretary shall periodically set dates by which students shall file applications to complete for grants under this subpart. Each student desiring to compete for a grant under this subpart for any year shall file an application containing such information and assurances as the Secretary may determine necessary to enable the Secretary to carry out the functions and responsibilities of this subpart. (b)

Demonstration of grant eligibility

Each application submitted under subsection (a) shall contain such information as is necessary to demonstrate that the applicant is a student who— (1)is enrolled at an eligible institution; (2)is an eligible student for purposes of section 484; (3)is completing coursework and other requirements necessary to begin a career in law enforcement or criminal justice, or plans to complete such coursework and requirements prior to graduating; and (4)has not obtained an associate or baccalaureate degree related to law enforcement or criminal justice before receiving a Law Enforcement Education grant. (c)

Selection

The Secretary shall award grants under this subpart competitively on the basis of criteria determined by the Secretary by regulation.

422.

Agreements to serve

(a)

Service agreements

Each application under section 421(a) shall contain or be accompanied by an agreement by the applicant that— (1)if selected to be a law enforcement candidate, the applicant will— (A)serve as a full-time law enforcement officer for a total of not less than 4 years within 8 years after completing the course of study for which the candidate received a Law Enforcement Education Grant under this subpart; and (B)submit evidence of such employment in the form of a certification by the chief officer of the law enforcement agency or department employing the candidate upon completion of each year of such service; (2)in the event that a law enforcement candidate is determined to have failed or refused to carry out such service obligation, the sum of the amounts of any Law Enforcement Education Grants received by such candidate will be treated as a loan and collected from the candidate in accordance with subsection (b) and the regulations thereunder; and (3)contains, or is accompanied by, a plain-language disclosure form developed by the Secretary that clearly describes the nature of the Law Enforcement Education Grant award, the service obligation, and the loan repayment requirements that are the consequence of the failure to complete the service obligation. (b)

Repayment for failure To complete service

(1)

In general

In the event that law enforcement candidate fails or refuses to comply with the service obligation in the agreement under subsection (a), the sum of the amounts of any Law Enforcement Education Grants received by such candidate shall, upon a determination of such a failure or refusal in such service obligation, be treated as a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan under part D of this title, and shall be subject to repayment, together with interest thereon accruing from the date the grant is converted to such a Loan, in accordance with terms and conditions specified by the Secretary in regulations under this subpart. (2)

Extenuating circumstances

The Secretary shall establish, by regulation, categories of extenuating circumstances under which a law enforcement candidate who is unable to fulfill all or part of the candidate’s service obligation may be excused from fulfilling that portion of the service obligation. Such categories shall ensure that a law enforcement candidate who is hired and serves as a full-time law enforcement officer but is unable to fulfill part of the candidate’s service obligation due to medical discharge by a law enforcement agency or department because of a medical issue resulting from service as a law enforcement officer shall be excused from fulfilling the remaining portion of the service obligation.

423.

Definitions

For the purposes of this subpart: (1)

Eligible institution

The term eligible institution means an institution of higher education, as defined in section 102, that— (A)provides an associate or baccalaureate degree in a field related to law enforcement or criminal justice; and (B)has been approved by the Police Officer Standard and Training Board of the State in which the institution is located or related State agency. (2)

Law enforcement candidate

The term law enforcement candidate means an individual who is selected by the Secretary to receive a Law Enforcement Education Grant under this subpart. (3)

Law enforcement officer

The term law enforcement officer means any officer, agent, or employee of a State, unit of local government, of Indian tribe who is authorized to supervise the prevention, detection, or investigation of any violation of criminal law.