[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 106 (Wednesday, June 24, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Page S3680]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 6552. Mr. PETERS (for himself and Mr. Cornyn) submitted an 
amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 4784, to 
authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2027 for military activities 
of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for 
defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military 
personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which 
was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the appropriate place, insert the following:

     SEC. ____. STRONG COMMUNITIES ACT OF 2026.

       (a) Short Title.--This section may be cited as the ``Strong 
     Communities Act of 2026''.
       (b) Strong Communities 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) COPS Strong Communities Program.--
       ``(1) Definitions.--In this subsection:
       ``(A) Eligible entity.--The term `eligible entity' means--
       ``(i) an institution of higher education, as defined in 
     section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
     1001), that, in coordination or through an agreement with a 
     local law enforcement agency, offers a law enforcement 
     training program; or
       ``(ii) a local law enforcement agency that offers a law 
     enforcement training program.
       ``(B) Local law enforcement agency.--The term `local law 
     enforcement agency' means an agency of a State, unit of local 
     government, or Indian Tribe that is authorized by law or by a 
     government agency to engage in or supervise the prevention, 
     detection, investigation, or prosecution of any violation of 
     criminal law.
       ``(2) Grants.--The Attorney General may use amounts 
     otherwise appropriated to carry out this section for a fiscal 
     year (beginning with fiscal year 2025) to make competitive 
     grants to local law enforcement agencies to be used for 
     officers and recruits to attend law enforcement training 
     programs at eligible entities if the officers and recruits 
     agree to serve in law enforcement agencies in their 
     communities.
       ``(3) Eligibility.--To be eligible for a grant through a 
     local law enforcement agency under this subsection, each 
     officer or recruit described in paragraph (2) shall--
       ``(A) serve as a full-time law enforcement officer for a 
     total of not fewer than 4 years during the 8-year period 
     beginning on the date on which the officer or recruit 
     completes a law enforcement training program for which the 
     officer or recruit receives benefits;
       ``(B) complete the service described in subparagraph (A) in 
     a local law enforcement agency located within--
       ``(i) 7 miles of the residence of the officer or recruit 
     where the officer or recruit has resided for not fewer than 5 
     years; or
       ``(ii) if the officer or recruit resides in a county with 
     fewer than 150,000 residents, within 20 miles of the 
     residence of the officer or recruit where the officer or 
     recruit has resided for not fewer than 5 years; and
       ``(C) submit to the eligible entity providing a law 
     enforcement training program to the officer or recruit 
     evidence of employment of the officer or recruit in the form 
     of a certification by the chief administrative officer of the 
     local law enforcement agency where the officer or recruit is 
     employed.
       ``(4) Repayment.--
       ``(A) In general.--If an officer or recruit does not 
     complete the service described in paragraph (3), the officer 
     or recruit shall submit to the local law enforcement agency 
     an amount equal to any benefits the officer or recruit 
     received through the local law enforcement agency under this 
     subsection.
       ``(B) Regulations.--The Attorney General shall promulgate 
     regulations that establish categories of extenuating 
     circumstances under which an officer or recruit may be 
     excused from repayment under subparagraph (A).''.
       (c) Transparency.--Not less frequently than annually, the 
     Attorney General shall submit to the Committee on the 
     Judiciary of the Senate and the Committee on the Judiciary of 
     the House of Representatives a report that details, with 
     respect to recipients of grants under section 1701(q) of 
     title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 
     1968, as added by subsection (b)--
       (1) during the 1-year period preceding the date of the 
     report--
       (A) the number and location of those recipients; and
       (B) the number of law enforcement officers and recruits 
     each recipient intends to send to law enforcement training 
     programs at eligible entities (as defined in paragraph (1) of 
     such section 1701(q)) with amounts from the grant; and
       (2) during the period between the date of enactment of this 
     Act and the date of the report--
       (A) the number of law enforcement officers or recruits who 
     attended the training described in paragraph (1)(B) with 
     amounts from the grant and returned from the training as 
     employees of the recipient; and
       (B) the number of law enforcement officers or recruits 
     described in subparagraph (A) who remain an employee of the 
     recipient.
                                 ______