To waive, for grants awarded in fiscal years 2004 and 2005, certain restrictions on the hiring or rehiring of career law enforcement officers under the COPS grant program under Part Q of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, and for other purposes.

July 25, 2003

Ms. HOOLEY of Oregon introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

To waive, for grants awarded in fiscal years 2004 and 2005, certain restrictions on the hiring or rehiring of career law enforcement officers under the COPS grant program under Part Q of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, 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 `First Responders Enhancement Act'.

SEC. 2. TEMPORARY WAIVER OF MATCHING FUNDS AND INCREASE IN MAXIMUM GRANT FOR HIRING COSTS.

(a) WAIVER OF MATCHING FUNDS- Subsections (e) and (i) of section 1701 of part Q of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796dd) shall not apply to a covered COPS grant.

(b) INCREASE IN MAXIMUM GRANT FOR HIRING COSTS- Subsection (c) of section 1704 of such part (42 U.S.C. 3796dd-3) shall not apply to a covered COPS grant. Funding provided under a covered COPS grant for hiring or rehiring a career law enforcement officer may not exceed $150,000, unless the Attorney General grants a waiver from this limitation.

(c) WAIVER OF RETENTION REQUIREMENT- Paragraph (8) of section 1702(c) of such part (42 U.S.C. 3796dd-1) shall not apply to a covered COPS grant. The Attorney General shall award covered COPS grants without regard to whether the applicant has any plans described in that paragraph.

(d) COVERED COPS GRANT- In this section, the term `covered COPS grant' means a grant under part Q of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796dd et seq.) that is awarded in fiscal year 2004 or 2005, regardless of the period for which the grant is made.

END