[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2110 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

103d CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2110

 To establish a Federal matching grant program for State and local law 
    enforcement agencies to assist in upgrading firearms, providing 
                  training, and purchasing ammunition.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                 May 12 (legislative day, May 2), 1994

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To establish a Federal matching grant program for State and local law 
    enforcement agencies to assist in upgrading firearms, providing 
                  training, and purchasing ammunition.

    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 Officer Protection 
Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds that--
            (1) law enforcement officers must be adequately equipped to 
        protect the public and themselves against violent criminals;
            (2) as the Federal Government pursues strategies to keep 
        firearms out of the hands of violent criminals, those who 
        enforce the law at the State and local level must be prepared 
        to respond to violence;
            (3) some State and local law enforcement agencies are faced 
        with criminals with superior firearms that endanger the lives 
        of law enforcement officers and of the public that they are 
        sworn to protect;
            (4) some State and local law enforcement agencies are not 
        able to convert or upgrade their firearms due to State or local 
        budget limitations;
            (5) law enforcement officers should not have to purchase 
        their firearms used for official duty with personal funds; and
            (6) it is in the interest of the Federal Government to 
        provide minor financial assistance to those State and local law 
        enforcement agencies in need of a weapons upgrade in order to 
        protect themselves and the public against violent crime.

SEC. 3. GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--The Attorney General shall establish a Federal 
matching grant program to provide financial assistance to State and 
local law enforcement agencies for the purpose of upgrading or 
converting their standard-issue firearms.
    (b) Amount of Grants.--The Attorney General may make a single grant 
to a State or local law enforcement agency in an amount, not to exceed 
$300,000, equal to the amount of non-Federal funds expended by or 
committed to the agency for the purpose of upgrading or converting 
firearms on or after March 15, 1994 and before March 15, 1995.
    (c) Use of Grant Moneys.--Grant moneys shall be used for--
            (1) the purchase of standard-issue firearms that are 
        considered an upgrade from current standard-issue firearms used 
        by the State or local law enforcement agency;
            (2) the training necessary to use the upgraded firearms in 
        accordance with public safety and professional standards; and
            (3) the purchase of ammunition, if necessary, for training 
        and practice consistent with official duties.

SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are necessary 
to carry out this Act.

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