I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 9576 

To authorize a grant to encourage recruitment of law enforcement officers, 

and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 12, 2024 

Mr. PHILLIPS (for himself, Mr. FINSTAD, Ms. CRAIG, Mr. VALADAO, Mr. 

GOTTHEIMER, Mr. BACON, Mr. KILDEE, Mr. FITZPATRICK, and Mr. PANETTA) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

A BILL 

To authorize a grant to encourage recruitment of law 

enforcement officers, and for other purposes. 

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 ‘‘Pathways to Policing 

5 Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. GRANT PROGRAM. 

7 Title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe 

8 Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10101 et seq.) is amended 

9 by adding at the end the following: 


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1 ‘‘PART PP—LAW ENFORCEMENT HIRING 

2 SUPPORT GRANT 

3 ‘‘SEC. 3061. GRANT AUTHORIZATION. 

4 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after 

5 the date of enactment of this part, the COPS Director 

6 is authorized to make grants, on a competitive basis, to 

7 States, units of local government, and law enforcement 

8 agencies for the purposes described in subsection (c). 

9 ‘‘(b) APPLICATIONS.—To be eligible to receive a 

10 grant under this part, a State, unit of local government, 

11 or law enforcement agency shall submit an application to 

12 the COPS Director at such time, in such manner, and con13 taining such information as the COPS Director may re14 quire. 

15 ‘‘(c) USE OF FUNDS.—A recipient of a grant under 

16 this part may use the grant funds for the following: 

17 ‘‘(1) MARKETING AND RECRUITMENT CAM18 PAIGNS.—Not more than 50 percent of the grant 

19 funds awarded to a recipient under this part may be 

20 used to develop, implement, or expand marketing 

21 and recruitment campaigns for the purpose of en22 couraging candidates to seek careers in law enforce23 ment. 

24 ‘‘(2) PATHWAYS TO POLICING.— Not more than 

25 50 percent of the grant funds awarded to a recipient 


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1 under this part may be used to develop, operate, or 

2 expand Pathways to Policing programs. 

3 ‘‘(d) REPORT.—For each fiscal year in which a grant 

4 is awarded under this part, each recipient of such grant 

5 shall submit to the COPS Director a report containing a 

6 summary of each activity carried out using such grant and 

7 such other information as the COPS Director may require. 

8 ‘‘SEC. 3062. PRIORITY. 

9 ‘‘(a) UNDERREPRESENTED AND NONTRADITIONAL

10 GROUPS.—In awarding a grant under this part, priority 

11 shall be given to applicants that seek to recruit candidates 

12 who are members of communities traditionally underrep13 resented in the field of law enforcement or who have non14 traditional educational or career backgrounds. 

15 ‘‘(b) COMMUNITY POLICING.—In awarding a grant 

16 under this part, priority shall be given to applicants that 

17 seek to recruit candidates who reside in or who are willing 

18 to relocate to the communities that the candidates will 

19 serve, or that are in close proximity to the communities 

20 that the candidates will serve. 

21 ‘‘SEC. 3063. DEFINITIONS. 

22 ‘‘In this part: 

23 ‘‘(1) COPS DIRECTOR.—The term ‘COPS Di24 rector’ means the Attorney General, acting through 


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1 the Director of the Office of Community Oriented 

2 Policing Services. 

3 ‘‘(2) PATHWAYS TO POLICING PROGRAMS.—The 

4 term ‘Pathways to Policing programs’ refers to any 

5 program that— 

6 ‘‘(A) facilitates the entry into full-time law 

7 enforcement positions for candidates that— 

8 ‘‘(i) face barriers in obtaining the edu9 cation and training necessary to pursue a 

10 law enforcement career; and 

11 ‘‘(ii) have no prior law enforcement 

12 experience; 

13 ‘‘(B) provides candidates with financial 

14 support, including tuition, compensation, or 

15 benefits, while attending a law enforcement offi16 cer education and training program, and 

17 ‘‘(C) may include service in part-time, uni18 formed positions that further a candidate’s 

19 training to be a full-time law enforcement offi20 cer. 

21 ‘‘SEC. 3064. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

22 ‘‘There is authorized to be appropriated $50,000,000 

23 to carry out sections 3061, 3062, and 3063 for each of 

24 fiscal years 2025 to 2029. 


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1 ‘‘SEC. 3065. NATIONWIDE LAW ENFORCEMENT MARKETING 

2 AND RECRUITMENT CAMPAIGN. 

3 ‘‘(a) MARKETING AND RECRUITMENT CAMPAIGNS.— 

4 Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this 

5 section, the Attorney General shall develop and implement 

6 nationwide marketing and recruitment campaigns for the 

7 purpose of encouraging candidates, including candidates 

8 who are members of communities traditionally underrep9 resented in the field of law enforcement or who have non10 traditional educational or career backgrounds, to seek ca11 reers in law enforcement. 

12 ‘‘(b) CONSULTATION.—In developing and imple13 menting the marketing and recruitment campaigns under 

14 subsection (a), the Attorney General shall consult with 

15 State attorneys general, State and local law enforcement 

16 entities, professional law enforcement associations, com17 munity-based organizations, and academic researchers. 

18 ‘‘(c) STATES, UNITS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT, AND

19 LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES.—In developing and im20 plementing the marketing and recruitment campaigns 

21 under subsection (a), the Attorney General shall create 

22 educational materials and related resources for States, 

23 units of local government, and law enforcement agencies 

24 to operate a marketing and recruitment campaign under 

25 section 3061. 


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1 ‘‘(d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

2 is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 

3 $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 to 2029.’’. 

Æ 


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