[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2434 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2434

   To establish counseling programs for disabled and retired police 
                               officers.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 8, 1997

Mr. Traficant introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                       Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To establish counseling programs for disabled and retired police 
                               officers.

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

SECTION 1. CONGRESSIONAL FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds the following:
            (1) Disabled police officers, retired as a result of 
        employment-related injuries, may suffer from the effects of 
        posttraumatic stress disorder relating to situations they 
        experienced in their careers as law enforcement officers; 
        others face the problems of acclimating to civilian life, 
        coping with uncertainty regarding future employment and income, 
        and learning to live with disabilities.
            (2) Retired police officers often encounter some of the 
        same problems that retired disabled police officers face.
            (3) With appropriate career counseling, training, and 
        education programs, retired and disabled police officers can 
        obtain meaningful employment.
            (4) Officers who are severely disabled may be able to cope 
        with the pain and depression that result from their 
        disabilities if they receive individual, family, or group 
        therapy.
            (5) Many retired disabled and retired police officers do 
        not seek necessary counseling services unless such services 
        charge minimal or no fees.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF CENTERS.

    (a) General Authority.--The Attorney General may make a grant in 
accordance with this Act to the Disabled Police Officers Counseling 
Center, Inc., Upper Marlboro, Maryland, a nonpartisan, nonprofit 
organization, for the purpose of assisting the Disabled Police Officers 
Counseling Center, Inc., in providing free services to retired 
disabled, and retired police officers, and to the immediate family 
members of such officers.
    (b) Use of Funds.--A grant provided under this Act shall be used 
only to provide free counseling services at not more than 10 locations 
in the United States to retired disabled and retired police officers 
and immediate family members of such officers.

SEC. 3. APPLICATIONS.

    (a) Application Required.--To receive a grant under this Act, the 
Disabled Police Officers Counseling Center, Inc. shall submit an 
application at such time, in such manner, and accompanied by such 
information as the Attorney General may reasonably require.
    (b) Contents of Application.--Each such application shall contain 
provisions to assure that--
            (1) the grant received under this Act will be used to 
        establish not more than 10 counseling centers throughout the 
        United States; and
            (2) centers established with funds provided under this Act 
        shall make every attempt to coordinate any additional necessary 
        or appropriate services for retired disabled and retired police 
        officers and family members of such officers through the 
        Disabled Police Officer Counseling Center, Inc., of Upper 
        Marlboro, Maryland.

SEC. 4. REPORT.

    The Director of the Disabled Police Officers Counseling Center 
shall submit a report to the Attorney General not later than 18 months 
after the date of the enactment of this Act regarding--
            (1) the number of retired disabled and retired police 
        officers and their family members served; and
            (2) the effectiveness of services at the centers 
        established with funds provided under this Act.

SEC. 5. DEFINITION.

    For purposes of this Act, the term ``retired disabled police 
officer'' means a Federal, State, county, or city law enforcement 
officer, sheriff, deputy sheriff, trooper, corrections officer, police 
officer, or special agent who has become disabled and is retired or 
will be retired from such law enforcement agency as a result of 
employment related injuries.

SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated $800,000 for fiscal year 
1998 to carry out this Act.
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