[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4394 Reported in Senate (RS)]
<DOC>
Calendar No. 414
119th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 4394
To amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to
improve the COPS program with respect to training command-level
personnel, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
April 27, 2026
Mr. Cornyn (for himself, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Graham, Mr. Durbin, Mrs.
Blackburn, Mrs. Capito, Mr. Kelly, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Cruz, Ms.
Hirono, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Padilla, Mr. Tillis, and Mr. Welch)
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the
Committee on the Judiciary
May 19, 2026
Reported by Mr. Grassley, with an amendment
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed
in italic]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to
improve the COPS program with respect to training command-level
personnel, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
<DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.</DELETED>
<DELETED> This Act may be cited as the ``Promoting Police Leadership
Act''.</DELETED>
<DELETED>SEC. 2. COMMANDER CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (a) Definitions.--Section 901(a) of title I of the Omnibus
Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10251(a)) is
amended--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) in paragraph (32), by striking ``and'' at the
end;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) in paragraph (33), by striking the period at
the end and inserting a semicolon; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (3) by adding at the end the following:</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(34) the term `command-level personnel' means
law enforcement officers employed by a State, local, or Tribal
law enforcement agency whose responsibilities include managing,
directing, or overseeing law enforcement operations within a
geographic subunit of the jurisdiction in which such agency has
primary responsibility for law enforcement
activities.''.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (b) COPS Program.--Section 1701 of title I of the Omnibus
Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10381) is amended
by adding at the end the following:</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(q) Training in Improving Police Command-Level Personnel
Leadership, Management, and Effectiveness.--</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(1) Training curricula.--</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(A) In general.--Not later than 180 days
after the date of enactment of this subsection, the
Attorney General shall develop training curricula or
identify effective existing training curricula for
command-level personnel relating to--</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(i) leadership and strategic
thinking;</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(ii) critical incident response
and management, including understanding,
preparing for, and responding to the effect of
critical incidents on officers and
communities;</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(iii) risk management;</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(iv) officer wellness;</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(v) data analysis and data-
driven policing tactics;</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(vi) evidence-based decision
making; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(vii) building community
trust.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(B) Requirements.--The training
curricula developed or identified under this paragraph
shall include--</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(i) primarily in-person
instruction and peer-to-peer
learning;</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(ii) a framework for a
practical, evidence-based problem solving
component under which participating command-
level personnel--</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(I) identify and develop
a proposed solution to a leadership,
operational, or management challenge
relevant to personnel in the command-
level personnel's employing law
enforcement agency;</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(II) receive feedback
from curriculum instructors and other
participating command-level personnel
to refine the proposed solution
accordingly to meet the needs of the
law enforcement agency and community
served; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(III) present a final,
implementable product emphasizing
evidence-based strategies to program
instructors and the command-level
personnel's district or geographic
command; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(iii) the incorporation of pre-
course and post-course assessments to measure
knowledge acquisition and leadership
competencies relevant to the training
curricula.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(C) Consultation.--The Attorney General
shall develop and identify training curricula under
this paragraph in consultation with relevant law
enforcement agencies of States and units of local
government, universities with appropriate law-
enforcement or leadership programs, and any other
entities the Attorney General determines
appropriate.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(2) Certified programs and courses.--</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(A) In general.--Not later than 180 days
after the date on which training curricula are
developed or identified under paragraph (1), the
Attorney General shall establish a process to--
</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(i) certify training programs
and courses offered to command-level personnel
which incorporate 1 or more of the training
curricula developed or identified under
paragraph (1), or equivalents to such training
curricula, which may include certifying
training programs or courses offered on or
before the date on which the Attorney General
establishes the process; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(ii) terminate the certification
of a training program or course that fails to
meet the standards developed or identified
under paragraph (1).</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(B) Partnerships with educational
institutions.--Not later than 180 days after the date
on which training curricula are developed or identified
under paragraph (1), the Attorney General shall develop
criteria to ensure that entities which offer training
programs or courses that are certified under
subparagraph (A) collaborate with educational
institutions to evaluate and continuously improve the
curricula and coursework of those educational
institutions.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(3) List.--Not later than 1 year after the date
on which the Attorney General completes the activities required
under paragraphs (1) and (2), the Attorney General shall
publish a list of law enforcement agencies of States and units
of local government employing law enforcement officers who have
successfully completed a course using the training curricula
developed or identified under paragraph (1), or equivalents to
such training curricula, which shall include--</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(A) the total number of law enforcement
officers that are employed by the law enforcement
agency; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(B) the number of law enforcement
officers who have completed such a course.''.</DELETED>
<DELETED>SEC. 3. ATTORNEY GENERAL REPORTS.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) In general.--Not later than 2 years after the
date of enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter until
the date that is 3 years after the date of enactment of this
Act, the Attorney General shall submit to Congress a report on
the activities carried out as a result of the amendments made
under section 2.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) Contents.--Each report under paragraph (1)
shall include, at a minimum, information on--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) steps taken by the Attorney General to
develop or identify curricula under section 1701(q)(1)
of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of
1968, as added by section 2;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) any assessments conducted or
identified by the Attorney General on the effectiveness
and utilization of curricula developed or identified
under section 1701(q)(1) of the Omnibus Crime Control
and Safe Streets Act of 1968, as added by section
2;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (C) recommendations for curriculum updates
and improvements; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (D) barriers to training
implementation.</DELETED>
<DELETED>SEC. 4. GAO REPORT.</DELETED>
<DELETED> Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this
Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) conduct a review of the actions taken by the
Attorney General pursuant to this Act and the amendments made
by this Act; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) submit to Congress a report on the review
conducted under paragraph (1), which shall include a
description of--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) the process for developing and
identifying curricula under section 1701(q)(1) of the
Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, as
added by section 2, including the effectiveness of the
consultation by the Attorney General with the agencies,
associations, and organizations identified under that
section; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) the certification of training programs
and courses under section 1701(q)(2) of the Omnibus
Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, as added by
section 2, including the development of the process for
certification and its implementation.</DELETED>
<DELETED>SEC. 5. STATE CERTIFICATIONS AND TRAINING STANDARDS.</DELETED>
<DELETED> Nothing in this Act, or an amendment made by this Act,
shall be construed to preempt or replace the authority of any State or
local government, including any Peace Officer Standards and Training
entity or similar certifying body, to set and enforce certification,
training, or qualification standards for law enforcement
officers.</DELETED>
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Promoting Police Leadership Act''.
SEC. 2. COMMANDER CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT.
(a) Definitions.--Section 901(a) of title I of the Omnibus Crime
Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10251(a)) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (32), by striking ``and'' at the end;
(2) in paragraph (33)(B), by striking the period at the end
and inserting ``; and''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(34) the term `command-level personnel' means law
enforcement officers employed by a State, local, or Tribal law
enforcement agency whose responsibilities include managing,
directing, or overseeing law enforcement operations within a
geographic subunit of the jurisdiction in which such agency has
primary responsibility for law enforcement activities.''.
(b) Cops Program.--Section 1701 of title I of the Omnibus Crime
Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10381) is amended by
adding at the end the following:
``(q) Training in Improving Police Command-level Personnel
Leadership, Management, and Effectiveness.--
``(1) Training curricula.--
``(A) In general.--Not later than 180 days after
the date of enactment of this subsection, the Attorney
General shall develop training curricula or identify
effective existing training curricula for command-level
personnel relating to--
``(i) leadership and strategic thinking;
``(ii) critical incident response and
management, including understanding, preparing
for, and responding to the effect of critical
incidents on officers and communities;
``(iii) risk management;
``(iv) officer wellness;
``(v) data analysis and data-driven
policing tactics;
``(vi) evidence-based decision making; and
``(vii) building community trust.
``(B) Requirements.--The training curricula
developed or identified under this paragraph shall
include--
``(i) primarily in-person instruction and
peer-to-peer learning;
``(ii) a framework for a practical,
evidence-based problem solving component under
which participating command-level personnel--
``(I) identify and develop a
proposed solution to a leadership,
operational, or management challenge
relevant to personnel in the command-
level personnel's employing law
enforcement agency;
``(II) receive feedback from
curriculum instructors and other
participating command-level personnel
to refine the proposed solution
accordingly to meet the needs of the
law enforcement agency and community
served; and
``(III) present a final,
implementable product emphasizing
evidence-based strategies to program
instructors and the command-level
personnel's district or geographic
command; and
``(iii) the incorporation of pre-course and
post-course assessments to measure knowledge
acquisition and leadership competencies
relevant to the training curricula.
``(C) Consultation.--The Attorney General shall
develop and identify training curricula under this
paragraph in consultation with relevant law enforcement
agencies of States and units of local government,
organizations and fraternal associations representing
law enforcement officers, universities with appropriate
law enforcement or leadership programs, and any other
entities the Attorney General determines appropriate.
``(2) Certified programs and courses.--
``(A) In general.--Not later than 180 days after
the date on which training curricula are developed or
identified under paragraph (1), the Attorney General
shall establish a process to--
``(i) certify training programs and courses
offered to command-level personnel which
incorporate 1 or more of the training curricula
developed or identified under paragraph (1), or
equivalents to such training curricula, which
may include certifying training programs or
courses offered on or before the date on which
the Attorney General establishes the process;
and
``(ii) terminate the certification of a
training program or course that fails to meet
the standards developed or identified under
paragraph (1).
``(B) Partnerships with educational institutions.--
Not later than 180 days after the date on which
training curricula are developed or identified under
paragraph (1), the Attorney General shall develop
criteria to ensure that entities which offer training
programs or courses that are certified under
subparagraph (A) collaborate with educational
institutions to evaluate and continuously improve the
curricula and coursework of those educational
institutions.
``(3) List.--Not later than 1 year after the date on which
the Attorney General completes the activities required under
paragraphs (1) and (2), the Attorney General shall publish a
list of law enforcement agencies of States and units of local
government employing law enforcement officers who have
successfully completed a course using the training curricula
developed or identified under paragraph (1), or equivalents to
such training curricula, which shall include--
``(A) the total number of law enforcement officers
that are employed by the law enforcement agency; and
``(B) the number of law enforcement officers who
have completed such a course.''.
SEC. 3. ATTORNEY GENERAL REPORTS.
(a) In General.--Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment
of this Act, and annually thereafter until the date that is 3 years
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Attorney General shall
submit to Congress a report on the activities carried out as a result
of the amendments made under section 2.
(b) Contents.--Each report under subsection (a) shall include, at a
minimum, information on--
(1) steps taken by the Attorney General to develop or
identify curricula under section 1701(q)(1) of the Omnibus
Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, as added by section
2;
(2) any assessments conducted or identified by the Attorney
General on the effectiveness and utilization of curricula
developed or identified under section 1701(q)(1) of the Omnibus
Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, as added by section
2;
(3) recommendations for curriculum updates and
improvements; and
(4) barriers to training implementation.
SEC. 4. GAO REPORT.
Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the
Comptroller General of the United States shall--
(1) conduct a review of the actions taken by the Attorney
General pursuant to this Act and the amendments made by this
Act; and
(2) submit to Congress a report on the review conducted
under paragraph (1), which shall include a description of--
(A) the process for developing and identifying
curricula under section 1701(q)(1) of the Omnibus Crime
Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, as added by
section 2, including the effectiveness of the
consultation by the Attorney General with the agencies,
associations, and organizations identified under that
section; and
(B) the certification of training programs and
courses under section 1701(q)(2) of the Omnibus Crime
Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, as added by
section 2, including the development of the process for
certification and its implementation.
SEC. 5. STATE CERTIFICATIONS AND TRAINING STANDARDS.
Nothing in this Act, or an amendment made by this Act, shall be
construed to preempt or replace the authority of any State or local
government, including any Peace Officer Standards and Training entity
or similar certifying body, to set and enforce certification, training,
or qualification standards for law enforcement officers.
Calendar No. 414
119th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 4394
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to
improve the COPS program with respect to training command-level
personnel, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
May 19, 2026
Reported with an amendment