[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 82 (Monday, June 26, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Page S5790]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. LEAHY:
  S. 2783. A bill entitled the ``21st Century Law Enforcement and 
Public Safety Act''; to the Committee on the Judiciary.


         the 21st century law enforcement and public safety act

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, as ranking member of the Senate Committee 
on the Judiciary, I am pleased to introduce at the request of the 
Administration ``The 21st Century Law Enforcement and Public Safety 
Act.'' This bill reflects the continuing aggressive approach of this 
Administration and this Department of Justice, under the leadership of 
Attorney General Janet Reno, to keep the both the violent and property 
crime rates in this country going down.
  Under the Attorney General's leadership and the programs established 
by the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, the 
nation's serious crime rate has declined for eight straight years. We 
are seeing the lowest recorded rates in many years. Murder rates have 
fallen to their lowest levels in three decades. Even juvenile crime 
rates have also been falling. According to the FBI's latest crime 
statistics release, on May 7, 2000, in just the last year, there has 
been a seven percent decline in reported serious violent and property 
crime from 1998 totals. Both murder and robbery registered eight 
percent drops, while forcible rape and aggravated assault figures each 
declined by seven percent from 1998. This is cause for commendation for 
the Attorney General and our Federal, State and local law enforcement 
officers, to whom all Americans owe an enormous thanks for a job well 
done.
  This Administration has not rested on its laurels, however. Instead, 
the Administration has crafted the bill I introduce on their behalf 
today. It contains a number of good ideas to which the Judiciary 
Committee and the Congress should pay attention. Unfortunately, the 
Committee and the Congress has spent more time on symbolic issues, such 
as a proposed amendments to the Constitution to protect the flag and 
crime victims than to other concrete steps we could take to combat 
crime and school violence. Indeed, the majority in Congress has stalled 
any conference action on the Hatch-Leahy juvenile justice legislation, 
S. 254, which passed the Senate by a substantial majority in May, 1999.
  The Administration's bill contains five titles focusing on various 
aspects of crime. Title I contains proposals for supporting local law 
enforcement and promoting crime-fighting technologies, including 
expanding the purpose of COPS grants by funding an increase in the 
number of prosecutors as well as police; authorizing grants to improve 
the technology used for investigations in underserved rural areas--less 
than 25,000 people; and extending the Leahy-Campbell Bulletproof Vest 
Partnership Grant Act.
  Title II contains many proposals for breaking the cycle of drugs and 
violence. Title III would promote investigative and prosecutorial tools 
for fighting terrorism and international crime. Title IV would 
reauthorize certain VAWA programs and provide other assistance to 
victims of crime and consumer fraud. In addition, this title contains 
important proposals to prevent and punish abuse and neglect of the 
elderly and other residents in nursing homes and health care facilities 
and environmental crimes. The last title would strengthen federal 
criminal laws to combat white collar crime, including in correction 
facilities and involving the theft of government property.
  While I have concerns with certain parts of the bill, such as 
proposals for increases in mandatory minimum penalties, a new death 
penalty provision and broad administrative subpoena authority, I 
support many other parts, such as the Extension of Bulletproof Vest 
Partnership Grant Act to assist law enforcement in Vermont and across 
the nation obtain bulletproof vests and stay safe on the job.
  Again, I commend the Attorney General and the Administration for this 
important legislation and their efforts to keep Americans safe from 
crime.
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