110th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 368
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 23, 2007
Mr. BIDEN (for himself, Mr. BAUCUS, Mrs. BOXER, Ms. CANTWELL, Mrs. CLINTON,
Mr. DODD, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mr. HARKIN, Mr. KERRY, Mr. KOHL, Mr. LAUTENBERG,
Mr. LEAHY, Mr. LIEBERMAN, Mr. MENENDEZ, Ms. MIKULSKI, Mr. OBAMA, Mr. REED,
Mr. SALAZAR, Mr. SCHUMER, Mr. SMITH, Ms. STABENOW, and Mr. REID) 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 2007'.
SEC. 2. COPS GRANT IMPROVEMENTS.
(a) In General- Section 1701 of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets
Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796dd) is amended--
(1) by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:
`(a) 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,
multi-jurisdictional or regional consortia, and individuals for the purposes
described in subsections (b), (c), (d), and (e).';
(A) by striking the subsection heading text 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 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;';
(E) by striking paragraph (9);
(F) by redesignating paragraphs (10) through (12) as paragraphs (9)
through (11), respectively;
(G) by striking paragraph (13);
(H) by redesignating paragraphs (14) through (17) as paragraphs (12)
through (15), respectively;
(I) in paragraph (14), as so redesignated, by striking `and' at the
end;
(J) in paragraph (15), as so redesignated, by striking the period at
the end and inserting a semicolon; and
(K) by adding at the end 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.';
(3) by striking subsection (c);
(4) by striking subsections (h) and (i);
(5) by redesignating subsections (d) through (g) as subsections (f) through
(i), respectively;
(6) by inserting after subsection (b) the following:
`(c) Troops-to-Cops Programs-
`(1) IN GENERAL- Grants made under subsection (a) 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.
`(d) Community Prosecutors Program- The Attorney General may make grants
under subsection (a) 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.
`(e) Technology Grants- The Attorney General may make grants under subsection
(a) 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.';
(7) in subsection (f), 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';
(C) in the first sentence of paragraph (3), by inserting `(including
regional community policing institutes)' after `training centers or
facilities'; and
(D) by adding at the end the following:
`(4) EXCLUSIVITY- The Office of Community Oriented Policing Services shall
be the exclusive component of the Department of Justice to perform the
functions and activities specified in this paragraph.';
(8) in subsection (g), as so redesignated, by striking `may utilize any
component', and all that follows and inserting `shall use the Office of
Community Oriented Policing Services of the Department of Justice in carrying
out this part.';
(9) in subsection (h), as so redesignated--
(A) by striking `subsection (a)' the first place that term appears and
inserting `paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (b)'; 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 (b)';
(10) in subsection (i), as so redesignated, by striking the second sentence;
and
(11) by adding at the end the following:
`(j) Retention of Additional Officer Positions- For any grant under paragraph
(1) or (2) of subsection (b) 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.'.
(b) Applications- Section 1702 of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets
Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796dd-1) is amended--
(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 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 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).
(1) IN GENERAL- Section 1706 of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets
Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796dd-5) is amended--
(A) in the section heading, by striking `revocation or suspension of
funding' and inserting `enforcement actions'; and
(B) by striking `revoke or suspend' and all that follows and inserting
`take any enforcement action available to the Department of Justice.'.
(2) TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING AMENDMENT- The table of contents of title
I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C.
3711) is amended by striking the item relating to section 1706 and inserting
the following:
`Sec. 1706. Enforcement actions.'.
(f) Definitions- Section 1709(1) of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets
Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796dd-8(1)) is amended--
(1) by inserting `who is a sworn law enforcement officer' after `permanent
basis'; and
(2) by inserting `, including officers for the Amtrak Police Department'
before the period at the end.
(g) Authorization of Appropriations- Section 1001(11) of the Omnibus Crime
Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3793(11)) is amended--
(1) in subparagraph (A), by striking `1,047,119,000' and inserting `1,150,000,000';
and
(2) in subparagraph (B)--
(A) in the first sentence, by striking `3 percent' and inserting `5
percent'; and
(B) by striking the second sentence and inserting the following: `Of
the funds available for grants under part Q, not less than $600,000,000
shall be used for grants for the purposes specified in section 1701(b),
not more than $200,000,000 shall be used for grants under section 1701(d),
and not more than $350,000,000 shall be used for grants under section
1701(e).'.
(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 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 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.'.
END
