II 110th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 393 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES January 25, 2007 Mr. Harkin introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL To transfer unspent funds for grants by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, the Office of Justice Programs, and the Office on Violence Against Women to the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Emergency Local Law Enforcement Byrne Assistance Act of 2007.

2.

Findings

Congress finds the following: (1)A report by the Inspector General of the Department of Justice documents that the Office of Justice Programs, the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, and the Office on Violence Against Women of the Department of Justice have failed to close out and deobligate over $160,000,000 in expired grant funds and that these funds have not been redirected to other programs or returned to the Treasury. (2)Between fiscal year 2003 and fiscal year 2006, funding for the formula grant program of the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program under subpart 1 of part E of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3750 et seq.) has been reduced by over 50 percent, from $900,000,000 to $416,000,000. (3)According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation Uniform Crime Reports, violent crime in the United States increased 2.5 percent in 2005, and an additional 3.7 percent in the first half of 2006. In the Midwest, which continues to struggle with a methamphetamine epidemic, violent crime increased 5.7 percent between 2004 and 2005.

3.

Unspent grants

(a)

In general

All amounts described in subsection (b) shall be transferred for use for grants under the formula grant program of the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program under subpart 1 of part E of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3750 et seq.), to remain available until expended. (b)

Amounts covered

The amounts described in this subsection are any unexpended amounts for— (1)any covered grant administered by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services; (2)any covered grant administered by the Office of Justice Programs; and (3)any covered grant administered by the Office on Violence Against Women for which the grant expired not less than 2 years before the date of enactment of this Act. (c)

Definition

In this section, the term covered grant means a grant— (1)that has expired but has not been closed out; or (2)(A)that has expired and been closed out; and (B)the remaining funds of which have not been deobligated.