[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1398 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1398

  To provide law enforcement scholarships and recruitment incentives.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

               August 6 (legislative day, June 30), 1993

  Mr. Graham introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
               referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To provide law enforcement scholarships and recruitment incentives.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Law Enforcement Scholarship and 
Recruitment Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act--
            ``Director'' means the Director of the Bureau of Justice 
        Assistance.
            ``educational expenses''--
                    (A) means expenses that are directly attributable 
                to--
                            (i) a course of education leading to the 
                        award of an associate degree;
                            (ii) a course of education leading to the 
                        award of a baccalaureate degree; or
                            (iii) a course of graduate study following 
                        award of a baccalaureate degree; and
                    (B) includes the cost of tuition, fees, books, 
                supplies, and related expenses.
            ``institution of higher education'' has the meaning stated 
        in section 1201(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 1141(a)).
            ``law enforcement position'' means employment as an officer 
        in a State or local police force, or correctional institution.
            ``State'' means a State of the United States, the District 
        of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin 
        Islands of the United States, American Samoa, Guam, and the 
        Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

SEC. 3. ALLOTMENT.

    Of amounts appropriated pursuant to section 11, the Director shall 
allot--
            (1) 80 percent to States on the basis of the number of law 
        enforcement officers in each State compared to the number of 
        law enforcement officers in all of the States; and
            (2) 20 percent to States on the basis of the shortage of 
        law enforcement personnel and the need for assistance under 
        this Act in the State compared to the shortage of law 
        enforcement personnel and the need for assistance under this 
        Act in all States.

SEC. 4. SCHOLARSHIP AND EMPLOYMENT PROGRAMS.

    (a) Use of Allotment.--
            (1) In general.--A State that receives an allotment under 
        section 3 shall use the allotment to pay the Federal share of 
        the costs of--
                    (A) awarding scholarship to in-service law 
                enforcement personnel to enable such personnel to seek 
                further education; and
                    (B) providing--
                            (i) full-time employment in summer; or
                            (ii) part-time (not to exceed 20 hours per 
                        week) employment during a period not to exceed 
                        1 year.
            (2) Employment.--The employment described in subparagraph 
        (B) of paragraph (1) shall be provided by State and local law 
        enforcement agencies for students who are juniors or seniors in 
        high school or are enrolled in an accredited institution of 
        higher education and who demonstrate an interest in undertaking 
        a career in law enforcement. Such employment shall not be in a 
        law enforcement position. Such employment shall consist of 
        performing meaningful tasks that inform such students of the 
        nature of the tasks performed by law enforcement agencies.
    (b) Payments; Federal Share; Non-Federal Share.--
            (1) Payments.--The Secretary shall pay to each State that 
        receives an allotment under section 3 the Federal share of the 
        cost of the activities described in the application submitted 
        pursuant to section 7.
            (2) Federal share.--The Federal share shall not exceed 60 
        percent.
            (3) Non-federal share.--The non-Federal share of the cost 
        of scholarships and student employment provided under this Act 
        shall be supplied from sources other than the Federal 
        Government.
    (c) Lead Agency.--A State that receives an allotment under section 
3 shall designate an appropriate State agency to serve as the lead 
agency to conduct a scholarship program, a student employment program, 
or both in the State in accordance with this Act.
    (d) Responsibilities of Director.--The Director shall be 
responsible for the administration of the programs conducted pursuant 
to this Act and shall, in consultation with the Assistant Secretary for 
Postsecondary Education, issue regulations implementing this Act.
    (e) Administrative Expenses.--A State that receives an allotment 
under section 3 may use not more than 8 percent of the amount of the 
allotment for administrative expenses.
    (f) Special Rule.--A State that receives an allotment under section 
3 shall ensure that each scholarship recipient under this Act is 
compensated at the same rate of pay and benefits and enjoys the same 
rights under applicable agreements with labor organizations and under 
State and local law as other law enforcement personnel of the same rank 
and tenure in the office of which the scholarship recipient is a 
member.
    (g) Supplementation of Funding.--Funds received under this Act 
shall be used only to supplement, and not to supplant, Federal, State, 
and local efforts for recruitment and education of law enforcement 
personnel.

SEC. 5. SCHOLARSHIPS.

    (a) Period of Award.--A scholarship awarded under this Act shall be 
for a period of 1 academic year.
    (b) Use of Scholarships.--A scholarship recipient under this Act 
may use the scholarship for educational expenses at any accredited 
institution of higher education.

SEC. 6. ELIGIBILITY.

    (a) Scholarships.--A person shall be eligible to receive a 
scholarship under this Act if the person has been employed in law 
enforcement for the 2-year period immediately preceding the date on 
which assistance is sought.
    (b) Ineligibility for Student Employment.--A person who has been 
employed as a law enforcement officer is ineligible to participate in a 
student employment program carried out under this Act.

SEC. 7. STATE APPLICATIONS FOR ALLOTMENT.

    (a) In General.--A State that desires an allotment under section 3 
shall submit an application to the Director at such time, in such 
manner, and accompanied by such information as the Director may 
reasonably require.
    (b) Contents.--An application under subsection (a) shall--
            (1) describe the scholarship program and the student 
        employment program for which assistance under this Act is 
        sought;
            (2) contain assurances that the lead agency will work in 
        cooperation with local law enforcement liaisons, 
        representatives of police labor organizations and police 
        management organizations, and other appropriate State and local 
        agencies to develop and implement interagency agreements 
        designed to carry out this Act;
            (3) contain assurances that the State will advertise the 
        scholarship assistance and student employment it will provide 
        under this Act and that the State will use such programs to 
        enhance recruitment efforts;
            (4) contain assurances that the State will screen and 
        select law enforcement personnel for participation in the 
        scholarship program under this Act;
            (5) contain assurances that under the student employment 
        program the State will screen and select, for participation in 
        the program, students who have an interest in undertaking a 
        career in law enforcement;
            (6) contain assurances that under the scholarship program 
        the State will make scholarship payments to institutions of 
        higher education on behalf of scholarship recipients under this 
        Act;
            (7) with respect to the student employment program, 
        identify--
                    (A) the employment tasks students will be assigned 
                to perform;
                    (B) the compensation students will be paid to 
                perform such tasks; and
                    (C) the training students will receive as part of 
                their participation in the program;
            (8) identify model curriculum and existing programs 
        designed to meet the educational and professional needs of law 
        enforcement personnel; and
            (9) contain assurances that the State will promote 
        cooperative agreements with educational and law enforcement 
        agencies to enhance law enforcement personnel recruitment 
        efforts in institutions of higher education.

SEC. 8. INDIVIDUAL APPLICATIONS FOR SCHOLARSHIP OR EMPLOYMENT.

    (a) In General.--A person who desires a scholarship or employment 
under this Act shall submit an application to the State at such time, 
in such manner, and accompanied by such information as the State may 
reasonably require.
    (b) Contents.--An application under subsection (a) shall describe 
the academic courses for which a scholarship is sought or the location 
and duration of employment that is sought.
    (c) Priority.--In awarding scholarships and providing student 
employment under this Act, a State shall give priority to applications 
from persons who--
            (1) are members of racial, ethnic, or gender groups whose 
        representation in the law enforcement agencies within the State 
        in substantially less than in the population eligible for 
        employment in law enforcement in the State;
            (2) are pursuing an undergraduate degree; and
            (3) are not receiving financial assistance under the Higher 
        Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001 et seq.).

SEC. 9. SCHOLARSHIP AGREEMENTS.

    (a) In General.--A scholarship recipient under this Act shall enter 
into an agreement with the Director.
    (b) Contents.--An agreement under subsection (a) shall--
            (1) provide assurances that the scholarship recipient will 
        work in a law enforcement position in the State that awards the 
        scholarship in accordance with the service obligation described 
        in subsection (c) after completion of the recipient's academic 
        courses leading to an associate, bachelor, or graduate degree;
            (2) provide assurances that the scholarship recipient will 
        repay the entire scholarship awarded under this Act in 
        accordance with such terms and conditions as the Director shall 
        prescribe if the requirements of the agreement are not complied 
        with, unless the recipient--
                    (A) dies;
                    (B) becomes physically or emotionally disabled, as 
                established by the sworn affidavit of a qualified 
                physician; or
                    (C) has been discharged in bankruptcy; and
            (3) set forth the terms and conditions under which a 
        scholarship recipient may seek employment in the field of law 
        enforcement in a State other than the State that awards the 
        scholarship.
    (c) Service Obligation.--
            (1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), a scholarship 
        recipient under this Act shall work in a law enforcement 
        position in the State that awards the scholarship for a period 
        of 1 month for each credit hour for which funds are received 
        under the scholarship.
            (2) Minimum and maximum required periods of service.--For 
        the purposes of satisfying the requirement of paragraph (1), a 
        scholarship recipient shall work in a law enforcement position 
        in the State that awards the scholarship for a period of not 
        less than 6 months but shall not be required to work in such a 
        position for more than 2 years.

SEC. 10. REPORTS TO CONGRESS.

    (a) In General.--Not later than April 1 of each year, the Director 
shall submit a report to the Attorney General, the President, the 
Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the President pro tempore 
of the Senate.
    (b) Contents.--A report under subsection (a) shall--
            (1) state the number of present and past scholarship 
        recipients under this Act, categorized according to the levels 
        of educational study in which the recipients are engaged and 
        the number of years that the recipients have served in law 
        enforcement;
            (2) state, with respect to student employees under this 
        Act--
                    (A) the number of present and past student 
                employees;
                    (B) the number of such employees who complete a 
                course of study at an accredited institution of higher 
                education; and
                    (C) the number of such employees who subsequently 
                accept a law enforcement position;
            (3) describe the geographic, racial, and gender dispersion 
        of scholarship recipients and employees; and
            (4) describe the progress of the scholarship program and 
        the student employment program and make recommendations for 
        changes in the programs.

SEC. 11. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (A) In General.--There are authorized to be appropriated to carry 
out this Act $30,000,000 for each of fiscal years 1994, 1995, 1996, 
1997, and 1998.
    (b) Uses of Funds.--Of the funds appropriated under subsection (a) 
for any fiscal year--
            (1) 75 percent shall be available to provide scholarships 
        described in section 4(a)(1)(A); and
            (2) 25 percent shall be available to provide employment 
        described in sections 4(a)(1)(B) and 4(a)(2).

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