[House Report 118-481]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


118th Congress  }                                             {  Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 2d Session     }                                             { 118-481

======================================================================



 
                     RECRUIT AND RETAIN ACT OF 2024

                                _______
                                

  May 6, 2024.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 
              State of the Union and ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

    Mr. Jordan, from the Committee on the Judiciary, submitted the 
                               following

                              R E P O R T

                        [To accompany H.R. 3325]

    The Committee on the Judiciary, to whom was referred the 
bill (H.R. 3325) to amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe 
Streets Act of 1968 to authorize law enforcement agencies to 
use COPS grants for recruitment activities, and for other 
purposes, having considered the same, reports favorably thereon 
with an amendment and recommends that the bill as amended do 
pass.

                                CONTENTS

                                                                   Page
Purpose and Summary..............................................     3
Background and Need for the Legislation..........................     3
Hearings.........................................................     6
Committee Consideration..........................................     7
Committee Votes..................................................     7
Committee Oversight Findings.....................................     7
New Budget Authority and Tax Expenditures........................     7
Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate........................     8
Committee Estimate of Budgetary Effects..........................     8
Duplication of Federal Programs..................................     8
Performance Goals and Objectives.................................     8
Advisory on Earmarks.............................................     8
Federal Mandates Statement.......................................     8
Advisory Committee Statement.....................................     9
Applicability to Legislative Branch..............................     9
Section-by-Section Analysis......................................     9
Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported............     9

    The amendment is as follows:
  Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the 
following:

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

  This Act may be cited as the ``Recruit and Retain Act of 2024''.

SEC. 2. IMPROVING COPS GRANTS FOR POLICE HIRING PURPOSES.

  (a) Grant Use Expansion.--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 (22) through (23) as 
        paragraphs (23) through (24), respectively; and
          (2) by inserting after paragraph (21) the following:
          ``(22) to support hiring activities by law enforcement 
        agencies experiencing declines in officer recruitment 
        applications by reducing application-related fees, such as fees 
        for background checks, psychological evaluations, and 
        testing;''.
  (b) Technical Amendment.--Section 1701(b)(23) of title I of the 
Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 
10381(b)(23)), as so redesignated, is amended by striking ``(21)'' and 
inserting ``(22)''.

SEC. 3. ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS; PIPELINE PARTNERSHIP 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:
  ``(o) Administrative Costs.--Not more than 2 percent of a grant made 
for the hiring or rehiring of additional career law enforcement 
officers may be used for costs incurred to administer such grant.
  ``(p) COPS Pipeline Partnership Program.--
          ``(1) Eligible entity defined.--In this subsection, the term 
        `eligible entity' means a law enforcement agency in partnership 
        with not less than 1 educational institution, which may include 
        1 or any combination of the following:
                  ``(A) An elementary school.
                  ``(B) A secondary school.
                  ``(C) An institution of higher education.
                  ``(D) A Hispanic-serving institution.
                  ``(E) A historically Black college or university.
                  ``(F) A Tribal college.
          ``(2) Grants.--The Attorney General shall award competitive 
        grants to eligible entities for recruiting activities that--
                  ``(A) support substantial student engagement for the 
                exploration of potential future career opportunities in 
                law enforcement;
                  ``(B) strengthen recruitment by law enforcement 
                agencies experiencing a decline in recruits, or high 
                rates of resignations or retirements;
                  ``(C) enhance community interactions between local 
                youth and law enforcement agencies that are designed to 
                increase recruiting; and
                  ``(D) otherwise improve the outcomes of local law 
                enforcement recruitment through activities such as 
                dedicated programming for students, work-based learning 
                opportunities, project-based learning, mentoring, 
                community liaisons, career or job fairs, work site 
                visits, job shadowing, apprenticeships, or skills-based 
                internships.
          ``(3) Funding.--Of the amounts made available to carry out 
        this part for a fiscal year, the Attorney General may use not 
        more than $3,000,000 to carry out this subsection.''.

SEC. 4. COPS GRANT GUIDANCE FOR AGENCIES OPERATING BELOW BUDGETED 
                    STRENGTH.

  Section 1704 of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets 
Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10384) is amended by adding at the end the 
following:
  ``(d) Guidance for Understaffed Law Enforcement Agencies.--
          ``(1) Definitions.--In this subsection:
                  ``(A) Covered applicant.--The term `covered 
                applicant' means an applicant for a hiring grant under 
                this part seeking funding for a law enforcement agency 
                operating below the budgeted strength of the law 
                enforcement agency.
                  ``(B) Budgeted strength.--The term `budgeted 
                strength' means the employment of the maximum number of 
                sworn law enforcement officers the budget of a law 
                enforcement agency allows the agency to employ.
          ``(2) Procedures.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the Attorney General shall establish 
        consistent procedures for covered applicants, including 
        guidance that--
                  ``(A) clarifies that covered applicants remain 
                eligible for funding under this part; and
                  ``(B) enables covered applicants to attest that the 
                funding from a grant awarded under this part is not 
                being used by the law enforcement agency to supplant 
                State or local funds, as described in subsection (a).
          ``(3) Paperwork reduction.--In developing the procedures and 
        guidance under paragraph (2), the Attorney General shall take 
        measures to reduce paperwork requirements for grants to covered 
        applicants.''.

SEC. 5. STUDY ON POLICE RECRUITMENT.

  (a) Study.--
          (1) In general.--The Comptroller General of the United States 
        shall conduct a study to consider the comprehensive effects of 
        recruitment and attrition rates on Federal, State, Tribal, and 
        local law enforcement agencies in the United States, to 
        identify--
                  (A) the primary reasons that law enforcement 
                officers--
                          (i) join law enforcement agencies; and
                          (ii) resign or retire from law enforcement 
                        agencies;
                  (B) how the reasons described in subparagraph (A) may 
                have changed over time;
                  (C) the effects of recruitment and attrition on 
                public safety;
                  (D) the effects of electronic media on recruitment 
                efforts;
                  (E) barriers to the recruitment and retention of 
                Federal, State, and local law enforcement officers; and
                  (F) recommendations for potential ways to address 
                barriers to the recruitment and retention of law 
                enforcement officers, including the barriers identified 
                in subparagraph (E).
          (2) Representative cross-section.--
                  (A) In general.--The Comptroller General of the 
                United States shall endeavor to ensure accurate 
                representation of law enforcement agencies in the study 
                conducted pursuant to paragraph (1) by surveying a 
                broad cross-section of law enforcement agencies--
                          (i) from various regions of the United 
                        States;
                          (ii) of different sizes; and
                          (iii) from rural, suburban, and urban 
                        jurisdictions.
                  (B) Methods description.--The study conducted 
                pursuant to paragraph (1) shall include in the report 
                under subsection (b) a description of the methods used 
                to identify a representative sample of law enforcement 
                agencies.
  (b) Report.--Not later than 540 days after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall--
          (1) submit to the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate 
        and the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of 
        Representatives a report containing the study conducted under 
        subsection (a); and
          (2) make the report submitted under paragraph (1) publicly 
        available online.
  (c) Confidentiality.--The Comptroller General of the United States 
shall ensure that the study conducted under subsection (a) protects the 
privacy of participating law enforcement agencies.

                          Purpose and Summary

    H.R. 3325, the Recruit and Retain Act, introduced by Rep. 
Wesley Hunt (R-TX), will expand the Community Oriented Policing 
Services (COPS) grant program to support recruitment efforts by 
law enforcement agencies. The bill also limits the amount of a 
grant that may be used for costs to administer the grant, 
clarifies that law enforcement agencies operating below their 
budgeted strength remain eligible for COPS grants with certain 
conditions, and requires a study by the U.S. Government 
Accountability Office (GAO) on police recruitment.

                Background and Need for the Legislation

    Due to the radical left's ``defund the police'' movement, 
Democrat-run cities across the United States reduced funding 
for police departments, which left cities without an adequate 
law enforcement presence to address the surge in violent 
crime.\1\ Los Angeles reduced its police department's budget by 
$150 million.\2\ New York City made cuts amounting to $1 
billion from the New York Police Department (NYPD).\3\ 
Chicago's then-Mayor Lori Lightfoot approved a decrease of 
approximately $80 million for the Chicago Police Department 
budget.\4\ In 2021, Washington, D.C., slashed the Metropolitan 
Police Department (MPD) budget by roughly $15 million.\5\ The 
subsequent years unsurprisingly saw a significant uptick in 
violent crime in these cities, which can be attributed to these 
decisions to defund law enforcement.\6\
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    \1\Rep. Clay Higgins, Democrats' push to defund police caused crime 
to spike, Wash. Examiner (Jun. 22, 2022).
    \2\Audrey Conklin, LA `Defund' Police Budget Cuts Force Department 
to Dissolve Sexual Assault Unit that Investigated Weinstein, Fox News 
(Nov. 12, 2020).
    \3\Scottie Andrew and Kristina Sgueglia, New York Police 
Department's budget has been slashed by $1 billion, Cnn (July 1, 2020).
    \4\After caving to the defund movement in 2020, Chicago Mayor 
Lightfoot proposes more police funding as crime continues to spiral, 
The National Police Support Fund (Oct. 21, 2021).
    \5\Eric Flack, Verify: Did DC `Defund the Police?', Wash. Post 
(Apr. 20, 2021).
    \6\Higgins, supra note 1.
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    According to the Major City Chiefs Association (MCCA), the 
spike in violent crime in 2020 worsened in 2021. The MCCA 
reported that violent crime in the majority of big cities 
across the U.S. remains high compared to 2019, with homicides 
in the U.S. increasing by over 36 percent.\7\ Out of the 70 
cities included in MCCA's data, 69 cities saw increases in at 
least one category of violent crimes in 2021, which include 
homicide, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault.\8\
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    \7\Press Release, Major Cities Chiefs Association, MCCA Releases 
Violent Crime Report (Feb. 10, 2022)
    \8\Major Cities Chiefs Association, Violent Crime Survey--Agency 
Totals (2020-2021), https://majorcitieschiefs.com/wp-content/uploads/
2022/02/MCCA-Violent-Crime-Report-2021-and-2020-Year-End.pdf.
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    After this spike in crime, some Democrats refused to 
acknowledge their own policy failures and instead blamed 
firearms, economic downturns, and perceived deficiencies in 
federal law enforcement support.\9\ For example, Chicago Mayor 
Lightfoot reached out to Attorney General Merrick Garland, 
pushing for an increase in Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms 
& Explosives (ATF) agents in Chicago to address illegal 
firearms.\10\ The CPD would have been best situated to address 
elevated levels of violent crime in Chicago if Mayor Lightfoot 
had worked to increase funding for the department instead of 
cutting its funding by approximately $80 million.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \9\Alec Schemmel, Mayor who pushed to defund police by $80M pleads 
with feds to help with rampant crime, Fox 17 Nashville (Dec. 22, 2021).
    \10\Id.
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    However, some Democrats realized the effects of their 
catastrophic decisions and reversed course. For example, San 
Francisco Mayor London Breed initially diverted $120 million 
from the police budget towards social initiatives, only to 
recalibrate her approach in light of rising crime and committed 
to strengthen the police force and counter the criminal 
elements in the city.\11\ Within three years, almost all large 
Democrat-led cities reversed course on the decision to defund 
law enforcement and augmented police department budgets, with 
many Democrats stepping away from the ``defund the police'' 
narrative altogether.\12\ In 2023, after Washington, D.C., 
experienced its deadliest year in more than 20 years,\13\ Mayor 
Muriel Bowser proposed legislation to reverse many of the anti-
police reforms.\14\ The legislation also sought to target 
organized retail crime as well as the issue of open-air drug 
markets in the District.\15\ Mayor Bowser admitted the original 
police reform legislation did not ``match the daily practice of 
safe and effective policing.''\16\
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    \11\Id.
    \12\Id.
    \13\Emily Davies, John D. Harden and Peter Hermann, 2023 was 
District's deadliest year in more than two decades Wash. Post (Jan. 1, 
2024), https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/interactive/2024/dc-
crime-homicide-victims-shooting-violence/.
    \14\Melissa Koenig, DC mayor proposes rolling back progressive 
police reforms amid spike in violent crimes N.Y. Post (Oct. 24, 2023), 
https://nypost.com/2023/10/24/news/dc-mayor-proposes-rolling-back-
progressive-police-reforms/.
    \15\Id.
    \16\Id.
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                       POLICE RECRUITMENT CRISIS

    Police departments across the country are experiencing 
significant recruitment challenges, as officers have been 
leaving the force in droves. In 2023, the San Francisco Police 
Department was down over 600 officers compared to 2020--
approximately thirty percent of the department.\17\ The MPD in 
Washington, D.C., has the lowest number of officers it has had 
in the past fifty years.\18\ Since 2019, the Chicago Police 
Department has lost 3,300 officers, and, as of October 2022, it 
had only replaced roughly half of those departures.\19\ As of 
March 2023, there were 1,500 vacancies within the 
department.\20\ During a forum convened by the Committee on the 
Judiciary in Chicago, Illinois in September 2023, retired 
Chicago Police Department Detective John Garrido highlighted 
many of the challenges that police officers face while stating 
that, ``officers are retiring and resigning at alarming 
rates.''\21\
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    \17\Robert Klemko, Police agencies are desperate to hire. But they 
say few want the job., Wash. Post (May 27, 2023), https://
www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/05/27/police-vacancies-
hiring-recruiting-reform/.
    \18\Id.
    \19\Elliott Ramos et al., Chicago Police Department Struggles as 
Burnt-Out Cops Quit, With Some Heading to Suburbs, CBS News Chi. (Oct. 
11, 2022).
    \20\Glenn Minnis, With 1,500 Vacancies, Chicago Police Ramp Up 
Recruiting Efforts, The Center Square (Mar. 28, 2023).
    \21\Victims of Violent Crime in Chicago: Hearing Before the H. 
Comm. On the Judiciary, 118th Cong. 20 (2023) (statement by John 
Garrido, retired detective from the Chicago Police Department).
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    These challenges are not limited to large cities, as small 
towns are also experiencing challenges with officer recruitment 
and retention. For example, Goodhue, Minnesota--population 
1,300--was forced to shutter its police department last August 
after the city council did not provide more resources for pay 
and benefits.\22\ In many cases, these small towns have to turn 
police work over to the county sheriff's office.\23\ Even 
Attorney General Garland seems to have admitted that the left's 
anti-police rhetoric has hurt police recruitment, stating: 
``Law enforcement officers across the country are facing 
unprecedented challenges at a time when they are already being 
stretched thin . . . .''\24\
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    \22\The Associated Press, The U.S. is experiencing a police hiring 
crisis, The Assoc. Press (Sep. 6, 2023), https://www.nbcnews.com/news/
us-news/us-experiencing-police-hiring-crisis-rcna103600.
    \23\Id.
    \24\Bart Jansen, Police departments facing `historic crisis' in 
finding, keeping officers should make changes: DOJ report USA Today 
(Oct. 17, 2023), https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2023/10/
17/police-recruitment-retention-justice-department-report/71216818007/.
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    In an effort to hire more law enforcement officers, police 
departments have ``expanded the geographic area from which they 
draw recruits, offered hiring bonuses and multiyear contracts, 
strengthening recruiting efforts, decreased onboarding 
obstacles and adjusted admission requirements.''\25\ For 
example, the MPD in Washington, D.C., is offering a $25,000 
hiring bonuses for new recruits.\26\ In March 2024, the City of 
Dunwoody, Georgia, announced it is increasing hiring bonuses 
for new recruits to $15,000.\27\ Alameda County, California is 
offering a $75,000 recruitment bonus that will be paid out 
installments over several years.\28\
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    \25\Robert Klemko, Police agencies are desparate to hire. But they 
say few want the job., Wash. Post (May 27, 2023), https://
www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/05/27/police-vacancies-
hiring-recruiting-reform/.
    \26\Press Release, Government of the District of Columbia, Mayor 
Bowser Announces Increase in Hiring Bonuses for New MPD Recruits, 
https://mayor.dc.gov/release/mayor-bowser-announces-increase-hiring-
bonuses-new-mpd-recruits (last visited Mar. 7, 2024).
    \27\WSB Staff, Dunwoody increases hiring bonuses for new police 
recruits to $15,000, WSB Atlanta (Mar. 2, 2024), https://www.msn.com/
en-us/news/crime/dunwoody-increases-hiring-bonuses-for-new-police-
recruits-to-15000/ar-BB1jbUxq.
    \28\CBS Staff, Police departments offering bonuses, incentives to 
new recruits and experienced officers to fill Bay Area openings, CBS 
News (Sep. 26, 2023), https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/essentials/
police-recruiting-bonuses-bay-area-officers-incentives/.
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           COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLICING SERVICES (COPS) GRANTS

    The DOJ provides grants to state, local, and tribal 
governments to hire law enforcement officers (LEOs) under the 
COPS Hiring Program (CHP).\29\ Congress first authorized the 
CHP in the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 
1994.\30\ The CHP remains a crucial federal resource to help 
law enforcement agencies hire new officers. However, according 
to a 2023 report published by the COPS Office and the Bureau of 
Justice Statistics (BJA), recruitment and retention for law 
enforcement organizations across the country still remains an 
issue.\31\ The report also recommended examining ways to 
accelerate and streamline the hiring process.\32\
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    \29\See Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), About the COPS 
Office, U.S. Dep't of Justice (last accessed April 24, 2024), https://
cops.usdoj.gov/aboutcops.
    \30\Pub. L. 103-322 (1994).
    \31\Bureau of Justice Statistics and Community Oriented Policing 
Services, Recruitment and Retention for the Modern Law Enforcement 
Agency, Bureau of Justice Statistics (last accessed April 24, 2024), 
https://bja.ojp.gov/doc/recruitment-retention-modern-le-agency.pdf.
    \32\Id.
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                         RECRUIT AND RETAIN ACT

    The Recruit and Retain Act would ensure that the CHP is 
responsive to the hiring challenges that law enforcement 
agencies are experiencing nationwide. Specifically, the bill 
will help to reduce the costs of onboarding new hires, 
especially for requirements such as background checks. It will 
also work to alleviate administrative burdens and clarify CHP 
application guidance with the goal of making grants more 
accessible to agencies across the country. Finally, the Recruit 
and Retain Act will require additional research into the latest 
data to uncover additional insights into recruitment and 
retention trends for law enforcement across the United States.

                                Hearings

    For the purposes of clause 3(c)(6)(A) of House rule XIII, 
the following hearing was used to develop H.R. 3325: ``Victims 
of Violent Crime in Manhattan'' a hearing held on Monday, April 
17, 2023, before the Committee on the Judiciary. The Committee 
heard from the following witnesses:
           Jose Alba, former Manhattan bodega clerk;
           Madeline Brame, Chairwoman of the Victims 
        Rights Reform Council and mother of a homicide victim;
           Jennifer Harrison, Founder of Victims Rights 
        NY;
           Paul DiGiacomo, President of the New York 
        City's Detectives' Endowment Association;
           Robert F. Holden, New York City Council (D-
        District 30);
           Barry Borgen, father of a victim of 
        antisemitic hate crime;
           Jim Kessler, Co-Founder and Senior Vice 
        President for Policy of Third Way; and
           Rebecca Fischer, Executive Director of New 
        Yorkers Against Gun Violence.
    The hearing examined how a decrease in funding for law 
enforcement and the imposition of left-wing criminal justice 
policies have led to an increase in violent crime and a 
dangerous community for New York City residents.
    The Subcommittee on Crime and Federal Government 
Surveillance of the Committee on the Judiciary held a related 
hearing titled ``Victims of Violent Crime in the District of 
Columbia on October 12, 2023. The Subcommittee heard from the 
following witnesses:
           Gaynor Jablonski, Washington, D.C. business 
        owner attacked on June 29, 2023, inside of his business 
        in front of his four-year-old son;
           Charles Stimson, crime control, national 
        security, homeland security, and drug policy expert at 
        the Heritage Foundation, Deputy Director of the Edwin 
        Meese III Center for Legal and Judicial Studies;
           Mitchell Sobolevsky, victim of robbery at 
        gunpoint in Washington, D.C.;
           Greg Pemberton, Metropolitan Police 
        Department Detective, Chairman of the D.C. Police 
        Union;
           Lindsey Appiah, Deputy Mayor for Public 
        Safety and Justice; and
           Myisha Richards, firefighter paramedic, 
        District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical 
        Services Department.
    The hearing examined the rise of violent crime in 
Washington, D.C., the lack of adequate funding for the police 
department, and the lack of prosecutions and prosecutorial 
accountability.

                        Committee Consideration

    On May 1, 2024, the Committee met in open session and 
ordered the bill, H.R. 3325, favorably reported with an 
amendment in the nature of a substitute, by voice vote, a 
quorum being present.

                            Committee Votes

    In compliance with clause 3(b) of House rule XIII, the 
Committee states that no recorded votes were taken during the 
consideration of H.R. 3325.

                      Committee Oversight Findings

    In compliance with clause 3(c)(1) of House rule XIII, the 
Committee advises that the findings and recommendations of the 
Committee, based on oversight activities under clause 2(b)(1) 
of rule X of the Rules of the House of Representatives, are 
incorporated in the descriptive portions of this report.

               New Budget Authority and Tax Expenditures

    With respect to the requirements of clause 3(c)(2) of rule 
XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and section 
308(a) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 and with respect 
to the requirements of clause 3(c)(3) of rule XIII of the Rules 
of the House of Representatives and section 402 of the 
Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee has requested 
but not received a cost estimate for this bill from the 
Director of the Congressional Budget Office. The Committee has 
requested but not received from the Director of the 
Congressional Budget Office a statement as to whether this bill 
contains any new budget authority, spending authority, credit 
authority, or an increase or decrease in revenues or tax 
expenditures. The Chairman of the Committee shall cause such 
estimate and statement to be printed in the Congressional 
Record upon its receipt by the Committee.

               Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate

    With respect to the requirement of clause 3(c)(3) of rule 
XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, a cost 
estimate provided by the Congressional Budget Office pursuant 
to section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 was not 
made available to the Committee in time for the filing of this 
report. The Chairman of the Committee shall cause such estimate 
to be printed in the Congressional Record upon its receipt by 
the Committee.

                Committee Estimate of Budgetary Effects

    With respect to the requirements of clause 3(d)(1) of rule 
XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the 
Committee adopts as its own the cost estimate prepared by the 
Director of the Congressional Budget Office pursuant to section 
402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974.

                    Duplication of Federal Programs

    Pursuant to clause 3(c)(5) of House rule XIII, no provision 
of H.R. 3325 establishes or reauthorizes a program of the 
federal government known to be duplicative of another federal 
program.

                    Performance Goals and Objectives

    The Committee states that pursuant to clause 3(c)(4) of 
House rule XIII, H.R. 3325 will expand the Community Oriented 
Policing Services (COPS) grant program to support recruitment 
efforts by law enforcement agencies.

                          Advisory on Earmarks

    In accordance with clause 9 of House rule XXI, H.R. 3325 
does not contain any congressional earmarks, limited tax 
benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined in clauses 
9(d), 9(e), or 9(f) of House rule XXI.

                       Federal Mandates Statement

    An estimate of federal mandates prepared by the Director of 
the Congressional Budget office pursuant to section 423 of the 
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act was not made available to the 
Committee in time for the filing of this report. The Chairman 
of the Committee shall cause such estimate to be printed in the 
Congressional Record upon its receipt by the Committee.

                      Advisory Committee Statement

    No advisory committees within the meaning of section 5(b) 
of the Federal Advisory Committee Act were created by this 
legislation.

                  Applicability to Legislative Branch

    The Committee finds that the legislation does not relate to 
the terms and conditions of employment or access to public 
services or accommodations within the meaning of section 
102(b)(3) of the Congressional Accountability Act (Pub. L. 104-
1).

                      Section-by-Section Analysis

    Section 1. Short Title. This section sets forth the short 
title of the bill as ``The Recruit and Retain Act of 2024.''
    Section 2. Improving COPS Grants for Police Hiring 
Purposes. For law enforcement agencies experiencing declines in 
law enforcement officer recruitment, this section allows COPS 
Office grants to be used to reduce application-related fees, 
such as fees for background checks, psychological evaluations, 
and testing.
    Section 3. Administrative Costs. This section allows up to 
2% of grants to cover administrative costs associated with 
implementing COPS hiring grants. This section would also 
authorize a new grant program, using existing funds, within the 
DOJ COPS Office to support partnerships between law enforcement 
agencies and local educational institutions, which could 
include elementary schools, secondary schools, or institutions 
of higher education. Competitive grants would be awarded for 
workforce investment activities that support substantial 
student engagement for the exploration of potential future 
career opportunities in law enforcement.
    Section 4. COPS Grant Guidance for Agencies Operating Below 
Budgeted Strength. This section would create new COPS grant 
guidance for understaffed law enforcement agencies.
    Section 5. Study on Police Recruitment. This section would 
require a Government Accountability Office study on recruitment 
and retention trends and challenges law enforcement agencies in 
the United States. The study would also evaluate the effects 
these latest trends have on public safety, current barriers to 
recruitment and retention, and the effects of electronic media 
on recruitment efforts.

         Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported

  In compliance with clause 3(e) of rule XIII of the Rules of 
the House of Representatives, changes in existing law made by 
the bill, as reported, are shown as follows (existing law 
proposed to be omitted is enclosed in black brackets, new 
matter is printed in italics, and existing law in which no 
change is proposed is shown in roman):

           OMNIBUS CRIME CONTROL AND SAFE STREETS ACT OF 1968



           *       *       *       *       *       *       *
TITLE I--JUSTICE SYSTEM IMPROVEMENT

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


   PART Q--PUBLIC SAFETY AND COMMUNITY POLICING; ``COPS ON THE BEAT''

SEC. 1701. AUTHORITY TO MAKE PUBLIC SAFETY AND COMMUNITY POLICING 
                    GRANTS.

  (a) Grant Authorization.--The Attorney General shall carry 
out a single grant program under which the Attorney General 
makes 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).
  (b) uses of grant amounts.--The purposes for which grants 
made under subsection (a) may be made are--
          (1) to rehire law enforcement officers who have been 
        laid off as a result of State, tribal, or local budget 
        reductions for deployment in community-oriented 
        policing;
          (2) to hire and train new, additional career law 
        enforcement officers for deployment in community-
        oriented policing across the Nation, including by 
        prioritizing the hiring and training of veterans (as 
        defined in section 101 of title 38, United States 
        Code);
          (3) to procure equipment, technology, or support 
        systems, or pay overtime, to increase the number of 
        officers deployed in community-oriented policing;
          (4) to award grants to pay for offices hired to 
        perform intelligence, anti-terror, or homeland security 
        duties;
          (5) to increase the number of law enforcement 
        officers involved in activities that are focused on 
        interaction with members of the community on proactive 
        crime control and prevention by redeploying officers to 
        such activities;
          (6) to provide specialized training to law 
        enforcement officers to enhance their conflict 
        resolution, mediation, problem solving, service, and 
        other skills needed to work in partnership with members 
        of the community;
          (7) to increase police participation in 
        multidisciplinary early intervention teams;
          (8) to develop new technologies, including 
        interoperable communications technologies, modernized 
        criminal record technology, and forensic technology, to 
        assist State, tribal, and local law enforcement 
        agencies in reorienting the emphasis of their 
        activities from reacting to crime to preventing crime 
        and to train law enforcement officers to use such 
        technologies;
          (9) to develop and implement innovative programs to 
        permit members of the community to assist State, 
        tribal, and local law enforcement agencies in the 
        prevention of crime in the community, such as a 
        citizens' police academy, including programs designed 
        to increase the level of access to the criminal justice 
        system enjoyed by victims, witnesses, and ordinary 
        citizens by establishing decentralized satellite 
        offices (including video facilities) of principal 
        criminal courts buildings;
          (10) to establish innovative programs to reduce, and 
        keep to a minimum, the amount of time that law 
        enforcement officers must be away from the community 
        while awaiting court appearances;
          (11) to establish and implement innovative programs 
        to increase and enhance proactive crime control and 
        prevention programs involving law enforcement officers 
        and young persons in the community;
          (12) to establish school-based partnerships between 
        local law enforcement agencies and local school systems 
        by using school resource officers who operate in and 
        around elementary and secondary schools to combat 
        school-related crime and disorder problems, gangs, and 
        drug activities, including the training of school 
        resource officers in the prevention of human 
        trafficking offenses;
          (13) to develop and establish new administrative and 
        managerial systems to facilitate the adoption of 
        community-oriented policing as an organization-wide 
        philosophy;
          (14) to assist a State or Indian tribe in enforcing a 
        law throughout the State or tribal community that 
        requires that a convicted sex offender register his or 
        her address with a State, tribal, or local law 
        enforcement agency and be subject to criminal 
        prosecution for failure to comply;
          (15) to establish, implement, and coordinate crime 
        prevention and control programs (involving law 
        enforcement officers working with community members) 
        with other Federal programs that serve the community 
        and community members to better address the 
        comprehensive needs of the community and its members;
          (16) to support the purchase by a law enforcement 
        agency of no more than 1 service weapon per officer, 
        upon hiring for deployment in community-oriented 
        policing or, if necessary, upon existing officers' 
        initial redeployment to community-oriented policing;
          (17) to participate in nationally recognized active 
        shooter training programs that offer scenario-based, 
        integrated response courses designed to counter active 
        shooter threats or acts of terrorism against 
        individuals or facilities;
          (18) to provide specialized training to law 
        enforcement officers to--
                  (A) recognize individuals who have a mental 
                illness; and
                  (B) properly interact with individuals who 
                have a mental illness, including strategies for 
                verbal de-escalation of crises;
          (19) to establish collaborative programs that enhance 
        the ability of law enforcement agencies to address the 
        mental health, behavioral, and substance abuse problems 
        of individuals encountered by law enforcement officers 
        in the line of duty;
          (20) to provide specialized training to corrections 
        officers to recognize individuals who have a mental 
        illness;
          (21) to enhance the ability of corrections officers 
        to address the mental health of individuals under the 
        care and custody of jails and prisons, including 
        specialized training and strategies for verbal de-
        escalation of crises;
          (22) to support hiring activities by law enforcement 
        agencies experiencing declines in officer recruitment 
        applications by reducing application-related fees, such 
        as fees for background checks, psychological 
        evaluations, and testing;
          [(22)] (23) to permit tribal governments receiving 
        direct law enforcement services from the Bureau of 
        Indian Affairs to access the program under this section 
        for use in accordance with paragraphs (1) through 
        [(21)] (22); and
          [(23)] (24) to establish peer mentoring mental health 
        and wellness pilot programs within State, tribal, and 
        local law enforcement agencies.
  (c) Preferential Consideration of Applications for Certain 
Grants.--In awarding grants under this part, the Attorney 
General may give preferential consideration, where feasible, to 
an application--
          (1) for hiring and rehiring additional career law 
        enforcement officers that involves a non-Federal 
        contribution exceeding the 25 percent minimum under 
        subsection (g);
          (2) from an applicant in a State that has in effect a 
        law that--
                  (A) treats a minor who has engaged in, or has 
                attempted to engage in, a commercial sex act as 
                a victim of a severe form of trafficking in 
                persons;
                  (B) discourages or prohibits the charging or 
                prosecution of an individual described in 
                subparagraph (A) for a prostitution or sex 
                trafficking offense, based on the conduct 
                described in subparagraph (A); and
                  (C) encourages the diversion of an individual 
                described in subparagraph (A) to appropriate 
                service providers, including child welfare 
                services, victim treatment programs, child 
                advocacy centers, rape crisis centers, or other 
                social services; or
          (3) from an applicant in a State that has in effect a 
        law--
                  (A) that--
                          (i) provides a process by which an 
                        individual who is a human trafficking 
                        survivor can move to vacate any arrest 
                        or conviction records for a non-violent 
                        offense committed as a direct result of 
                        human trafficking, including 
                        prostitution or lewdness;
                          (ii) establishes a rebuttable 
                        presumption that any arrest or 
                        conviction of an individual for an 
                        offense associated with human 
                        trafficking is a result of being 
                        trafficked, if the individual--
                                  (I) is a person granted 
                                nonimmigrant status pursuant to 
                                section 101(a)(15)(T)(i) of the 
                                Immigration and Nationality Act 
                                (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(15)(T)(i));
                                  (II) is the subject of a 
                                certification by the Secretary 
                                of Health and Human Services 
                                under section 107(b)(1)(E) of 
                                the Trafficking Victims 
                                Protection Act of 2000 (22 
                                U.S.C. 7105(b)(1)(E)); or
                                  (III) has other similar 
                                documentation of trafficking, 
                                which has been issued by a 
                                Federal, State, or local 
                                agency; and
                          (iii) protects the identity of 
                        individuals who are human trafficking 
                        survivors in public and court records; 
                        and
                  (B) that does not require an individual who 
                is a human trafficking survivor to provide 
                official documentation as described in 
                subclause (I), (II), or (III) of subparagraph 
                (A)(ii) in order to receive protection under 
                the law.
  (d) Technical Assistance.--
          (1) In general.--The Attorney General may provide 
        technical assistance to States, units of local 
        government, Indian tribal governments, and to other 
        public and private entities, in furtherance of the 
        purposes of the Public Safety Partnership and Community 
        Policing Act of 1994.
          (2) Model.--The technical assistance provided by the 
        Attorney General may include the development of a 
        flexible model that will define for State and local 
        governments, and other public and private entities, 
        definitions and strategies associated with community or 
        problem-oriented policing and methodologies for its 
        implementation.
          (3) Training centers and facilities.--The technical 
        assistance provided by the Attorney General may include 
        the establishment and operation of training centers or 
        facilities, either directly or by contracting or 
        cooperative arrangements. The functions of the centers 
        or facilities established under this paragraph may 
        include instruction and seminars for police executives, 
        managers, trainers, supervisors, and such others as the 
        Attorney General considers to be appropriate concerning 
        community or problem-oriented policing and improvements 
        in police-community interaction and cooperation that 
        further the purposes of the Public Safety Partnership 
        and Community Policing Act of 1994.
  (e) Utilization of Components.--The Attorney General may 
utilize any component or components of the Department of 
Justice in carrying out this part.
  (f) Minimum Amount.--Unless all applications submitted by any 
State and grantee within the State pursuant to subsection (a) 
have been funded, each qualifying State, together with grantees 
within the State, shall receive in each fiscal year pursuant to 
subsection (a) not less than 0.5 percent of the total amount 
appropriated in the fiscal year for grants pursuant to that 
subsection. In this subsection, ``qualifying State'' means any 
State which has submitted an application for a grant, or in 
which an eligible entity has submitted an application for a 
grant, which meets the requirements prescribed by the Attorney 
General and the conditions set out in this part.
  (g) Matching Funds.--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 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 
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).
  (h) Allocation of Funds.--The funds available under this part 
shall be allocated as provided in section 1001(a)(11)(B).
  (i) Termination of Grants for Hiring Officers.--Except as 
provided in subsection (j), the authority under subsection (a) 
of this section to make grants for the hiring and rehiring of 
additional career law enforcement officers shall lapse at the 
conclusion of 6 years from the date of enactment of this part. 
Prior to the expiration of this grant authority, the Attorney 
General shall submit a report to Congress concerning the 
experience with and effects of such grants. The report may 
include any recommendations the Attorney General may have for 
amendments to this part and related provisions of law in light 
of the termination of the authority to make grants for the 
hiring and rehiring of additional career law enforcement 
officers.
  (j) Grants to Indian Tribes.--
          (1) In general.--Notwithstanding subsection (i) and 
        section 1703, and in acknowledgment of the Federal 
        nexus and distinct Federal responsibility to address 
        and prevent crime in Indian country, the Attorney 
        General shall provide grants under this section to 
        Indian tribal governments, for fiscal year 2011 and any 
        fiscal year thereafter, for such period as the Attorney 
        General determines to be appropriate to assist the 
        Indian tribal governments in carrying out the purposes 
        described in subsection (b).
          (2) Priority of funding.--In providing grants to 
        Indian tribal governments under this subsection, the 
        Attorney General shall take into consideration 
        reservation crime rates and tribal law enforcement 
        staffing needs of each Indian tribal government.
          (3) Federal share.--Because of the Federal nature and 
        responsibility for providing public safety on Indian 
        land, the Federal share of the cost of any activity 
        carried out using a grant under this subsection--
                  (A) shall be 100 percent; and
                  (B) may be used to cover indirect costs.
          (4) Authorization of appropriations.--There is 
        authorized to be appropriated to carry out this 
        subsection $40,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2011 
        through 2015.
  (k) COPS Anti-Meth Program.--The Attorney General shall use 
amounts otherwise appropriated to carry out this section for a 
fiscal year (beginning with fiscal year 2019) to make 
competitive grants, in amounts of not less than $1,000,000 for 
such fiscal year, to State law enforcement agencies with high 
seizures of precursor chemicals, finished methamphetamine, 
laboratories, and laboratory dump seizures for the purpose of 
locating or investigating illicit activities, such as precursor 
diversion, laboratories, or methamphetamine traffickers.
  (l) Cops Anti-heroin Task Force Program.--The Attorney 
General shall use amounts otherwise appropriated to carry out 
this section, or other amounts as appropriated, for a fiscal 
year (beginning with fiscal year 2019) to make competitive 
grants to State law enforcement agencies in States with high 
per capita rates of primary treatment admissions, for the 
purpose of locating or investigating illicit activities, 
through Statewide collaboration, relating to the distribution 
of heroin, fentanyl, or carfentanil or relating to the unlawful 
distribution of prescription opioids.
  (m) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
enactment of this subsection, the Attorney General shall submit 
to Congress a report describing the extent and effectiveness of 
the Community Oriented Policing (COPS) initiative as applied in 
Indian country, including particular references to--
          (1) the problem of intermittent funding;
          (2) the integration of COPS personnel with existing 
        law enforcement authorities; and
          (3) an explanation of how the practice of community 
        policing and the broken windows theory can most 
        effectively be applied in remote tribal locations.
  (n) Training in Alternatives to Use of Force, De-Escalation 
Techniques, and Mental and Behavioral Health Crises.--
          (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 law enforcement officers 
                and for covered mental health professionals 
                regarding--
                          (i) de-escalation tactics and 
                        alternatives to use of force;
                          (ii) safely responding to an 
                        individual experiencing a mental or 
                        behavioral health or suicidal crisis or 
                        an individual with a disability, 
                        including techniques and strategies 
                        that are designed to protect the safety 
                        of that individual, law enforcement 
                        officers, mental health professionals, 
                        and the public;
                          (iii) successfully participating on a 
                        crisis intervention team; and
                          (iv) making referrals to community-
                        based mental and behavioral health 
                        services and support, housing 
                        assistance programs, public benefits 
                        programs, the National Suicide 
                        Prevention Lifeline, and other 
                        services.
                  (B) Requirements.--The training curricula 
                developed or identified under this paragraph 
                shall include--
                          (i) scenario-based exercises;
                          (ii) pre-training and post-training 
                        tests to assess relevant knowledge and 
                        skills covered in the training 
                        curricula; and
                          (iii) follow-up evaluative 
                        assessments to determine the degree to 
                        which participants in the training 
                        apply, in their jobs, the knowledge and 
                        skills gained in the training.
                  (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, associations that represent 
                individuals with mental or behavioral health 
                diagnoses or individuals with disabilities, 
                labor organizations, professional law 
                enforcement organizations, local law 
                enforcement labor and representative 
                organizations, law enforcement trade 
                associations, mental health and suicide 
                prevention organizations, family advocacy 
                organizations, and civil rights and civil 
                liberties groups.
          (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)(A), 
                the Attorney General shall establish a process 
                to--
                          (i) certify training programs and 
                        courses offered by public and private 
                        entities to law enforcement officers or 
                        covered mental health professionals 
                        using 1 or more of the training 
                        curricula developed or identified under 
                        paragraph (1), or equivalents to such 
                        training curricula, which may include 
                        certifying a training program or course 
                        that an entity began offering on or 
                        before the date on which the Attorney 
                        General establishes the process; and
                          (ii) terminate the certification of a 
                        training program or course if the 
                        program or course fails to continue to 
                        meet the standards under the training 
                        curricula developed or identified under 
                        paragraph (1).
                  (B) Partnerships with mental health 
                organizations and educational institutions.--
                Not later than 180 days after the date on which 
                training curricula are developed or identified 
                under paragraph (1)(A), the Attorney General 
                shall develop criteria to ensure that public 
                and private entities that offer training 
                programs or courses that are certified under 
                subparagraph (A) collaborate with local mental 
                health organizations to--
                          (i) enhance the training experience 
                        of law enforcement officers through 
                        consultation with and the participation 
                        of individuals with mental or 
                        behavioral health diagnoses or 
                        disabilities, particularly such 
                        individuals who have interacted with 
                        law enforcement officers; and
                          (ii) strengthen relationships between 
                        health care services and law 
                        enforcement agencies.
          (3) Transitional regional training programs for state 
        and local agency personnel.--
                  (A) In general.--During the period beginning 
                on the date on which the Attorney General 
                establishes the process required under 
                paragraph (2)(A) and ending on the date that is 
                18 months after that date, the Attorney General 
                shall, and thereafter the Attorney General may, 
                provide, in collaboration with law enforcement 
                training academies of States and units of local 
                government as appropriate, regional training to 
                equip personnel from law enforcement agencies 
                of States and units of local government in a 
                State to offer training programs or courses 
                certified under paragraph (2)(A).
                  (B) Continuing education.--The Attorney 
                General shall develop and implement continuing 
                education requirements for personnel from law 
                enforcement agencies of States and units of 
                local government who receive training to offer 
                training programs or courses under subparagraph 
                (A).
          (4) List.--Not later than 1 year after the Attorney 
        General completes the activities described in 
        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 or using covered mental health professionals 
        who have successfully completed a course using 1 or 
        more of 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 agency;
                  (B) the number of such law enforcement 
                officers who have completed such a course;
                  (C) whether personnel from the law 
                enforcement agency have been trained to offer 
                training programs or courses under paragraph 
                (3);
                  (D) the total number of covered mental health 
                professionals who work with the agency; and
                  (E) the number of such covered mental health 
                professionals who have completed such a course.
          (5) Authorization of appropriations.--There is 
        authorized to be appropriated to carry out this 
        subsection--
                  (A) $3,000,000 for fiscal year 2023;
                  (B) $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2024;
                  (C) $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2025; and
                  (D) $1,000,000 for fiscal year 2026.
  (o) Administrative Costs.--Not more than 2 percent of a grant 
made for the hiring or rehiring of additional career law 
enforcement officers may be used for costs incurred to 
administer such grant.
  (p) COPS Pipeline Partnership Program.--
          (1) Eligible entity defined.--In this subsection, the 
        term ``eligible entity'' means a law enforcement agency 
        in partnership with not less than 1 educational 
        institution, which may include 1 or any combination of 
        the following:
                  (A) An elementary school.
                  (B) A secondary school.
                  (C) An institution of higher education.
                  (D) A Hispanic-serving institution.
                  (E) A historically Black college or 
                university.
                  (F) A Tribal college.
          (2) Grants.--The Attorney General shall award 
        competitive grants to eligible entities for recruiting 
        activities that--
                  (A) support substantial student engagement 
                for the exploration of potential future career 
                opportunities in law enforcement;
                  (B) strengthen recruitment by law enforcement 
                agencies experiencing a decline in recruits, or 
                high rates of resignations or retirements;
                  (C) enhance community interactions between 
                local youth and law enforcement agencies that 
                are designed to increase recruiting; and
                  (D) otherwise improve the outcomes of local 
                law enforcement recruitment through activities 
                such as dedicated programming for students, 
                work-based learning opportunities, project-
                based learning, mentoring, community liaisons, 
                career or job fairs, work site visits, job 
                shadowing, apprenticeships, or skills-based 
                internships.
          (3) Funding.--Of the amounts made available to carry 
        out this part for a fiscal year, the Attorney General 
        may use not more than $3,000,000 to carry out this 
        subsection.

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SEC. 1704. LIMITATION ON USE OF FUNDS.

  (a) Nonsupplanting Requirement.--Funds made available under 
this part to States or units of local government shall not be 
used to supplant State or local funds, or, in the case of 
Indian tribal governments, funds supplied by the Bureau of 
Indian Affairs, but shall be used to increase the amount of 
funds that would, in the absence of Federal funds received 
under this part, be made available from State or local sources, 
or in the case of Indian tribal governments, from funds 
supplied by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
  (b) Non-Federal Costs.--
          (1) In general.--States and units of local government 
        may use assets received through the Assets Forfeiture 
        equitable sharing program to provide the non-Federal 
        share of the cost of programs, projects, and activities 
        funded under this part.
          (2) Indian tribal governments.--Funds appropriated by 
        the Congress for the activities of any agency of an 
        Indian tribal government or the Bureau of Indian 
        Affairs performing law enforcement functions on any 
        Indian lands may be used to provide the non-Federal 
        share of the cost of programs or projects funded under 
        this part.
  (c) Hiring Costs.--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.
  (d) Guidance for Understaffed Law Enforcement Agencies.--
          (1) Definitions.--In this subsection:
                  (A) Covered applicant.--The term ``covered 
                applicant'' means an applicant for a hiring 
                grant under this part seeking funding for a law 
                enforcement agency operating below the budgeted 
                strength of the law enforcement agency.
                  (B) Budgeted strength.--The term ``budgeted 
                strength'' means the employment of the maximum 
                number of sworn law enforcement officers the 
                budget of a law enforcement agency allows the 
                agency to employ.
          (2) Procedures.--Not later than 180 days after the 
        date of enactment of this Act, the Attorney General 
        shall establish consistent procedures for covered 
        applicants, including guidance that--
                  (A) clarifies that covered applicants remain 
                eligible for funding under this part; and
                  (B) enables covered applicants to attest that 
                the funding from a grant awarded under this 
                part is not being used by the law enforcement 
                agency to supplant State or local funds, as 
                described in subsection (a).
          (3) Paperwork reduction.--In developing the 
        procedures and guidance under paragraph (2), the 
        Attorney General shall take measures to reduce 
        paperwork requirements for grants to covered 
        applicants.

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