H.R. 3458

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3458 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3458

To amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to 
provide that COPS grant funds may be used for local law enforcement 
recruits to attend schools or academies if the recruits agree to serve 
in precincts of law enforcement agencies in their communities.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

May 15, 2025

Mr. Moran (for himself, Ms. Ross, and Mr. Ivey) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to 
provide that COPS grant funds may be used for local law enforcement 
recruits to attend schools or academies if the recruits agree to serve 
in precincts of law enforcement agencies in their communities.

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 ``Strong Communities Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. STRONG COMMUNITIES PROGRAM.

Section 1701 of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe 
Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10381) is amended by adding at the end 
the following:
``(q) COPS Strong Communities Program.--
``(1) Definitions.--In this subsection:
``(A) Eligible entity.--The term `eligible entity' 
means--
``(i) an institution of higher education, 
as defined in section 101 of the Higher 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001), that, 
in coordination or through an agreement with a 
local law enforcement agency, offers a law 
enforcement training program; or
``(ii) a local law enforcement agency that 
offers a law enforcement training program.
``(B) Local law enforcement agency.--The term 
`local law enforcement agency' means an agency of a 
State, unit of local government, or Indian Tribe that 
is authorized by law or by a government agency to 
engage in or supervise the prevention, detection, 
investigation, or prosecution of any violation of 
criminal law.
``(2) Grants.--The Attorney General may use amounts 
otherwise appropriated to carry out this section for a fiscal 
year (beginning with fiscal year 2025) to make competitive 
grants to local law enforcement agencies to be used for 
officers and recruits to attend law enforcement training 
programs at eligible entities if the officers and recruits 
agree to serve in law enforcement agencies in their 
communities.
``(3) Eligibility.--To be eligible for a grant through a 
local law enforcement agency under this subsection, each 
officer or recruit described in paragraph (2) shall--
``(A) serve as a full-time law enforcement officer 
for a total of not fewer than 4 years during the 8-year 
period beginning on the date on which the officer or 
recruit completes a law enforcement training program 
for which the officer or recruit receives benefits;
``(B) complete the service described in 
subparagraph (A) in a local law enforcement agency 
located within--
``(i) 7 miles of the residence of the 
officer or recruit where the officer or recruit 
has resided for not fewer than 5 years; or
``(ii) if the officer or recruit resides in 
a county with fewer than 150,000 residents, 
within 20 miles of the residence of the officer 
or recruit where the officer or recruit has 
resided for not fewer than 5 years; and
``(C) submit to the eligible entity providing a law 
enforcement training program to the officer or recruit 
evidence of employment of the officer or recruit in the 
form of a certification by the chief administrative 
officer of the local law enforcement agency where the 
officer or recruit is employed.
``(4) Repayment.--
``(A) In general.--If an officer or recruit does 
not complete the service described in paragraph (3), 
the officer or recruit shall submit to the local law 
enforcement agency an amount equal to any benefits the 
officer or recruit received through the local law 
enforcement agency under this subsection.
``(B) Regulations.--The Attorney General shall 
promulgate regulations that establish categories of 
extenuating circumstances under which an officer or 
recruit may be excused from repayment under 
subparagraph (A).''.

SEC. 3. TRANSPARENCY.

Not less frequently than annually, the Attorney General shall 
submit to the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate and the 
Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives a report 
that details, with respect to recipients of grants under section 
1701(q) of title I of the Omnibus and Crime Control and Safe Streets 
Act of 1968, as added by section 2--
(1) during the 1-year period preceding the date of the 
report--
(A) the number and location of those recipients; 
and
(B) the number of law enforcement officers and 
recruits each recipient intends to send to law 
enforcement training programs at eligible entities (as 
defined in paragraph (1) of such section 1701(q)) with 
amounts from the grant; and
(2) during the period between the date of enactment of this 
Act and the date of the report--
(A) the number of law enforcement officers or 
recruits who attended the training described in 
paragraph (1)(B) with amounts from the grant and 
returned from the training as employees of the 
recipient; and
(B) the number of law enforcement officers or 
recruits described in subparagraph (A) who remain an 
employee of the recipient.
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