To provide funds to the National Center for Rural Law Enforcement, and for other purposes.

Summary: Rural Law Enforcement Assistance Act of 2001- Directs the Attorney General, through the Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Affairs, to make a grant annually to the National Center for Rural Law Enforcement (if the Center's Executive Director makes certain certifications) to be used to develop an education and training program for criminal justice or law enforcement agencies in rural areas. Includes among program purposes: (1) the development and delivery of management, forensic, and computer education and training for employees of such agencies; and (2) the delivery of assistance (in a consulting capacity) to criminal justice agencies in the development and coordination of programs, training, and research relating to crime in rural areas.Permits the Center to use grant funds to enhance the program, including: (1) by providing educational opportunities for rural law enforcement agencies; and (2) through coordination with institutions of higher education to encourage and deliver programs of study with those institutions for employees of such agencies.Directs the Center to establish eight regional centers comprised of specified States. Requires that all funds for such regional centers be distributed by, and each regional center submit a budget request to, the Center.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Rural Law Enforcement Assistance Act 
of 2001''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Board.--The term ``Board'' means the members of the 
        Board of the Center elected in accordance with the bylaws of 
        the Center.
            (2) Center.--The term ``Center'' means the National Center 
        for Rural Law Enforcement, a nonprofit corporation located in 
        Little Rock, Arkansas.
            (3) Executive director.--The term ``Executive Director'' 
        means the Executive Director of the Center as appointed in 
        accordance with the bylaws of the Center.
            (4) Institutions of higher education.--The term 
        ``institutions of higher education'' has the meaning given the 
        term in section 1201(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 1141(a)).
            (5) Metropolitan statistical area.--The term ``metropolitan 
        statistical area'' has the same meaning given the term by the 
        Bureau of the Census of the Department of Commerce.
            (6) Rural area.--The term ``rural area'' means an area that 
        is located outside of a metropolitan statistical area.
            (7) Rural law enforcement agency.--The term ``rural law 
        enforcement agency'' means a criminal justice or law 
        enforcement agency that serves a county, parish, city, town, 
        township, borough, or village that is located in a rural area.

SEC. 3. EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROGRAM GRANTS.

    (a) Grant Authority.--The Attorney General shall annually make a 
grant to the National Center for Rural Law Enforcement through the 
Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Affairs, if the Executive 
Director certifies in writing to the Attorney General that the Center--
            (1) is incorporated in accordance with applicable State 
        law;
            (2) is in compliance with the bylaws of the Center;
            (3) will use amounts made available under this section in 
        accordance with subsection (b); and
            (4) will not support any political party or candidate for 
        elected or appointed office.
    (b) Uses of Funds.--
            (1) Required uses of funds.--The Center shall use amounts 
        made available under this section to develop an education and 
        training program for criminal justice or law enforcement 
        agencies in rural areas and the employees of those agencies, 
        which shall include--
                    (A) the development and delivery of management, 
                forensic and computer education and training, technical 
                assistance, and practical research and evaluation for 
                employees of rural law enforcement agencies (including 
                tribal law enforcement agencies and railroad law 
                enforcement agencies), including supervisory and 
                executive managers of those agencies;
                    (B) conducting research into the causes and 
                prevention of criminal activity in rural areas, 
                including the causes, assessment, evaluation, analysis, 
                and prevention of criminal activity;
                    (C) the development and dissemination of 
                information designed to assist States and units of 
                local government in rural areas throughout the United 
                States;
                    (D) the establishment and maintenance of a resource 
                and information center for the collection, preparation, 
                and dissemination of information regarding criminal 
                justice and law enforcement in rural areas, including 
                programs for the prevention of crime and recidivism; 
                and
                    (E) the delivery of assistance, in a consulting 
                capacity, to criminal justice agencies in the 
                development, establishment, maintenance, and 
                coordination of programs, facilities and services, 
education, training, and research relating to crime in rural areas.
            (2) Permissive uses of funds.--The Center may use amounts 
        made available under a grant under this section to enhance the 
        education and training program developed under paragraph (1), 
        through--
                    (A) educational opportunities for rural law 
                enforcement agencies;
                    (B) the development, promotion, and voluntary 
                adoption of educational and training standards and 
                accreditation certification programs for rural law 
                enforcement agencies and the employees of those 
                agencies;
                    (C) grants to, and contracts with, State, and local 
                governments, law enforcement agencies, public and 
                private agencies, educational institutions, and other 
                organizations and individuals to carry out this 
                paragraph;
                    (D) the formulation and recommendation of law 
                enforcement policy, goals, and standards in rural areas 
                applicable to criminal justice agencies, organizations, 
                institutions, and personnel; and
                    (E) coordination with institutions of higher 
                education for the purpose of encouraging and delivering 
                programs of study with those institutions for employees 
                of rural law enforcement agencies.
    (c) Powers.--In carrying out subsection (b), the Executive Director 
may--
            (1) request the head of any Federal department or agency to 
        detail, on a reimbursable basis, 1 or more employees of the 
        Federal department or agency to the Center to assist the Center 
        in carrying out subsection (b), and any such detail shall be 
        without interruption or loss of civil service status or 
        privilege;
            (2) request the Administrator of the General Services 
        Administration to provide the Center, on a reimbursable basis, 
        the administrative support services necessary for the Center to 
        carry out subsection (b); and
            (3) procure temporary and intermittent services under 
        section 3109(b) of title 5, United States Code, at rates of 
        compensation established by the Board, but not to exceed the 
        daily equivalent of the maximum rate of pay payable for a 
        position at level IV of the Executive Schedule under section 
        5315 of title 5, United States Code.
    (d) Reporting Requirements.--The Executive Director shall annually 
submit to the Attorney General a report, which shall include--
            (1) a description of the education and training program 
        developed under subsection (b);
            (2) the number and demographic representation of 
        individuals who attended programs sponsored by the Center;
            (3) a description of the extent to which resources of other 
        governmental agencies or private entities were used in carrying 
        out subsection (b); and
            (4) a description of the extent to which contracts with 
        other public and private entities were used in carrying out 
        subsection (b).
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section--
            (1) $13,000,000 for fiscal year 2002; and
            (2) such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 
        2003 through 2007.

SEC. 4. REGIONAL CENTERS.

    (a) Establishment.--
            (1) In general.--The Center shall establish 8 regional 
        centers, 1 in each geographic region listed in subsection (b) 
        that will be under the supervision, direction, and control of 
        the Center.
            (2) Requirement.--The 8 regional centers shall be 
        established 2 per year during 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005.
    (b) Regions.--For purposes of subsection (a), the regions shall be 
as follows:
            (1) Region 1.--Region 1 shall be comprised of the following 
        States--
                    (A) Connecticut;
                    (B) Maine;
                    (C) Massachusetts;
                    (D) New Hampshire;
                    (E) New York;
                    (F) Rhode Island; and
                    (G) Vermont.
            (2) Region 2.--Region 2 shall be comprised of the following 
        States--
                    (A) Delaware;
                    (B) Maryland;
                    (C) New Jersey;
                    (D) Ohio;
                    (E) Pennsylvania;
                    (F) West Virginia; and
                    (G) Virginia.
            (3) Region 3.--Region 3 shall be comprised of the following 
        States--
                    (A) Alabama;
                    (B) Florida;
                    (C) Georgia;
                    (D) Mississippi;
                    (E) North Carolina; and
                    (F) South Carolina.
            (4) Region 4.--Region 4 shall be comprised of the following 
        States--
                    (A) Iowa;
                    (B) Minnesota;
                    (C) Nebraska;
                    (D) North Dakota;
                    (E) South Dakota; and
                    (F) Wisconsin.
            (5) Region 5.--Region 5 shall be comprised of the following 
        States--
                    (A) Arkansas;
                    (B) Illinois;
                    (C) Indiana;
                    (D) Kentucky;
                    (E) Louisiana;
                    (F) Michigan;
                    (G) Missouri; and
                    (H) Tennessee.
            (6) Region 6.--Region 6 shall be comprised of the following 
        States--
                    (A) Colorado;
                    (B) Kansas;
                    (C) New Mexico;
                    (D) Oklahoma; and
                    (E) Texas.
            (7) Region 7.--Region 7 shall be comprised of the following 
        States--
                    (A) Arizona;
                    (B) California;
                    (C) Nevada; and
                    (D) Utah.
            (8) Region 8.--Region 8 shall be comprised of the following 
        States--
                    (A) Alaska;
                    (B) Hawaii;
                    (C) Idaho;
                    (D) Montana;
                    (E) Oregon;
                    (F) Washington; and
                    (G) Wyoming.
    (c) Funding.--
            (1) In general.--All funds for the regional centers shall 
        be distributed by the Center which shall determine the budget 
        base of each regional center based upon the budget request 
        required to be submitted by each regional center under 
        paragraph (2).
            (2) Budget request.--Each regional center shall submit a 
        budget request to the Center at such time and in such manner as 
        the Executive Director may reasonably require.
    (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section--
            (1) $8,000,000 for fiscal year 2002;
            (2) $16,000,000 for fiscal year 2003;
            (3) $24,000,000 for fiscal year 2004;
            (4) $32,000,000 for fiscal year 2005; and
            (5) such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 
        2006 and 2007.