Forest Service and Department of the Interior Law Enforcement Improvement Act of 2015
This bill makes a Regional Forester for a Forest Service region responsible for all Forest Service law enforcement personnel assigned to that Region. The Chief of the Forest Service, however, acting through the Director of Law Enforcement, shall remain responsible for the Investigations Division.
The Department of Agriculture (USDA), with respect to the Forest Service, and the Department of the Interior, with respect to its land management agencies, shall establish a Federal Lands Law Enforcement Review Board to review and make recommendations regarding:
If a political subdivision of a state contains 25,000 acres or more of federal land, all or a majority of which is either National Forest System land or land under Interior jurisdiction, USDA or Interior, as appropriate, shall try to develop a memorandum of understanding with that political subdivision to address the specific roles and coordination between Forest Service or Interior law enforcement personnel and local law enforcement.
[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3824 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
114th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3824
To reform oversight of law enforcement activities of the Forest Service
and the Department of the Interior and to improve coordination and
cooperation with local law enforcement agencies, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
October 23, 2015
Mr. Hardy introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on
Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker,
in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the
jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To reform oversight of law enforcement activities of the Forest Service
and the Department of the Interior and to improve coordination and
cooperation with local law enforcement agencies, 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 ``Forest Service and Department of the
Interior Law Enforcement Improvement Act of 2015''.
SEC. 2. MANAGEMENT OF FOREST SERVICE LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL.
(a) Responsibility of Regional Forester.--Except in the case of law
enforcement personnel described in subsection (b), the Regional
Forester for a Forest Service Region shall be responsible for all
Forest Service law enforcement personnel assigned to that Region. The
Regional Forester may delegate this responsibility to Forest
Supervisors and District Rangers as the Regional Forester considers
appropriate and based on the capabilities of the line officer.
(b) Investigations Division.--The Chief of the Forest Service,
acting through the Director of Law Enforcement, shall remain
responsible for the Investigations Division of Forest Service law
enforcement.
SEC. 3. FEDERAL LANDS LAW ENFORCEMENT REVIEW BOARDS.
(a) Establishment.--The Secretary of Agriculture, with respect to
the Forest Service, and the Secretary of the Interior, with respect to
the land management agencies of the Department of the Interior, shall
establish a Federal Lands Law Enforcement Review Board.
(b) Composition.--Each Federal Lands Law Enforcement Review Board
shall be composed of seven members as follows:
(1) The applicable Director of Law Enforcement.
(2) A Law Enforcement Regional Special Agent in Charge, in
the case of the Board established by the Secretary of
Agriculture, and a State Director of Law Enforcement and
Security, in the case of the Board established by the Secretary
of the Interior.
(3) Three line officers selected by the Secretary
concerned.
(4) One member of the National Sheriffs' Association who
resides east of the 100th meridian and is recommended by the
Association.
(5) One member of the National Sheriffs' Association who
resides west of the 100th meridian and is recommended by the
Association.
(c) Purposes.--The purposes of a Federal Lands Law Enforcement
Review Board are to review and make recommendations regarding the
following:
(1) Law enforcement incidents of concern involving law
enforcement personnel of the agency.
(2) Proposed changes to agency law enforcement policy.
(3) The cooperative law enforcement program.
(4) Training of agency law enforcement personnel.
(d) Additional Boards.--The Secretary of Agriculture, with respect
to the Forest Service, and the Secretary of the Interior, with respect
to the land management agencies of the Department of the Interior, may
establish additional Federal Lands Law Enforcement Review Boards at
subordinate levels of the agency.
SEC. 4. IMPROVED COORDINATION AND COOPERATION WITH LOCAL LAW
ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES.
(a) Forest Service.--Public Law 92-82 (16 U.S.C. 551a) is amended
by adding at the end the following new sentence: ``If a political
subdivision of a State contains 25,000 acres or more of Federal land,
all or a majority of which is National Forest System land, the
Secretary shall endeavor to develop a memorandum of understanding with
the political subdivision to address the specific roles and
coordination between Forest Service law enforcement personnel and local
law enforcement.''.
(b) Department of the Interior.--If a political subdivision of a
State contains 25,000 acres or more of Federal land, all or a majority
of which is under the jurisdiction of a land management agency of the
Department of the Interior, the Secretary of the Interior shall
endeavor to develop a memorandum of understanding with the political
subdivision to address the specific roles and coordination between
Department law enforcement personnel and local law enforcement.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Federal Lands.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Conservation and Forestry.
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