[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 118 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

  2d Session
                                H. R. 118


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 25, 1998

  Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
        To provide for the collection of data on traffic stops.

    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 ``Traffic Stops Statistics Study Act 
of 1998''.

SEC. 2. ATTORNEY GENERAL TO COLLECT.

    The Attorney General shall conduct a study of stops for routine 
traffic violations by law enforcement officers. Such study shall 
include collection and analysis of appropriate available data. The 
study shall include consideration of the following factors, among 
others:
            (1) The number of individuals stopped for routine traffic 
        violations.
            (2) Identifying characteristics of the individual stopped, 
        including the race and or ethnicity as well as the approximate 
        age of that individual.
            (3) The traffic infraction alleged to have been committed 
        that led to the stop.
            (4) Whether a search was instituted as a result of the 
        stop.
            (5) How the search was instituted.
            (6) The rationale for the search.
            (7) Whether any contraband was discovered in the course of 
        the search.
            (8) The nature of such contraband.
            (9) Whether any warning or citation was issued as a result 
        of the stop.
            (10) Whether an arrest was made as a result of either the 
        stop or the search.
            (11) The benefit of traffic stops with regard to the 
        interdiction of drugs and the proceeds of drug trafficking, 
        including the approximate quantity of drugs and value of drug 
        proceeds seized on an annual basis as a result of routine 
        traffic stops.

SEC. 3. LIMITATION ON USE OF DATA.

    Data acquired under this section shall be used only for research or 
statistical purposes and may not contain any information that may 
reveal the identity of any individual who is stopped or any law 
enforcement officer. Data acquired under this section shall not be used 
in any legal or administrative proceeding to establish an inference of 
discrimination on the basis of particular identifying characteristics.

SEC. 4. RESULTS OF STUDY.

    Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the Attorney General shall report the results of the study conducted 
under this Act to Congress.

            Passed the House of Representatives March 24, 1998.

            Attest:

                                                ROBIN H. CARLE,

                                                                 Clerk.