[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 22 (Thursday, February 15, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1479-S1481]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. HUTCHINSON (for himself, Mr. Harkin, Mr. Smith of Oregon, 
        Mr. Thomas, Mr. Bingaman, Mr. Sarbanes, Mr. Feingold, and Mr. 
        Johnson):
  S. 349. A bill to provide funds to the National Center for Rural Law 
Enforcement, and for other purposes; to the Committee on the Judiciary.
  Mr. HUTCHINSON. Mr. President, I rise today with my colleagues 
Senator Harkin, Senator Gordon Smith, and Senator Thomas to introduce 
the Rural Law Enforcement Assistance Act of 2001. This important 
legislation will authorize the funding necessary to ensure that rural 
law enforcement agencies are able to secure the technical assistance, 
education, and training they need.
  As in my home state of Arkansas, many rural law enforcement agencies 
are comprised of a handful of officers and don't have the financial 
resources to provide them with crucial technical assistance, education, 
and training. However, the need for these services is greater than ever 
as these officers are increasingly facing violent crimes that were once 
confined to urban settings. When one considers the fact that ten 
officers in 100,000 die in the line of duty each year in rural counties 
and communities with a population less than 25,000, as contrasted with 
seven in 100,000 in the largest cities, this legislation becomes 
necessary.
  I am very proud that, under the leadership of Dr. Lee Colwell, the 
former

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Associate Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the National 
Center for Rural Law Enforcement in Little Rock, Arkansas has taken the 
lead in addressing this problem. Since 1985, the Center has been 
providing the technical assistance, education, and training that rural 
law enforcement agencies so critically need. For instance, the Center 
is currently providing Internet access, forensic science education and 
training, and model management and investigative policies to rural law 
enforcement agencies throughout the nation. Its effectiveness is 
readily apparent as it is strongly supported by law enforcement 
agencies located in the following 40 states: Alabama; Alaska; Arizona; 
Arkansas; California; Connecticut; Delaware; Florida; Georgia; 
Illinois; Indiana; Iowa; Kentucky; Louisiana; Maine; Maryland; 
Michigan; Minnesota; Mississippi; Missouri; Montana; Nebraska; Nevada; 
New Jersey; New York; North Carolina; North Dakota; Ohio; Oklahoma; 
Oregon; Pennsylvania; South Carolina; South Dakota; Tennessee; Texas; 
Utah; Vermont; Virginia; Wisconsin; and Wyoming.
  The Rural Law Enforcement Assistance Act of 2001 will establish eight 
regional centers to compliment the Center and thereby expand the 
technical assistance, education, and training available to local law 
enforcement agencies throughout our nation. Thus, I ask my colleagues 
to join with me as I work to see that this important measure is enacted 
into law and I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                 S. 349

       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 ``Rural Law Enforcement 
     Assistance Act of 2001''.

     SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Board.--The term ``Board'' means the members of the 
     Board of the Center elected in accordance with the bylaws of 
     the Center.
       (2) Center.--The term ``Center'' means the National Center 
     for Rural Law Enforcement, a nonprofit corporation located in 
     Little Rock, Arkansas.
       (3) Executive director.--The term ``Executive Director'' 
     means the Executive Director of the Center as appointed in 
     accordance with the bylaws of the Center.
       (4) Institutions of higher education.--The term 
     ``institutions of higher education'' has the meaning given 
     the term in section 1201(a) of the Higher Education Act of 
     1965 (20 U.S.C. 1141(a)).
       (5) Metropolitan statistical area.--The term ``metropolitan 
     statistical area'' has the same meaning given the term by the 
     Bureau of the Census of the Department of Commerce.
       (6) Rural area.--The term ``rural area'' means an area that 
     is located outside of a metropolitan statistical area.
       (7) Rural law enforcement agency.--The term ``rural law 
     enforcement agency'' means a criminal justice or law 
     enforcement agency that serves a county, parish, city, town, 
     township, borough, or village that is located in a rural 
     area.

     SEC. 3. EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROGRAM GRANTS.

       (a) Grant Authority.--The Attorney General shall annually 
     make a grant to the National Center for Rural Law Enforcement 
     through the Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice 
     Affairs, if the Executive Director certifies in writing to 
     the Attorney General that the Center--
       (1) is incorporated in accordance with applicable State 
     law;
       (2) is in compliance with the bylaws of the Center;
       (3) will use amounts made available under this section in 
     accordance with subsection (b); and
       (4) will not support any political party or candidate for 
     elected or appointed office.
       (b) Uses of Funds.--
       (1) Required uses of funds.--The Center shall use amounts 
     made available under this section to develop an education and 
     training program for criminal justice or law enforcement 
     agencies in rural areas and the employees of those agencies, 
     which shall include--
       (A) the development and delivery of management, forensic 
     and computer education and training, technical assistance, 
     and practical research and evaluation for employees of rural 
     law enforcement agencies (including tribal law enforcement 
     agencies and railroad law enforcement agencies), including 
     supervisory and executive managers of those agencies;
       (B) conducting research into the causes and prevention of 
     criminal activity in rural areas, including the causes, 
     assessment, evaluation, analysis, and prevention of criminal 
     activity;
       (C) the development and dissemination of information 
     designed to assist States and units of local government in 
     rural areas throughout the United States;
       (D) the establishment and maintenance of a resource and 
     information center for the collection, preparation, and 
     dissemination of information regarding criminal justice and 
     law enforcement in rural areas, including programs for the 
     prevention of crime and recidivism; and
       (E) the delivery of assistance, in a consulting capacity, 
     to criminal justice agencies in the development, 
     establishment, maintenance, and coordination of programs, 
     facilities and services, education, training, and research 
     relating to crime in rural areas.
       (2) Permissive uses of funds.--The Center may use amounts 
     made available under a grant under this section to enhance 
     the education and training program developed under paragraph 
     (1), through--
       (A) educational opportunities for rural law enforcement 
     agencies;
       (B) the development, promotion, and voluntary adoption of 
     educational and training standards and accreditation 
     certification programs for rural law enforcement agencies and 
     the employees of those agencies;
       (C) grants to, and contracts with, State, and local 
     governments, law enforcement agencies, public and private 
     agencies, educational institutions, and other organizations 
     and individuals to carry out this paragraph;
       (D) the formulation and recommendation of law enforcement 
     policy, goals, and standards in rural areas applicable to 
     criminal justice agencies, organizations, institutions, and 
     personnel; and
       (E) coordination with institutions of higher education for 
     the purpose of encouraging and delivering programs of study 
     with those institutions for employees of rural law 
     enforcement agencies.
       (c) Powers.--In carrying out subsection (b), the Executive 
     Director may--
       (1) request the head of any Federal department or agency to 
     detail, on a reimbursable basis, 1 or more employees of the 
     Federal department or agency to the Center to assist the 
     Center in carrying out subsection (b), and any such detail 
     shall be without interruption or loss of civil service status 
     or privilege;
       (2) request the Administrator of the General Services 
     Administration to provide the Center, on a reimbursable 
     basis, the administrative support services necessary for the 
     Center to carry out subsection (b); and
       (3) procure temporary and intermittent services under 
     section 3109(b) of title 5, United States Code, at rates of 
     compensation established by the Board, but not to exceed the 
     daily equivalent of the maximum rate of pay payable for a 
     position at level IV of the Executive Schedule under section 
     5315 of title 5, United States Code.
       (d) Reporting Requirements.--The Executive Director shall 
     annually submit to the Attorney General a report, which shall 
     include--
       (1) a description of the education and training program 
     developed under subsection (b);
       (2) the number and demographic representation of 
     individuals who attended programs sponsored by the Center;
       (3) a description of the extent to which resources of other 
     governmental agencies or private entities were used in 
     carrying out subsection (b); and
       (4) a description of the extent to which contracts with 
     other public and private entities were used in carrying out 
     subsection (b).
       (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized 
     to be appropriated to carry out this section--
       (1) $13,000,000 for fiscal year 2002; and
       (2) such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 
     2003 through 2007.

     SEC. 4. REGIONAL CENTERS.

       (a) Establishment.--
       (1) In general.--The Center shall establish 8 regional 
     centers, 1 in each geographic region listed in subsection (b) 
     that will be under the supervision, direction, and control of 
     the Center.
       (2) Requirement.--The 8 regional centers shall be 
     established 2 per year during 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005.
       (b) Regions.--For purposes of subsection (a), the regions 
     shall be as follows:
       (1) Region 1.--Region 1 shall be comprised of the following 
     States--
       (A) Connecticut;
       (B) Maine;
       (C) Massachusetts;
       (D) New Hampshire;
       (E) New York;
       (F) Rhode Island; and
       (G) Vermont.
       (2) Region 2.--Region 2 shall be comprised of the following 
     States--
       (A) Delaware;
       (B) Maryland;
       (C) New Jersey;
       (D) Ohio;
       (E) Pennsylvania;
       (F) West Virginia; and
       (G) Virginia.
       (3) Region 3.--Region 3 shall be comprised of the following 
     States--
       (A) Alabama;
       (B) Florida;
       (C) Georgia;
       (D) Mississippi;
       (E) North Carolina; and
       (F) South Carolina.
       (4) Region 4.--Region 4 shall be comprised of the following 
     States--
       (A) Iowa;

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       (B) Minnesota;
       (C) Nebraska;
       (D) North Dakota;
       (E) South Dakota; and
       (F) Wisconsin.
       (5) Region 5.--Region 5 shall be comprised of the following 
     States--
       (A) Arkansas;
       (B) Illinois;
       (C) Indiana;
       (D) Kentucky;
       (E) Louisiana;
       (F) Michigan;
       (G) Missouri; and
       (H) Tennessee.
       (6) Region 6.--Region 6 shall be comprised of the following 
     States--
       (A) Colorado;
       (B) Kansas;
       (C) New Mexico;
       (D) Oklahoma; and
       (E) Texas.
       (7) Region 7.--Region 7 shall be comprised of the following 
     States--
       (A) Arizona;
       (B) California;
       (C) Nevada; and
       (D) Utah.
       (8) Region 8.--Region 8 shall be comprised of the following 
     States--
       (A) Alaska;
       (B) Hawaii;
       (C) Idaho;
       (D) Montana;
       (E) Oregon;
       (F) Washington; and
       (G) Wyoming.
       (c) Funding.--
       (1) In general.--All funds for the regional centers shall 
     be distributed by the Center which shall determine the budget 
     base of each regional center based upon the budget request 
     required to be submitted by each regional center under 
     paragraph (2).
       (2) Budget request.--Each regional center shall submit a 
     budget request to the Center at such time and in such manner 
     as the Executive Director may reasonably require.
       (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized 
     to be appropriated to carry out this section--
       (1) $8,000,000 for fiscal year 2002;
       (2) $16,000,000 for fiscal year 2003;
       (3) $24,000,000 for fiscal year 2004;
       (4) $32,000,000 for fiscal year 2005; and
       (5) such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 
     2006 and 2007.
                                 ______