A bill to establish a grant program to enable rural police departments to gain access to the various crime-fighting, investigatory, and information-sharing resources available on the Internet, and for other purposes.

Summary: Networking Electronically To Connect Our Police Act of 2001 or NET COP Act - Authorizes the Attorney General to award grants to rural police departments to: (1) enable those departments to gain access to the various crime-fighting, investigatory, and information sharing resources available on the Internet; and (2) reimburse rural police department officials and members for the cost of computer equipment or Internet access.Allows grants awarded to be used: (1) for the purchase of new or upgraded computer hardware or software; (2) to pay for Internet access; and (3) to reimburse rural police departments that have paid for computer equipment or Internet access out of the funds of the department or department officials or members for some or all of the costs associated with those purchases, as determined by the Attorney General.Sets forth provisions regarding grant application requirements and grant program criteria.Directs the Attorney General to establish a Police Department Technology Assistance Desk to offer advice to chiefs of police in rural police departments.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Networking Electronically To Connect 
Our Police Act of 2001'' or the ``NET COP Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS; PURPOSES.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
            (1) Internet-based crime-fighting, investigatory, and 
        information-sharing technologies have proven to be extremely 
        useful to the law enforcement agencies that use them;
            (2) the sharing of information and the dissemination of 
        criminal intelligence between and among Federal, State, and 
        local law enforcement agencies benefit the society at large by 
        making criminal investigations more inclusive and effective;
            (3) the sharing of information between and among Federal, 
        State, and local law enforcement agencies allows these agencies 
        to find missing, neglected, abused, or abducted children, as 
        well as non-custodial parents seeking to evade their legal or 
        financial responsibilities; and
            (4) police departments in rural areas of the country tend 
        to be underserved by these Internet-based technologies.
    (b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are--
            (1) to authorize the Department of Justice to make grants 
        to rural police departments for the purchase or upgrade of 
        computer equipment, and to pay for Internet access for crime-
        fighting, investigatory, or information-sharing purposes;
            (2) to reimburse police department officials or members 
        who, acting on behalf of their rural police departments and 
        using personal funds, have purchased computer equipment or paid 
        for Internet access for crime-fighting, investigatory, or 
        information-sharing purposes; and
            (3) to require annual reports to Congress on the 
        concentration of police departments that have Internet access, 
        particularly those departments serving rural areas.

SEC. 3. GRANTS AUTHORIZED.

    The Attorney General is authorized to award grants to rural police 
departments to--
            (1) enable those departments to gain access to the various 
        crime-fighting, investigatory, and information sharing 
        resources available on the Internet; and
            (2) reimburse rural police department officials and members 
        for the cost of computer equipment or Internet access.

SEC. 4. USE OF FUNDS.

    Grants awarded under this Act may be used--
            (1) for the purchase of new or upgraded computer hardware 
        or software;
            (2) to pay for Internet access; and
            (3) to reimburse rural police departments that have paid 
        for computer equipment or Internet access out of the funds of 
        the department or department official or members, for some or 
        all of the costs associated with those purchases, as determined 
        by the Attorney General.

SEC. 5. APPLICATION.

    Each eligible rural police department that desires a grant under 
this Act shall submit an application to the Attorney General at such 
time, in such manner, and accompanied by such information as the 
Attorney General may reasonably require.

SEC. 6. GRANT PROGRAM CRITERIA.

    (a) In General.--In awarding a grant under this Act, the Attorney 
General shall--
            (1) set criteria for determining which police departments 
        are currently underserved by crime-fighting, investigatory, or 
        information-sharing technologies available on the Internet, by 
        differentiating between police departments that do not have 
        Internet access, and those departments that have access but are 
        using outmoded, obsolete, or otherwise inadequate technology; 
        and
            (2) determine what would constitute the minimum feasible 
        package of technologies required to enable those police 
        departments to use existing crime-fighting, investigatory, and 
        information-sharing technologies.
    (b) Grant Limitations.--The Attorney General shall set limits for 
maximum annual grants, based on determinations made under subsection 
(a), for rural police departments that do not have Internet access, and 
for those that do have access but are using inadequate technology.

SEC. 7. POLICE DEPARTMENT TECHNOLOGY ASSISTANCE DESK.

    The Attorney General shall establish a Police Department Technology 
Assistance Desk to offer advice to chiefs of police in rural police 
departments regarding--
            (1) the types of products to buy in order to achieve not 
        less than a minimum level of Internet service to access 
        existing crime-fighting, investigatory, and information-sharing 
        technologies; and
            (2) technology upgrades for those police departments in 
        possession of outmoded or obsolete technology;
            (3) preferred vendors; and
            (4) any other information the Attorney General determines 
        to be necessary.

SEC. 8. REPORT TO CONGRESS.

    The General Accounting Office, in consultation with the Attorney 
General, shall annually report to Congress on the concentration of 
police departments in the country that have Internet access, with 
particular emphasis on the number and percentage of rural police 
departments that lack Internet access, especially high-speed Internet 
access.

SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There is authorized to be appropriated $500,000,000 for each of 
fiscal years 2002 through 2007 to carry out this Act.