[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1530 Reported in Senate (RS)]
<DOC>
Calendar No. 89
118th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1530
To permit COPS grants to be used for the purpose of increasing the
compensation and hiring of law enforcement officers, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
May 10, 2023
Mr. Graham (for himself, Ms. Klobuchar, Ms. Cortez Masto, Mr. Tillis,
Ms. Rosen, Mrs. Blackburn, Mr. Coons, Mr. Cornyn, Mr. Durbin, Mr.
Hawley, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Grassley, Mr. Booker, and Mr. Welch)
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the
Committee on the Judiciary
June 8, 2023
Reported by Mr. Durbin, without amendment
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To permit COPS grants to be used for the purpose of increasing the
compensation and hiring of law enforcement officers, and for other
purposes.
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 ``COPS on the Beat Grant Program
Parity Act of 2023''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS; SENSE OF CONGRESS.
(a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
(1) The President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing
highlighted the importance of hiring law enforcement officers
who reflect the diversity and values of the community, and who
have both the mindset and the skills needed to engage with the
community.
(2) Diverse workforces can be more effective, creative, and
resilient than homogenous workforces, and teams with broader
perspectives result in better decision making and problem-
solving practices. Recruiting a diverse pool of candidates
includes qualified individuals from different races, genders,
ethnicities, and cultural backgrounds.
(3) Effective recruitment practices can help law
enforcement agencies engender trust, develop good relations
with their communities, and ensure that the officers they hire
can best serve those communities. Recruitment efforts should
start in the community, and law enforcement agencies should
consider developing youth programs to attract younger
generations. This could include Explorer programs, internships
through local schools, cadet academies, university
partnerships, and youth mentorship programs that foster
relationships between young adults and departments. Not only do
these programs develop enthusiasm for a law enforcement career,
but they can also build relationships between law enforcement
agencies and the communities they serve.
(b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that the Office
of Community Oriented Policing Services (commonly known as the ``COPS
Office'') of the Department of Justice is uniquely suited to empower
local law enforcement agencies to fulfill recommendations related to
law enforcement hiring practices, including agencies being reflective
of the communities they serve, both demographically and in values and
vision, and possessing the mindset and skills needed to engage with the
community.
SEC. 3. RURAL COMMUNITY ACCESS TO COPS GRANTS.
(a) Uses of Grant Amounts.--Section 1701(b) of title I of the
Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10381(b))
is amended--
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (3) through (23) as
paragraphs (4) through (24), respectively;
(2) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following:
``(3) in the case of any State or unit of local government
that has a median household income of less than 70 percent of
the national median household income and qualifies for a
reduced contribution under subsection (g)(2), to increase wages
of career law enforcement officers to not more than 80 percent
of the national median household income;''; and
(3) in paragraph (23), as redesignated, by striking
``through (21)'' and inserting ``through (22)''.
(b) Preferential Consideration.--Section 1701(c) of title I of the
Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10381(c))
is amended--
(1) by striking paragraph (1); and
(2) by redesignating paragraphs (2) and (3) as paragraphs
(1) and (2), respectively.
(c) Cost Share.--Section 1701(g) of title I of the Omnibus Crime
Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10381(g)) is amended to
read as follows:
``(g) Matching Funds.--
``(1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), the
portion of the costs of a program, project, or activity
provided by a grant under subsection (a) may not exceed 75
percent, unless the Attorney General waives, wholly or in part,
the requirement under this subsection of a non-Federal
contribution to the costs of a program, project, or activity.
In relation to a grant for a period exceeding 1 year for hiring
or rehiring or increasing the compensation of career law
enforcement officers, the Federal share shall decrease from
year to year for up to 5 years, looking toward the continuation
of the increased hiring and compensation level using State or
local sources of funding following the conclusion of Federal
support, as provided in an approved plan pursuant to section
1702(c)(8).
``(2) Reduced non-federal contribution.--
``(A) In general.--The portion of the costs of a
program, project, or activity provided by a grant under
subsection (a), in any State or unit of local
government described in subparagraph (B), may not
exceed--
``(i) 90 percent for the first year of the
grant;
``(ii) 85 percent for the second year of
the grant;
``(iii) 80 percent for the third year of
the grant; or
``(iv) 75 percent for the fourth year of
the grant.
``(B) State or unit of local government
described.--A State or unit of local government
described in this subparagraph is any State or unit of
local government--
``(i) with a median household income that
is not more than 80 percent of the national
median household income;
``(ii) that does not provide a single
employee with compensation that is more than
double the national median household income;
and
``(iii) that is a rural State, rural
community, or rural area as such terms are
defined in section 40002(a) of the Violent
Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994
(34 U.S.C. 12291(a)).''.
(d) Limitation on Hiring and Rehiring.--Section 1704(c) of title I
of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C.
10384(c)) is amended to read as follows:
``(c) Hiring and Compensation Cost.--
``(1) In general.--Funding provided under this part for
hiring or rehiring a career law enforcement officer may not
exceed $75,000, unless the Attorney General grants a waiver
from this limitation.
``(2) Reduced contribution.--In the case of a jurisdiction
that has a median household income of less than 70 percent of
the national median household income and qualifies for a
reduced contribution under section 1701(g)(2), a career law
enforcement officer who is hired or rehired or whose
compensation is increased under this part may not receive from
any funding provided under this part compensation exceeding 80
percent of the national median household income for work
performed as an on-duty law enforcement officer.''.
(e) Allocation of COPS Grant Program Funds.--Section 1001(a)(11)(B)
of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968
(34 U.S.C. 10261(a)(11)(B)) is amended by inserting after the second
sentence the following: ``If funds remain available for obligation
under this subparagraph in a fiscal year after all eligible and
qualified grantees have been funded from the 50 percent of funding
allocated for grants pursuant to applications submitted by units of
local government or law enforcement agencies having jurisdiction over
areas with populations exceeding 150,000 or by public and private
entities that serve areas with populations exceeding 150,000, the
remaining funds may be used for grants pursuant to applications
submitted by units of local government or law enforcement agencies
having jurisdiction over areas with populations 150,000 or less or by
public and private entities that serve areas with populations 150,000
or less.''.
(f) Definitions.--Section 1709 of title I of the Omnibus Crime
Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10389) is amended by
adding at the end the following:
``(8) `Attorney General' means the Attorney General, acting
through the Director of the Office of Community Oriented
Policing Services.''.
SEC. 4. COPS OFFICE.
Section 1701(a) of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe
Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10381(a)) is amended to read as follows:
``(a) Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.--
``(1) Establishment of office.--There is within the
Department of Justice, under the general authority of the
Attorney General, a separate and distinct office to be known as
the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (referred to
in this subsection as the `COPS Office').
``(2) Director.--The COPS Office shall be headed by a
Director who shall--
``(A) be appointed by the Attorney General; and
``(B) have final authority over grants under this
part and any other grants, cooperative agreements, and
contracts awarded by the COPS Office.
``(3) Grant authorization.--The Attorney General, acting
through the Director, shall make grants to States, units of
local government, Indian tribal governments, other public and
private entities, and multi-jurisdictional or regional
consortia for the purposes described in subsection (b).''.
SEC. 5. GAO REPORT.
(a) In General.--In fiscal year 2027 and fiscal year 2032, the
Comptroller General of the United States, after consultation with the
Attorney General, shall submit to Congress and make publicly available
a report that provides the information described in subsection (b)
using a broad cross-section of law enforcement agencies--
(1) from various regions of the United States;
(2) of different sizes; and
(3) from rural, suburban, and urban jurisdictions.
(b) Information Required.--The information referred to in
subsection (a) is--
(1) a measure of how representative law enforcement
officers are of the communities they serve based on
demographics, including, at a minimum, gender and race;
(2) the percentage of law enforcement officers who live in
the jurisdiction in which they are employed;
(3) a measure of average law enforcement officer pay
compared to cost of living in the jurisdiction in which the law
enforcement officers are employed; and
(4) legislative and administrative recommendations for
improving--
(A) the diversity of law enforcement agencies,
including officers, specifically in relation to the
communities they serve; and
(B) the number of officers who live in the
jurisdiction in which they are employed.
Calendar No. 89
118th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1530
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To permit COPS grants to be used for the purpose of increasing the
compensation and hiring of law enforcement officers, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
June 8, 2023
Reported without amendment