H.R. 3436

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3436 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3436

To authorize a Law Enforcement Education Grant program to encourage 
students to pursue a career in law enforcement.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

May 15, 2025

Mrs. Fischbach (for herself, Mr. Stauber, Mr. Bacon, and Mr. Higgins of 
Louisiana) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Education and Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To authorize a Law Enforcement Education Grant program to encourage 
students to pursue a career in law enforcement.

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 ``Law Enforcement Education Grant 
Program Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. LAW ENFORCEMENT EDUCATION GRANT PROGRAM.

Part A of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1070 et seq.) is amended by inserting at the end of subpart 7 the 
following new subpart:

``Subpart 8--Law Enforcement Education Grants

``SEC. 420. LAW ENFORCEMENT EDUCATION GRANT PROGRAM ESTABLISHED.

``(a) Program Authority.--
``(1) Payments required.--The Secretary is authorized to 
carry out a Law Enforcement Education Grants program to pay to 
each law enforcement candidate who is selected by the 
Secretary, on a competitive basis, to participate in such 
program, a Law Enforcement Education Grant in the amount of 
$4,000 for each year during which that candidate is eligible.
``(2) References.--Grants made under paragraph (1) shall be 
known as `Law Enforcement Education Grants'.
``(3) Funding.--Of the amounts otherwise authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this title, such sums as may be 
necessary are authorized to be made available to carry out this 
subpart, except that--
``(A) none of the sums made available to carry out 
this subpart may be derived from amounts authorized to 
be appropriated to carry out the Federal Pell Grants 
program under section 401 or the Federal Direct Loan 
Program under part D; and
``(B) to the extent that insufficient amounts are 
made available in any fiscal year to carry out all 
programs authorized under this title, the Secretary 
shall give priority to fully funding the program under 
this subpart.
``(b) Distribution of Grants to Law Enforcement Candidates.--
Payments under this subpart shall be made, in accordance with 
regulations promulgated by the Secretary for such purpose, in such 
manner as will best accomplish the purposes of this subpart.
``(c) Reductions in Amount.--
``(1) Part-time students.--In any case where a law 
enforcement candidate attends an eligible institution on less 
than a full-time basis (including a law enforcement candidate 
who attends an eligible institution on less than a half-time 
basis) during any year, the amount of a grant under this 
subpart for which that law enforcement candidate is eligible 
shall be reduced in proportion to the degree to which that law 
enforcement candidate is not attending on a full-time basis, in 
accordance with a schedule of reductions established by the 
Secretary for the purposes of this subpart, computed in 
accordance with this subpart. Such schedule of reductions shall 
be established by regulation and published in the Federal 
Register in accordance with section 482 of this Act.
``(2) No exceeding cost.--The amount of a grant awarded 
under this subpart, in combination with Federal student 
assistance and other student assistance the law enforcement 
candidate may receive, shall not exceed the cost of attendance 
(as defined in section 472) at the eligible institution at 
which that law enforcement candidate is in attendance.
``(d) Period of Eligibility for Grants.--
``(1) In general.--The period during which a student may 
receive grants under this subpart shall be the period required 
for the completion of the first associate or baccalaureate 
course of study related to law enforcement or criminal justice 
being pursued by the law enforcement candidate at the eligible 
institution at which the law enforcement candidate is in 
attendance, except that--
``(A) any period during which the law enforcement 
candidate is enrolled in a noncredit or remedial course 
of study as described in paragraph (2) shall not be 
counted for the purpose of this paragraph; and
``(B) the total amount that a law enforcement 
candidate may receive under this subpart shall not 
exceed $16,000.
``(2) Remedial course.--Nothing in this subpart shall be 
construed to exclude from eligibility courses of study which 
are noncredit or remedial in nature (including courses in 
English language acquisition) which are determined by the 
eligible institution to be necessary to help the law 
enforcement candidate be prepared for the pursuit of a first 
associate or baccalaureate degree or, in the case of courses in 
English language instruction, to be necessary to enable the law 
enforcement candidate to utilize already existing knowledge, 
training, or skills.

``SEC. 421. APPLICATIONS; ELIGIBILITY; SELECTION.

``(a) Applications.--The Secretary shall periodically set dates by 
which students shall file applications to complete for grants under 
this subpart. Each student desiring to compete for a grant under this 
subpart for any year shall file an application containing such 
information and assurances as the Secretary may determine necessary to 
enable the Secretary to carry out the functions and responsibilities of 
this subpart.
``(b) Demonstration of Grant Eligibility.--Each application 
submitted under subsection (a) shall contain such information as is 
necessary to demonstrate that the applicant is a student who--
``(1) is enrolled at an eligible institution;
``(2) is an eligible student for purposes of section 484;
``(3) is completing coursework and other requirements 
necessary to begin a career in law enforcement or criminal 
justice, or plans to complete such coursework and requirements 
prior to graduating; and
``(4) has not obtained an associate or baccalaureate degree 
related to law enforcement or criminal justice before receiving 
a Law Enforcement Education grant.
``(c) Selection.--The Secretary shall award grants under this 
subpart competitively on the basis of criteria determined by the 
Secretary by regulation.

``SEC. 422. AGREEMENTS TO SERVE.

``(a) Service Agreements.--Each application under section 421(a) 
shall contain or be accompanied by an agreement by the applicant that--
``(1) if selected to be a law enforcement candidate, the 
applicant will--
``(A) serve as a full-time law enforcement officer 
for a total of not less than 4 years within 8 years 
after completing the course of study for which the 
candidate received a Law Enforcement Education Grant 
under this subpart; and
``(B) submit evidence of such employment in the 
form of a certification by the chief officer of the law 
enforcement agency or department employing the 
candidate upon completion of each year of such service;
``(2) in the event that a law enforcement candidate is 
determined to have failed or refused to carry out such service 
obligation, the sum of the amounts of any Law Enforcement 
Education Grants received by such candidate will be treated as 
a loan and collected from the candidate in accordance with 
subsection (b) and the regulations thereunder; and
``(3) contains, or is accompanied by, a plain-language 
disclosure form developed by the Secretary that clearly 
describes the nature of the Law Enforcement Education Grant 
award, the service obligation, and the loan repayment 
requirements that are the consequence of the failure to 
complete the service obligation.
``(b) Repayment for Failure To Complete Service.--
``(1) In general.--In the event that law enforcement 
candidate fails or refuses to comply with the service 
obligation in the agreement under subsection (a), the sum of 
the amounts of any Law Enforcement Education Grants received by 
such candidate shall, upon a determination of such a failure or 
refusal in such service obligation, be treated as a Federal 
Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan under part D of this title, 
and shall be subject to repayment, together with interest 
thereon accruing from the date the grant is converted to such a 
Loan, in accordance with terms and conditions specified by the 
Secretary in regulations under this subpart.
``(2) Extenuating circumstances.--The Secretary shall 
establish, by regulation, categories of extenuating 
circumstances under which a law enforcement candidate who is 
unable to fulfill all or part of the candidate's service 
obligation may be excused from fulfilling that portion of the 
service obligation. Such categories shall ensure that a law 
enforcement candidate who is hired and serves as a full-time 
law enforcement officer but is unable to fulfill part of the 
candidate's service obligation due to medical discharge by a 
law enforcement agency or department because of a medical issue 
resulting from service as a law enforcement officer shall be 
excused from fulfilling the remaining portion of the service 
obligation.

``SEC. 423. DEFINITIONS.

``For the purposes of this subpart:
``(1) Eligible institution.--The term `eligible 
institution' means an institution of higher education, as 
defined in section 102, that--
``(A) provides an associate or baccalaureate degree 
in a field related to law enforcement or criminal 
justice; and
``(B) has been approved by the Police Officer 
Standard and Training Board of the State in which the 
institution is located or related State agency.
``(2) Law enforcement candidate.--The term `law enforcement 
candidate' means an individual who is selected by the Secretary 
to receive a Law Enforcement Education Grant under this 
subpart.
``(3) Law enforcement officer.--The term `law enforcement 
officer' means any officer, agent, or employee of a State, unit 
of local government, of Indian tribe who is authorized to 
supervise the prevention, detection, or investigation of any 
violation of criminal law.''.

SEC. 3. REPEAL OF UNIVERSITY SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAMS.

Part U of title VIII of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1161u) is repealed.
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