I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 5251 

To direct the Attorney General to establish a task force to study the causes 

of violence against and involving law enforcement and make recommendations on improving community safety. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 22, 2019 

Mr. CORREA (for himself, Mr. HARDER of California, and Mr. CARBAJAL) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the 

Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 

each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To direct the Attorney General to establish a task force 

to study the causes of violence against and involving 

law enforcement and make recommendations on improving community safety. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Improving Community 

5 Safety Task Force Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. IMPROVING COMMUNITY SAFETY TASK FORCE. 

2 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Attorney General shall 

3 establish a community safety task force (hereinafter in 

4 this Act referred to as the ‘‘task force’’) within 180 days 

5 after the date of enactment of this Act with the goal of 

6 promoting community safety. 

7 (b) MEMBERSHIP.— 

8 (1) COMPOSITION.—The task force shall include 

9 a chairperson and twelve members selected by the 

10 Attorney General in consultation with the Speaker of 

11 the House of Representatives, the minority leader of 

12 the House of Representatives, the majority leader of 

13 the Senate, and the minority leader of the Senate in 

14 accordance with the following: 

15 (A) REPRESENTATION.—Membership shall 

16 include at least one representative of: 

17 (i) Community organizations. 

18 (ii) Non-governmental civil rights or19 ganizations. 

20 (iii) State law enforcement. 

21 (iv) Federal law enforcement. 

22 (v) Firefighters. 

23 (vi) Emergency medical technicians. 

24 (vii) Security officers from educational 

25 institutions. 


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1 (viii) An institution of higher edu2 cation (as such term is defined in section 

3 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965) 

4 that is determined by the Attorney General 

5 to have expertise in law enforcement re6 search. 

7 (ix) Local governments, including one 

8 municipal and one county law enforcement 

9 representative. 

10 (B) GEOGRAPHIC DIVERSITY.—In selecting 

11 membership, the Attorney General shall make 

12 sure the task force includes representatives 

13 from all regions of the country, and from rural, 

14 urban, and suburban communities. 

15 (2) CHAIRPERSON.—The Attorney General shall 

16 appoint the chairperson of the task force from 

17 among the members. 

18 (3) TERM OF MEMBERSHIP.—Members of the 

19 task force shall serve until the task force is termi20 nated. The chairperson shall serve until the Attorney 

21 General appoints a new chairperson. 

22 (4) COMPENSATION.—Members of the task 

23 force may be allowed travel expenses, including per 

24 diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates authorized for 

25 employees of agencies under subchapter I of chapter 


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1 57 of title 5, United States Code, while away from 

2 their homes or regular places of business in the per3 formance of services for the task force. 

4 (c) DUTIES.—The duties of the task force are as fol5 lows: 

6 (1) To study violence against and involving law 

7 enforcement and first responders. 

8 (2) To make recommendations on steps that 

9 can be taken to limit such violence, including assess10 ing— 

11 (A) the causes for, the frequency of, and 

12 the types of attacks against law enforcement of13 ficers and other first responders; and 

14 (B) the causes for, the frequency of, and 

15 the types of law enforcement’s use of deadly 

16 force. 

17 (3) To make recommendations about— 

18 (A) how to prevent attacks against law en19 forcement officers and other first responders; 

20 and 

21 (B) how to minimize use of deadly force by 

22 law enforcement. 

23 (d) POWERS OF THE TASK FORCE.— 

24 (1) HEARINGS.—The task force may, for the 

25 purpose of carrying out this section, hold hearings, 


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1 sit and act at times and places, take testimony, and 

2 receive evidence as the task force considers appro3 priate. 

4 (2) POWERS OF MEMBERS AND AGENTS.—Any 

5 member or agent of the task force may, if authorized 

6 by the task force, take any action which the task 

7 force is authorized to take by this section. 

8 (3) OBTAINING OFFICIAL DATA.—Subject to ap9 plicable privacy laws and regulations, the task force 

10 may secure directly from any department or agency 

11 of the United States information necessary to enable 

12 it to carry out this section. Upon request of the 

13 chairperson of the task force, the head of that de14 partment or agency shall furnish that information to 

15 the task force. 

16 (4) MAILS.—The task force may use the United 

17 States mails in the same manner and under the 

18 same conditions as other departments and agencies 

19 of the United States. 

20 (5) ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT SERVICES.— 

21 Upon the request of the task force, the Adminis22 trator of General Services shall provide to the task 

23 force, on a reimbursable basis, the administrative 

24 support services necessary for the task force to carry 

25 out its duties under this section. 


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1 (6) CONTRACT AUTHORITY.—To the extent or 

2 in the amounts provided in advance in appropriation 

3 Acts, the task force may contract with and com4 pensate government agencies and private entities or 

5 persons for services necessary to carry out its duties 

6 under this section. 

7 (e) OPERATING RULES AND PROCEDURES.— 

8 (1) INITIAL MEETING.—The task force shall 

9 meet not later than 30 days after the date on which 

10 a majority of the members of the task force have 

11 been appointed. 

12 (2) MEETINGS.—The task force shall alternate 

13 its meeting locations between the geographic regions 

14 reflected in the task force membership. 

15 (3) VOTING.—Each member of the task force 

16 shall have one vote. 

17 (4) RULES AND PROCEDURES.—Any member of 

18 the task force may propose to create or alter existing 

19 operating rules and procedures consistent with the 

20 functions of the task force. Any change to the oper21 ating rules and procedures shall be adopted only 

22 upon a majority vote of the task force. 

23 (5) RECOMMENDATIONS.—The task force shall 

24 adopt recommendations under subsection (c)(2) and 

25 subsection (c)(4) only upon a majority vote. 


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1 (6) QUORUM.—A majority of the members of 

2 the task force shall constitute a quorum, but a lesser 

3 number of members may hold meetings. 

4 (f) DIRECTOR AND STAFF.— 

5 (1) DIRECTOR.—The task force may appoint 

6 and set the pay of a director. 

7 (2) STAFF.—The director may appoint not 

8 more than 10 staff personnel as the director con9 siders appropriate. 

10 (3) APPLICABILITY OF CERTAIN CIVIL SERVICE

11 LAWS.—The staff of the task force shall be ap12 pointed subject to the provisions of title 5, United 

13 States Code, governing appointments in the competi14 tive service, and shall be paid in accordance with the 

15 provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chap16 ter 53 of that title relating to classification and Gen17 eral Schedule pay rates. 

18 (4) EXPERTS AND CONSULTANTS.—The task 

19 force and the director, acting with the approval of 

20 the task force, may procure temporary and intermit21 tent services under section 3109(b) of title 5, United 

22 States Code. 

23 (5) STAFF OF FEDERAL AGENCIES.—Upon the 

24 request of the director, the head of any Federal de25 partment or agency may detail, on a reimbursable 


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1 basis, any of the personnel of that department or 

2 agency to the task force to assist it in carrying out 

3 its duties under this section. 

4 (g) DURATION.—The task force established under 

5 subsection (a) shall terminate not later than two years 

6 after the date of which the task force is established under 

7 such subsection. 

8 (h) REPORTS.— 

9 (1) SUBMITTAL OF REPORT.—Not later than 

10 one year after the date of the initial meeting of the 

11 task force, the Attorney General shall submit to 

12 Congress a report on the recommendations of the 

13 task force. 

14 (2) ASSESSMENT OF IMPLEMENTATION.—Not 

15 later than 120 days after submission of the report 

16 in subsection (h)(1), the Attorney General shall sub17 mit to Congress a report containing the assessment 

18 of the Attorney General regarding the implementa19 tion of the recommendations of the task force. 

20 (i) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

21 authorized to be appropriated $1,000,000 for the period 

22 of fiscal years 2019 through 2020 to carry out this sec23 tion. 

24 (j) DEFINITIONS.—In this Act: 


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1 (1) CRIME OF VIOLENCE.—The term ‘‘crime of 

2 violence’’ means any Federal, State, or local offense 

3 that has as an element the use, attempted use, or 

4 threatened use of physical force against the person 

5 of another. 

6 (2) DEADLY FORCE.—The term ‘‘deadly force’’ 

7 means force reasonably anticipated and intended to 

8 create a substantial likelihood of causing death or 

9 great bodily injury. 

10 (3) FIRST RESPONDER.—The term ‘‘first re11 sponder’’ means an individual with specialized train12 ing, the duties of whose position are primarily to 

13 provide on-site assistance including Federal, State, 

14 and local governmental and nongovernmental fire15 fighter, emergency medical technician, and para16 medic personnel. 

17 (4) LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER.—The term 

18 ‘‘law enforcement officer’’ means an individual, the 

19 duties of whose position are primarily the investiga20 tion, apprehension, or detention of individuals sus21 pected or convicted of offenses against criminal or 

22 civil laws, including police, corrections, probation, 

23 parole, and judicial officers. 

Æ 


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