[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3523 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3523

To extend the same Federal benefits to law enforcement officers serving 
private institutions of higher education and rail carriers, that apply 
     to law enforcement officers serving units of State and local 
                              government.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 19, 2003

    Mr. Bell (for himself, Mr. Cole, Mr. Cannon, and Mr. Jefferson) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                             the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To extend the same Federal benefits to law enforcement officers serving 
private institutions of higher education and rail carriers, that apply 
     to law enforcement officers serving units of State and local 
                              government.

    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 ``Equity in Law Enforcement Act''.

SEC. 2. LINE-OF-DUTY DEATH AND DISABILITY BENEFITS.

    Section 1204(8) of part L of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe 
Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796b(8)) is amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``or'' at the end;
            (2) in subparagraph (C), by striking the period at the end 
        and inserting a semicolon; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(D) an individual who is--
                            ``(i) serving a private institution of 
                        higher education in an official capacity, with 
                        or without compensation, as a law enforcement 
                        officer; and
                            ``(ii) sworn, licensed, or certified under 
                        the laws of a State for the purposes of law 
                        enforcement (and trained to meet the training 
                        standards for law enforcement officers 
                        established by the relevant governmental 
                        appointing authority); or
                    ``(E) a rail police officer who is--
                            ``(i) employed by a rail carrier; and
                            ``(ii) sworn, licensed, or certified under 
                        the laws of a State for the purposes of law 
                        enforcement (and trained to meet the training 
                        standards for law enforcement officers 
                        established by the relevant governmental 
                        appointing authority).''.

SEC. 3. LAW ENFORCEMENT ARMOR VESTS.

    (a) Grant Program.--Section 2501 of part Y of the Omnibus Crime 
Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796ll) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) by striking ``and Indian tribes'' and inserting 
                ``Indian tribes, private institutions of higher 
                education, and rail carriers''; and
                    (B) by inserting before the period the following: 
                ``and law enforcement officers serving private 
                institutions of higher education and rail carriers who 
                are sworn, licensed, or certified under the laws of a 
                State for the purposes of law enforcement (and trained 
                to meet the training standards for law enforcement 
                officers established by the relevant governmental 
                appointing authority)'';
            (2) in subsection (b)(1), by striking ``or Indian tribe'' 
        and inserting ``Indian tribe, private institution of higher 
        education, or rail carrier''; and
            (3) in subsection (e), by striking ``or Indian tribe'' and 
        inserting ``Indian tribe, private institution of higher 
        education, or rail carrier''.
    (b) Applications.--Section 2502 of part Y of the Omnibus Crime 
Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796ll-1) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a), by striking ``or Indian tribe'' and 
        inserting ``Indian tribe, private institution of higher 
        education, or rail carrier''; and
            (2) in subsection (b), by striking ``and Indian tribes'' 
        and inserting ``Indian tribes, private institutions of higher 
        education, and rail carriers''.
    (c) Definitions.--Section 2503(6) of part Y of the Omnibus Crime 
Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796ll-2(6)) is amended 
by striking ``or Indian tribe'' and inserting ``Indian tribe, private 
institution of higher education, or rail carrier''.

SEC. 4. OTHER GRANTS.

    Section 510(a)(2) of chapter A of subpart 2 of part E of title I of 
the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 
3760(a)(2)) is amended by striking ``and local units of government'' 
and inserting ``, units of local government, private institutions of 
higher education, and rail carriers''.
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