Supporting Women COPS Act of 2023

Supporting Women with Career Opportunities in Policing Services Act of 2023 or the Supporting Women COPS Act of 2023

This bill establishes a Task Force on Women in Law Enforcement to (1) study state hiring standards for law enforcement officers, (2) develop national hiring standards for law enforcement officers, and (3) develop recommendations for retention and promotion of female officers. It also incentivizes states to adopt the recommendations of the task force.

[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2572 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2572

  To establish a Task Force on Women in Law Enforcement to study and 
develop national hiring standards for law enforcement officers, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 10, 2023

Ms. Ross (for herself and Mrs. Foushee) introduced the following bill; 
          which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To establish a Task Force on Women in Law Enforcement to study and 
develop national hiring standards for law enforcement officers, 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 ``Supporting Women with Career 
Opportunities in Policing Services Act of 2023'' or the ``Supporting 
Women COPS Act of 2023''.

SEC. 2. TASK FORCE ON WOMEN IN LAW ENFORCEMENT.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established a Task Force on Women in 
Law Enforcement (referred to in this section as the ``Task Force'') to 
study State hiring standards for law enforcement officers, develop 
national hiring standards for law enforcement officers, and develop 
recommendations for female officer retention and promotion.
    (b) Composition.--The Task Force shall be composed of 15 members, 
appointed by the Attorney General as follows:
            (1) One representative from the Civil Rights Division of 
        the Department of Justice.
            (2) Two mayors.
            (3) Three female police executives, one of whom serves as 
        the head of a municipal law enforcement agency, one of whom 
        serves as the head of a State law enforcement agency, and one 
        of whom serves as the head of a sheriff's department.
            (4) Two female law enforcement officers with the rank of 
        lieutenant or below.
            (5) Two representatives from community-based organizations.
            (6) Two academics or researchers who are experts in gender 
        diversity and policing.
            (7) One expert in medicine or anatomy who is knowledgeable 
        about the physical differences between male and female law 
        enforcement officers.
            (8) One representative from a law enforcement accreditation 
        or standards and training organization.
            (9) One representative from a national law enforcement 
        organization representing women.
    (c) Duties of the Task Force.--The duties of the Task Force are as 
follows:
            (1) To develop recommendations for national hiring 
        standards for law enforcement officers, including standards for 
        physical fitness, critical thinking, and communication skills, 
        that do not disadvantage applicants based on sex.
            (2) To develop recommendations for female officer 
        retention, addressing barriers including physical fitness after 
        childbirth and family responsibilities, such as childcare.
            (3) To develop recommendations for female advancement to 
        leadership roles in law enforcement.
    (d) Report.--Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Task Force shall submit to Congress a report that 
details its findings and recommendations.

SEC. 3. INCENTIVIZING STATES TO ADOPT STANDARDS.

    (a) In General.--Beginning in the fiscal year that begins after the 
development of the recommendations under section 2(c), a State that 
adopts such recommendations shall receive, in addition to the amount 
that the State otherwise receives under subpart 1 of part E of the 
Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act (34 U.S.C. 10151 et seq.) 
(commonly known as the ``Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant 
Program''), an amount that is equal to 5 percent of what such State 
receives under such subpart, which may be used for the purposes 
authorized under such subpart.
    (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out subsection (a) 
for each fiscal year beginning in the fiscal year that begins after the 
development of the recommendations under section 2(c).
    (c) Technical Assistance.--
            (1) In general.--The Attorney General is authorized to 
        provide technical assistance to assist States in adopting the 
        recommendations under section 2(c).
            (2) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized 
        to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out 
        this subsection.
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