[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5211 Introduced in House (IH)]
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117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 5211
To amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to
provide that COPS grant funds may be used for local law enforcement
recruits to attend schools or academies if the recruits agree to serve
in precincts of law enforcement agencies in their communities.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 10, 2021
Mr. Correa introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on the Judiciary
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to
provide that COPS grant funds may be used for local law enforcement
recruits to attend schools or academies if the recruits agree to serve
in precincts of law enforcement agencies in their communities.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. STRONG COMMUNITIES PROGRAM.
Section 1701 of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of
1968 (34 U.S.C. 10381) is amended--
(1) by redesignating subsection (m) as subsection (n); and
(2) by inserting after subsection (l) the following:
``(m) COPS Strong Communities Program.--
``(1) Definitions.--
``(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 2022) to make competitive
grants to local law enforcement agencies to be used for
recruits to attend eligible entities if the recruits agree to
serve in law enforcement agencies in their communities.
``(3) Eligibility.--To be eligible for a grant under this
subsection, each 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 after the date on which the recruit completes a
law enforcement training program for which the recruit
received benefits;
``(B) complete their service in a local law
enforcement agency located within--
``(i) 5 miles of the residence of the
recruit where the recruit has resided for not
fewer than 5 years; or
``(ii) if the recruit resides in a county
with less than 100,000 residents, within 20
miles of the residence of the recruit where the
recruit has resided for not fewer than 5 years;
and
``(C) submit evidence of employment of the recruit
to the eligible agency in the form of a certification
by the chief administrative officer of the local law
enforcement agency where the recruit is employed.
``(4) Repayment.--
``(A) In general.--If a recruit does not complete
the service described in paragraph (3), the recruit
shall submit to the local law enforcement agency an
amount equal to any benefits the recruit received under
this subsection.
``(B) Regulations.--The Attorney General shall
promulgate regulations that establish categories of
extenuating circumstances under which a recruit may be
excused from repayment under subparagraph (A).''.
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