HR 1913
112th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1913
To amend title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act
of 1968 to provide for improvements under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice
Assistance Grant Program to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in the criminal
justice system.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 13, 2011
Mr. COHEN (for himself, Mr. GRIJALVA, Ms. NORTON, and Mr. HASTINGS of Florida)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the
Judiciary
A BILL
To amend title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act
of 1968 to provide for improvements under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice
Assistance Grant Program to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in the criminal
justice system.
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 `Byrne/JAG Program Accountability Act'.
SEC. 2. IMPROVEMENTS UNDER THE EDWARD BYRNE MEMORIAL JUSTICE ASSISTANCE
GRANT PROGRAM TO REDUCE RACIAL AND ETHNIC DISPARITIES IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE
SYSTEM.
Section 501 of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42
U.S.C. 3751) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
`(h) Racial Disparities Practices- For years beginning after the date of the
enactment of the Byrne/JAG Program Accountability Act, States and units of
local government receiving funds under this subpart shall implement policy,
practice, and system improvement strategies at the State, local, and tribal
levels, as applicable, to identify and reduce racial and ethnic disparities
among individuals who come into contact with or are under the supervision
of the criminal justice system, without establishing or requiring numerical
standards or quotas, through each of the following methods:
`(1) Establishing coordinating bodies, composed of criminal justice stakeholders
at the State, local, or tribal levels, as applicable, to oversee and monitor
efforts by such States, unit of local government, or Indian tribe to reduce
racial and ethnic disparities.
`(2) Identifying and analyzing key decision points in the criminal justice
system of the State, unit of local government, or Indian tribe, as applicable,
to determine which points create racial and ethnic disparities among those
who come into contact with the justice system.
`(3) Developing and implementing data collection and analysis systems to
identify where racial and ethnic disparities exist in the criminal justice
system and to track and analyze such disparities.
`(4) Developing and implementing a work plan that includes measurable objectives
for policy practice or other system changes, based on the needs identified
in the data collection and analysis under paragraphs (2) and (3).
`(5) Publicly reporting, on an annual basis, the efforts made in accordance
with paragraphs (2), (3), and (4) during the previous year.'.
END
