COPS Improvements Act of 2011 - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to modify the public safety and community policing grant program (COPS ON THE BEAT grant program) to: (1) establish within the Department of Justice (DOJ), under the general authority of the Attorney General, the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services to be headed by a Director; and (2) authorize the Attorney General to carry out more than one such program.
Repeals provisions authorizing: (1) the Attorney General to give preferential consideration to applications for hiring and rehiring additional career law enforcement officers that involve a non-federal contribution exceeding a 25% minimum; and (2) the use of such grants to develop and implement either 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 or new administrative and managerial systems to facilitate the adoption of community-oriented policing as an organization-wide philosophy.
Authorizes the use of such grants to: (1) hire school resource officers and establish local partnerships to combat crime, gangs, drug activities, and other problems in elementary and secondary schools; (2) establish and implement innovative programs to reduce and prevent illegal drug manufacturing, distribution, and use; (3) meet emerging law enforcement needs; (4) hire former members of the Armed Forces to serve as career law enforcement officers for deployment in community-oriented policing; (5) pay for additional community prosecuting programs to handle cases from specific geographic areas and to address counter-terrorism problems and violent crime in local communities; and (6) develop new technologies to assist state and local law enforcement agencies in crime prevention and training.
Directs the Attorney General to ensure that the same percentage of the total number of eligible applicants in each state receive a grant.
Authorizes the Attorney General to extend grant periods and to renew grants if the grant recipient can demonstrate significant progress in achieving the objectives of the initial grant application.
Includes officers for the Amtrak Police Department within the definition of "career law enforcement officer" for purposes of such grant program.
Increases and extends the authorization of appropriations for the program for FY2012-FY2017.
[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 207 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
112th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 207
To amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to
enhance the COPS ON THE BEAT grant program, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
January 26, 2011
Mr. Kohl (for himself, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Leahy, Mr. Reid,
Mr. Lautenberg, Mrs. Boxer, Mr. Whitehouse, and Ms. Klobuchar)
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the
Committee on the Judiciary
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to
enhance the COPS ON THE BEAT grant program, and for other purposes.
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 ``COPS Improvements Act of 2011''.
SEC. 2. COPS GRANT IMPROVEMENTS.
(a) In General.--Section 1701 of title I of the Omnibus Crime
Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796dd) is amended--
(1) by striking subsection (c);
(2) by redesignating subsection (b) as subsection (c);
(3) by striking subsection (a) and inserting the following:
``(a) The Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.--
``(1) Office.--There is within the Department of Justice,
under the general authority of the Attorney General, a separate
and distinct office to be known as the Office of Community
Oriented Policing Services (referred to in this subsection as
the `COPS Office').
``(2) Director.--The COPS Office shall be headed by a
Director who shall--
``(A) appointed by the Attorney General; and
``(B) have final authority over all grants,
cooperative agreements, and contracts awarded by the
COPS Office.
``(b) Grant Authorization.--The Attorney General shall carry out
grant programs 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 subsections (c), (d), (e), and (f).'';
(4) in subsection (c), as so redesignated--
(A) in the heading, by striking ``uses of grant
amounts.--'' and inserting ``Community Policing and
Crime Prevention Grants'';
(B) in paragraph (3), by striking ``, to increase
the number of officers deployed in community-oriented
policing'';
(C) in paragraph (4), by inserting ``or train''
after ``pay for'';
(D) by striking paragraph (9);
(E) by redesignating paragraphs (5) through (8) as
paragraphs (6) through (9), respectively;
(F) by inserting after paragraph (4) the following:
``(5) award grants to hire school resource officers and to
establish school-based partnerships between local law
enforcement agencies and local school systems to combat crime,
gangs, drug activities, and other problems in and around
elementary and secondary schools;'';
(G) by striking paragraph (13);
(H) by redesignating paragraphs (14), (15), and
(16) as paragraphs (13), (14), and (15), respectively;
(I) in paragraph (15), as so redesignated, by
striking ``and'' at the end;
(J) by redesignating paragraph (17) as paragraph
(18);
(K) by inserting after paragraph (15), as so
redesignated, the following:
``(16) establish and implement innovative programs to
reduce and prevent illegal drug manufacturing, distribution,
and use, including the manufacturing, distribution, and use of
methamphetamine; and
``(17) award enhancing community policing and crime
prevention grants that meet emerging law enforcement needs, as
warranted.''; and
(L) in paragraph (18), as so redesignated, by
striking ``through (16)'' and inserting ``through
(17)'';
(5) by striking subsections (h) and (i);
(6) by redesignating subsections (j) and (k) as subsections
(k) and (l), respectively;
(7) by redesignating subsections (d) through (g) as
subsections (g) through (j), respectively;
(8) by inserting after subsection (c), as so redesignated,
the following:
``(d) Troops-to-Cops Programs.--
``(1) In general.--Grants made under subsection (b) may be
used to hire former members of the Armed Forces to serve as
career law enforcement officers for deployment in community-
oriented policing, particularly in communities that are
adversely affected by a recent military base closing.
``(2) Definition.--In this subsection, `former member of
the Armed Forces' means a member of the Armed Forces of the
United States who is involuntarily separated from the Armed
Forces within the meaning of section 1141 of title 10, United
States Code.
``(e) Community Prosecutors Program.--The Attorney General may make
grants under subsection (b) to pay for additional community prosecuting
programs, including programs that assign prosecutors to--
``(1) handle cases from specific geographic areas; and
``(2) address counter-terrorism problems, specific violent
crime problems (including intensive illegal gang, gun, and drug
enforcement and quality of life initiatives), and localized
violent and other crime problems based on needs identified by
local law enforcement agencies, community organizations, and
others.
``(f) Technology Grants.--The Attorney General may make grants
under subsection (b) to develop and use new technologies (including
interoperable communications technologies, modernized criminal record
technology, and forensic technology) to assist State 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) in subsection (g), as so redesignated--
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``to States,
units of local government, Indian tribal governments,
and to other public and private entities,'';
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``define for
State and local governments, and other public and
private entities,'' and inserting ``establish''; and
(C) in the first sentence of paragraph (3), by
inserting ``(including regional community policing
institutes)'' after ``training centers or facilities'';
(10) in subsection (i), as so redesignated--
(A) by striking ``subsection (a)'' the first place
that term appears and inserting ``paragraphs (1) and
(2) of subsection (c)''; and
(B) by striking ``in each fiscal year pursuant to
subsection (a)'' and inserting ``in each fiscal year
for purposes described in paragraph (1) and (2) of
subsection (c)'';
(11) in subsection (j), as so redesignated--
(A) by striking ``subsection (a)'' and inserting
``subsection (b)''; and
(B) by striking the second sentence;
(12) in subsection (k)(1), as so redesignated--
(A) by striking ``subsection (i) and''; and
(B) by striking ``subsection (b)'' and inserting
``subsection (c)''; and
(13) by adding at the end the following:
``(m) Retention of Additional Officer Positions.--For any grant
under paragraph (1) or (2) of subsection (c) for hiring or rehiring
career law enforcement officers, a grant recipient shall retain each
additional law enforcement officer position created under that grant
for not less than 12 months after the end of the period of that grant,
unless the Attorney General waives, wholly or in part, the retention
requirement of a program, project, or activity.
``(n) Proportionality of Awards.--The Attorney General shall ensure
that the same percentage of the total number of eligible applicants in
each State receive a grant under this section.''.
(b) Applications.--Section 1702 of title I of the Omnibus Crime
Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796dd-1) is amended--
(1) in subsection (c)--
(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by
inserting ``, unless waived by the Attorney General''
after ``under this part shall'';
(B) by striking paragraph (8); and
(C) by redesignating paragraphs (9) through (11) as
paragraphs (8) through (10), respectively; and
(2) by striking subsection (d).
(c) Renewal of Grants.--Section 1703 of title I of the Omnibus
Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796dd-2) is
amended to read as follows:
``SEC. 1703. RENEWAL OF GRANTS.
``(a) In General.--A grant made under this part may be renewed,
without limitations on the duration of such renewal, to provide
additional funds, if the Attorney General determines that the funds
made available to the recipient were used in a manner required under an
approved application and if the recipient can demonstrate significant
progress in achieving the objectives of the initial application.
``(b) No Cost Extensions.--Notwithstanding subsection (a), the
Attorney General may extend a grant period, without limitations as to
the duration of such extension, to provide additional time to complete
the objectives of the initial grant award.''.
(d) Limitation on Use of Funds.--Section 1704 of title I of the
Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796dd-3)
is amended--
(1) in subsection (a), by striking ``that would, in the
absence of Federal funds received under this part, be made
available from State or local sources'' and inserting ``that
the Attorney General determines would, in the absence of
Federal funds received under this part, be made available for
the purpose of the grant under this part from State or local
sources''; and
(2) by striking subsection (c).
(e) Enforcement Actions.--Section 1706 of title I of the Omnibus
Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796dd-5) is
amended--
(1) in the section heading, by striking ``revocation or
suspension of funding'' and inserting ``enforcement actions'';
and
(2) by striking ``revoke or suspend'' and all that follows
and inserting ``take any enforcement action available to the
Department of Justice.''.
(f) Definitions.--Section 1709(1) of title I of the Omnibus Crime
Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796dd-8(1)) is
amended--
(1) by striking ``who is authorized'' and inserting ``who
is a sworn law enforcement officer and is authorized''; and
(2) by inserting ``, including officers for the Amtrak
Police Department'' before the period at the end.
(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--Section 1001(a)(11) of title
I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C.
3793(a)(11)) is amended--
(1) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``$1,047,119,000 for
each of fiscal years 2006 through 2009'' and inserting
``$900,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2012 through 2017'';
and
(2) in subparagraph (B)--
(A) in the first sentence--
(i) by striking ``3 percent'' and inserting
``5 percent''; and
(ii) by striking ``section 1701(d)'' and
inserting ``section 1701(g)''; and
(B) by striking the second sentence and inserting
the following: ``Of the funds available for grants
under part Q, not less than $500,000,000 shall be used
for grants for the purposes specified in section
1701(c), not more than $150,000,000 shall be used for
grants under section 1701(e), and not more than
$250,000,000 shall be used for grants under section
1701(f).''.
(h) Purposes.--Section 10002 of the Public Safety Partnership and
Community Policing Act of 1994 (42 U.S.C. 3796dd note) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (4), by striking ``development'' and
inserting ``use''; and
(2) in the matter following paragraph (4), by striking
``for a period of 6 years''.
(i) COPS Program Improvements.--
(1) In general.--Section 109(b) of title I of the Omnibus
Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3712h(b))
is amended--
(A) by striking paragraph (1);
(B) by redesignating paragraphs (2) and (3) as
paragraphs (1) and (2), respectively; and
(C) in paragraph (2), as so redesignated, by
inserting ``, except for the program under part Q of
this title'' before the period.
(2) Law enforcement computer systems.--Section 107 of title
I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42
U.S.C. 3712f) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(c) Exception.--This section shall not apply to any grant made
under part Q of this title.''.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S287-288)
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text of measure as introduced: CR S288-289)
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