Promoting Fair and Effective Policing Through Research Act
This bill provides for the establishment of grants and programs to support research on the causes, consequences, and mitigation of police violence; develop standards for biometric identification systems and other advanced policing tools; test biometric identification technologies; and reduce the use of force by law enforcement officers.
[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7252 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
116th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 7252
To provide for research to examine law enforcement policies and
practices, including the causes, consequences, and mitigation of
excessive use of force, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 18, 2020
Ms. Johnson of Texas introduced the following bill; which was referred
to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, and in addition to
the Committees on Homeland Security, and the Judiciary, 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 provide for research to examine law enforcement policies and
practices, including the causes, consequences, and mitigation of
excessive use of force, 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 ``Promoting Fair and Effective
Policing Through Research Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) Despite the pivotal role police officers play in
preventing and controlling crime, there are significant gaps in
research on the fairness and efficacy of policing policies and
practices, including those related to use of force.
(2) The lack of accurate and comprehensive data on police
use of force is often cited as one of the most significant
barriers to identifying and understanding patterns of police
use of excessive force against civilians.
(3) The best available evidence reveals increased
likelihood of police use of force against people of color,
people with disabilities, LGBT people, people with mental
health conditions, people with low incomes, and those at the
intersections of these groups.
(4) Biases in advanced policing technologies, including
biometric identification systems, have the potential to
exacerbate such disparities.
(5) Along with better data, more social and behavioral
research is needed to improve our understanding of the
potential factors that influence excessive use of force as well
as the related psychological and social effects of such
incidents on individuals and communities.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Community-based organization.--The term ``community-
based organization'' means a grassroots organization that
monitors the issue of police misconduct and that has a national
presence and membership, such as the National Association for
the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the American Civil
Liberties Union (ACLU), the National Council of La Raza, the
National Urban League, the National Congress of American
Indians, and the National Asian Pacific Legal Consortium
(NAPALC).
(2) Institution of higher education.--The term
``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given the
term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 1001).
(3) Law enforcement agency.--The term ``law enforcement
agency'' means any Federal, State, or local public agency
engaged in the prevention, detection, or investigation of
violations of criminal, immigration, or customs law.
(4) Non-profit organization.--The term ``non-profit
organization'' means an organization described in section
501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from
tax under section 501(a) of such code.
(5) Professional law enforcement association.--The term
``professional law enforcement association'' means a law
enforcement membership association that works for the needs of
Federal, State, local, or Indian tribal law enforcement
agencies and with the civilian community on matters of common
interest, such as the Hispanic Police Command Officers
Association (HAPCOA), the National Asian Pacific Officers
Association (NAPOA), the National Black Police Association
(NBPA), the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement
Executives (NOBLE), Women in Law Enforcement, the Native
American Law Enforcement Association (NALEA), the International
Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), the National Sheriffs'
Association (NFA), the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), and the
National Association of School Resource Officers.
SEC. 4. AGENCY ACTIVITIES.
(a) National Science Foundation.--
(1) Research.--The Director of the National Science
Foundation shall award grants, on a competitive basis, to
institutions of higher education or nonprofit organizations (or
consortia of such institutions or organizations)--
(A) to support social and behavioral research on--
(i) policies and practices of law
enforcement agencies and related outcomes,
including the use of data and technology by law
enforcement agencies;
(ii) the causes and consequences of police
violence;
(iii) interventions designed to mitigate
police use of excessive force, including de-
escalation training and advanced policing
technologies;
(iv) organizational configurations and
personnel practices in law enforcement
agencies, such as recruitment, training,
oversight, performance standards, decision-
making, methods of supervising officers,
resource allocation, and the role of police
leadership; and
(v) the role of cooperation among law
enforcement agencies and the communities served
by such agencies in reducing crime and ensuring
community safety; and
(B) to educate and train the next generation of
researchers in areas of social and behavioral sciences
research relevant to policing policies and practices in
democratic societies.
(2) Researcher-law enforcement partnerships.--
(A) In general.--The Director of the National
Science Foundation shall carry out a program to award
grants, on a competitive basis, to institutions of
higher education or nonprofit organizations (or
consortia of such institutions or organizations) to
improve the fairness and efficacy of policing policies
and practices, including by reducing the incidence and
mitigating the negative consequences of excessive and
lethal use of force by law enforcement.
(B) Partnerships.--In order to be eligible to
receive a grant under this subsection, an institution
of higher education or nonprofit organization (or
consortia of such institutions or organizations) shall
enter into a partnership with--
(i) one or more law enforcement agency;
(ii) one or more community-based
organization; or
(iii) one or more professional law
enforcement association.
(C) Annual meeting.--The Director of the National
Science Foundation, in consultation with the Attorney
General of the United States, shall convene an annual
meeting of the partnerships participating under this
section to foster greater national collaboration.
(3) National academies study.--Not later than 45 days after
the date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall enter
into an agreement with the Academies to conduct a study--
(A) to review the research literature and identify
research gaps related to policing policies and
practices, including research into the causes,
consequences, and mitigation of police violence;
(B) to present a compendium of promising policing
policies and practices, including those shown to reduce
the incidence and mitigate the negative consequences of
police violence;
(C) identify barriers to widespread and sustained
implementation of such policies and practices; and
(D) to make recommendations to the Foundation, the
Department of Justice, law enforcement agencies, and
other relevant stakeholders on measures to address such
barriers.
(b) National Institute of Standards and Technology.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of Commerce, acting through
the Director of the National Institute of Standards and
Technology, shall establish a program to support measurement
research to inform the development of best practices,
benchmarks, methodologies, procedures, and voluntary consensus
standards for biometric identification systems and other
advanced policing tools to assess and improve fairness in such
systems. In carrying out such program, the Director shall--
(A) conduct research to support efforts to improve
biometric identification systems, including in areas
related to conformity assessment, image
interoperability, and capture device certification;
(B) establish common definitions and
characterizations for biometric identification systems,
including fairness, bias, validation, transparency,
safety, privacy, security, robustness, and other
properties;
(C) produce data sets that are curated,
standardized, representative, secure, and privacy
protected for biometric identification technology
research, development, and use;
(D) provide outreach, coordination, and technical
support to relevant industry and non-industry
stakeholders and standards development organizations to
assist such entities in the development of best
practices and voluntary standards; and
(E) develop such standard reference material as the
Director of the National Institute of Standards and
Technology determines is appropriate to further the
development of such standards.
(2) Biometrics vendor test program.--
(A) In general.--The Secretary, acting through the
Director of the National Institute of Standards and
Technology, shall carry out a test program to provide
biometrics vendors the opportunity to test biometric
identification technologies.
(B) Activities.--In carrying out the program under
subparagraph (A), the Director shall--
(i) conduct research and testing to improve
and benchmark the accuracy, efficacy, and
fairness of biometric identification systems,
including research and testing on demographic
variations, capture devices, presentation
attack detection, template protection, de-
identification, and comparison of algorithm and
human facial recognition capability;
(ii) produce public-facing reports of the
findings from such testing for a general
audience;
(iii) in coordination with the Department
of Homeland Security, provide guidance to law
enforcement agencies to support decision-making
with respect to acquisition and implementation
of biometric identification systems and related
technologies; and
(iv) conduct such other activities as the
Director of the National Institute of Standards
and Technology determines appropriate.
(C) Funding.--To carry out this subsection, the
Director of the National Institute of Standards and
Technology may enter into contracts, including
cooperative research and development arrangements,
grants, cooperative agreements, and other transactions
as the Director determines appropriate.
(D) Partnerships with other federal agencies.--In
addition to such sums as may be authorized to be
appropriated or otherwise made available to carry out
this section, the Director my accept funds from other
departments and agencies of the Federal Government, and
from the State and local governments, to carry out the
program under this subsection.
(c) Department of Homeland Security.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of Homeland Security, acting
through the Under Secretary for Science and Technology, in
consultation with the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers,
shall establish a program with the purpose of reducing
excessive use of force and lethal use of force by law
enforcement.
(2) Activities.--In carrying out such program, the
Secretary shall--
(A) support research and data analysis to improve
training, policies, and practices to support
development of guidelines and best practices for
recruitment and training of law enforcement officials
to reduce excessive use of force and mitigate racial
bias in policing;
(B) develop, test, and evaluate innovative tools or
technologies to assist in risk assessment and provide
law enforcement agencies with tools, restraints, and
maneuvers that are non-lethal or less harmful than
tools, restraints, and maneuvers used by such agencies;
(C) provide the scientific basis for a national
standard for police use of force continuums; and
(D) conduct outreach to Federal, State, local, and
tribal law enforcement agencies, academia, researchers,
practitioners, and trainers to share information and
disseminate guidelines and best practices.
SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated for each of fiscal years
2021 through 2026 to carry out the activities in this Act--
(1) $10,000,000 to the Director of the National Science
Foundation;
(2) $2,000,000 to the Director of the National Institute of
Standards and Technology; and
(3) $2,000,000 to the Secretary of Homeland Security.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E545)
Referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, and in addition to the Committees on Homeland Security, and the Judiciary, 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 Science, Space, and Technology, and in addition to the Committees on Homeland Security, and the Judiciary, 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 Science, Space, and Technology, and in addition to the Committees on Homeland Security, and the Judiciary, 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 Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Innovation.
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