[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2114 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







107th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2114

   To authorize the Attorney General to carry out a racial profiling 
education and awareness program within the Department of Justice and to 
 assist state and local law enforcement agencies in implementing such 
                               programs.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 11, 2002

  Mr. Voinovich (for himself and Mr. DeWine) introduced the following 
    bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the 
                               Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To authorize the Attorney General to carry out a racial profiling 
education and awareness program within the Department of Justice and to 
 assist state and local law enforcement agencies in implementing such 
                               programs.

    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 ``Racial Profiling Education and 
Awareness Act of 2002''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Whereas the overwhelming majority of state and local law 
enforcement agents throughout the nation discharge their duties 
professionally and without bias.
    Whereas a large majority of individuals subjected to stops and 
other enforcement activities based on race, ethnicity, or national 
origin are found to be law-abiding and therefore racial profiling is 
not an effective means to uncover criminal activity.
    Whereas racial profiling should not be confused with criminal 
profiling, which is a legitimate tool in fighting crime.
    Whereas racial profiling violates the Equal Protection Clause of 
the Constitution. Using race, ethnicity, or national origin as a proxy 
for criminal suspicion violates the constitutional requirement that 
police and other government officials accord to all citizens the equal 
protection of the law. Arlington Heights v. Metropolitan Housing 
Development Corporation, 429 U.S. 252 (1977).

SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--The Attorney General, in consultation with law 
enforcement agencies and civil rights organizations, shall establish an 
education and awareness program on racial profiling and the negative 
effects of racial profiling on individuals and law enforcement.
    (b) Purposes of Program.--The purposes of this new educational 
program are to (1) encourage state and local law enforcement agencies 
to cease existing practices that may promote racial profiling, (2) 
encourage involvement with the community to address the problem of 
racial profiling, (3) assist state and local law enforcement agencies 
in developing and maintaining adequate policies and procedures to 
prevent racial profiling, and (4) assist state and local law 
enforcement agencies in developing and implementing internal training 
programs to combat racial profiling and to foster enhanced community 
relations.
    (c) Program for Local Law Enforcement Agencies.--The education and 
awareness program and materials developed pursuant to subsections (a) 
and (b) shall be offered to state and local law enforcement agencies.
    (d) Regional Programs.--The education and awareness program 
developed pursuant to subsections (a) and (b) shall be offered at 
various regional centers across the country to ensure that all law 
enforcement agencies have reasonable access to the program.

SEC. 4. EVALUATION OF BEST PRACTICES.

    (a) Performance Measures.--The Department of Justice shall develop 
measures to evaluate the performance of programs implemented under 
Section 3(b)(4).
    (b) Evaluation According to Performance Measures.--Applying the 
performance measures developed under subsection (a), the Department of 
Justice shall evaluate programs implemented under section 3(b)(4)--
            (1) to judge their performance and effectiveness;
            (2) to identify which of the programs represents the best 
        practices to combat racial profiling; and
            (3) to identify which of the programs may be replicated and 
        used to provide assistance to other law enforcement agencies.
    (c) Applying the performance measures developed under subsection 
(a), the Department of Justice shall work with those state and local 
law enforcement agencies that would most benefit from the education 
program and materials developed under section three in order to assist 
them in implementing a plan for the prevention of racial profiling 
within their agency.

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

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