19–006 

112TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 2d Session 112–636 

EDWARD BYRNE MEMORIAL JUSTICE ASSISTANCE GRANT 

PROGRAM REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2012 

JULY 31, 2012.—Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of 

the Union and ordered to be printed 

Mr. SMITH of Texas, from the Committee on the Judiciary, 

submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany H.R. 6062] 

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] 

The Committee on the Judiciary, to whom was referred the bill 

(H.R. 6062) to reauthorize the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program through fiscal year 2017, having considered the same, report favorably thereon without amendment and 

recommend that the bill do pass. 

CONTENTS 

Page 

Purpose and Summary ............................................................................................ 1 

Background and Need for the Legislation ............................................................. 2 

Hearings ................................................................................................................... 3 

Committee Consideration ........................................................................................ 3 

Committee Votes ...................................................................................................... 3 

Committee Oversight Findings ............................................................................... 5 

New Budget Authority and Tax Expenditures ...................................................... 5 

Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate .......................................................... 5 

Performance Goals and Objectives ......................................................................... 7 

Advisory on Earmarks ............................................................................................. 7 

Section-by-Section Analysis .................................................................................... 7 

Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported ..................................... 7 

Purpose and Summary 

H.R. 6062 reauthorizes the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (Byrne JAG) program at $800 million per year for 

fiscal years 2013 through 2017. 


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1 42 U.S.C. § 3751(a). 

2 Byrne JAG funds can be spent in many different ways to address evolving criminal justice 

issues and technologies. For example, these funds can be spent to investigate and prosecute cold 

cases based on the recent advancements in DNA technology. 3The District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and Guam are all treated as states 

under Byrne JAG. Current law, however, mandates that the Northern Marianas Islands and 

American Samoa be treated collectively as one state for purposes of the formula, with the Northern Marianas Islands receiving 33 percent and American Samoa receiving 67 percent of this 

amount. 4 42 U.S.C. § 3755(a)(1–2). 

5 42 U.S.C. § 3755(b). 

6 42 U.S.C. § 3755(c). 

Background and Need for the Legislation 

The Byrne JAG program was created by the Violence Against 

Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization Act of 2005 

(P.L. 109–162), which combined two existing programs—the Edward Byrne Memorial Formula Grant and the Local Law Enforcement Block Grant—into a single criminal justice grant program to 

the states and local governments. Byrne JAG has seven broad program purposes: law enforcement programs; prosecution and court 

programs; prevention and education programs; corrections and 

community corrections programs; drug treatment and enforcement 

programs; planning, evaluation, and technology improvement programs; and crime victim and witness programs (other than compensation).1 These program areas are broadly written with the intent of providing the states and localities with a large amount of 

flexibility to determine how the grant money is spent.2

The Byrne JAG program is administered by the Justice Department’s Office of Justice Programs, and provides Federal grant 

funds to all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, 

the Virgin Islands, America Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands. Byrne JAG provides funding to states through a formula 

based on each state’s population and crime rate.3 Each state is 

statutorily authorized to receive a minimum amount of funding, set 

at 0.25 percent of the total annual funding.4 Forty percent of a 

state’s allocation is directly awarded to units of local government.5

These funds are distributed based on the localities’ relative portion 

of their state’s violent crime, as reported to the FBI’s Uniform 

Crime Report. 

The remaining funds that not awarded directly to units of local 

government are administered by the state, and must be distributed 

to state police departments that provide criminal justice services to 

units of local government. Each state is also required to ‘‘pass 

through’’ an additional percentage of the funds directly awarded to 

the state. The pass-through percentage, often referred to as the 

‘‘variable pass through,’’ is calculated as the ratio of the total 

amount of expenditures on criminal justice by the state itself for 

the most recent fiscal year as compared to the total amount of expenditures on criminal justice by both the state and all units of 

local government.6

Byrne JAG is authorized through the end of fiscal year 2012 at 

$1.095 billion a year. The program was appropriated at approximately $430 million for fiscal year 2011 and approximately $470 

million for fiscal year 2012, although $100 million of the 2012 

funds were a one-time set aside for expenses related to the presidential nomination conventions. 


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Hearings 

The Committee on the Judiciary held no hearings on H.R. 6062. 

An oversight hearing was held on the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs, which administers the Byrne JAG program. 

Committee Consideration 

On July 18, 2012, the Committee met in open session and ordered the bill H.R. 6062 favorably reported without amendment, by 

voice vote, a quorum being present. 

Committee Votes 

In compliance with clause 3(b) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 

House of Representatives, the Committee advises that the following 

rollcall votes occurred during the Committee’s consideration of H.R. 

6062. 

1. An amendment offered by Mr. Nadler to incentive jurisdictions that receive money under the Byrne JAG program to use Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner nurses, test rape kits within 180 days 

of a request, and create an online database of rape kit evidence. 

Defeated 6–10. 

ROLLCALL NO. 1 

Ayes Nays Present 

Mr. Smith, Chairman ............................................................................. X 

Mr. Sensenbrenner, Jr. ...........................................................................

Mr. Coble ................................................................................................ X 

Mr. Gallegly ............................................................................................

Mr. Goodlatte .........................................................................................

Mr. Lungren ............................................................................................

Mr. Chabot .............................................................................................

Mr. Issa ..................................................................................................

Mr. Pence ............................................................................................... X 

Mr. Forbes ..............................................................................................

Mr. King .................................................................................................

Mr. Franks .............................................................................................. X 

Mr. Gohmert ...........................................................................................

Mr. Jordan .............................................................................................. X 

Mr. Poe ................................................................................................... X 

Mr. Chaffetz ...........................................................................................

Mr. Griffin .............................................................................................. X 

Mr. Marino .............................................................................................. X 

Mr. Gowdy .............................................................................................. X 

Mr. Ross .................................................................................................

Ms. Adams ............................................................................................. X 

Mr. Quayle ..............................................................................................

Mr. Amodei .............................................................................................

Mr. Conyers, Jr., Ranking Member .........................................................

Mr. Berman ............................................................................................

Mr. Nadler .............................................................................................. X 

Mr. Scott ................................................................................................ X 

Mr. Watt ................................................................................................. X 


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ROLLCALL NO. 1—Continued 

Ayes Nays Present 

Ms. Lofgren ............................................................................................

Ms. Jackson Lee .....................................................................................

Ms. Waters .............................................................................................

Mr. Cohen ...............................................................................................

Mr. Johnson, Jr. ...................................................................................... X 

Mr. Pierluisi ............................................................................................ X 

Mr. Quigley .............................................................................................

Ms. Chu .................................................................................................. X 

Mr. Deutch .............................................................................................

Ms. Sa ́ nchez ...........................................................................................

Mr. Polis .................................................................................................

Total ..................................................................................... 6 10 

2. An amendment offered by Mr. Johnson to increase the authorization level to $1.095 billion per year. Defeated 7–13. 

ROLLCALL NO. 2 

Ayes Nays Present 

Mr. Smith, Chairman ............................................................................. X 

Mr. Sensenbrenner, Jr. ...........................................................................

Mr. Coble ................................................................................................ X 

Mr. Gallegly ............................................................................................

Mr. Goodlatte .........................................................................................

Mr. Lungren ............................................................................................ X 

Mr. Chabot .............................................................................................

Mr. Issa ..................................................................................................

Mr. Pence ............................................................................................... X 

Mr. Forbes ..............................................................................................

Mr. King ................................................................................................. X 

Mr. Franks .............................................................................................. X 

Mr. Gohmert ...........................................................................................

Mr. Jordan .............................................................................................. X 

Mr. Poe ................................................................................................... X 

Mr. Chaffetz ...........................................................................................

Mr. Griffin .............................................................................................. X 

Mr. Marino .............................................................................................. X 

Mr. Gowdy .............................................................................................. X 

Mr. Ross ................................................................................................. X 

Ms. Adams ............................................................................................. X 

Mr. Quayle ..............................................................................................

Mr. Amodei .............................................................................................

Mr. Conyers, Jr., Ranking Member .........................................................

Mr. Berman ............................................................................................

Mr. Nadler .............................................................................................. X 

Mr. Scott ................................................................................................ X 

Mr. Watt ................................................................................................. X 

Ms. Lofgren ............................................................................................

Ms. Jackson Lee .....................................................................................


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ROLLCALL NO. 2—Continued 

Ayes Nays Present 

Ms. Waters .............................................................................................

Mr. Cohen ...............................................................................................

Mr. Johnson, Jr. ...................................................................................... X 

Mr. Pierluisi ............................................................................................ X 

Mr. Quigley .............................................................................................

Ms. Chu .................................................................................................. X 

Mr. Deutch .............................................................................................

Ms. Sa ́ nchez ........................................................................................... X 

Mr. Polis .................................................................................................

Total ..................................................................................... 7 13 

Committee Oversight Findings 

In compliance with clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 

House of Representatives, the Committee advises that the findings 

and recommendations of the Committee, based on oversight activities under clause 2(b)(1) of rule X of the Rules of the House of Representatives, are incorporated in the descriptive portions of this report. 

New Budget Authority and Tax Expenditures 

Clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives is inapplicable because this legislation does not provide new 

budgetary authority or increased tax expenditures. 

Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate 

In compliance with clause 3(c)(3) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 

House of Representatives, the Committee sets forth, with respect to 

the bill, H.R. 6062, the following estimate and comparison prepared 

by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office under section 

402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974: 

U.S. CONGRESS, 

CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE, 

Washington, DC, July 25, 2012. 

Hon. LAMAR SMITH, CHAIRMAN, Committee on the Judiciary, 

House of Representatives, Washington, DC. 

DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: The Congressional Budget Office has prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 6062, the ‘‘Edward Byrne 

Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program Reauthorization Act of 

2012.’’ 

If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be pleased 

to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Mark Grabowicz, who 

can be reached at 226–2860. 

Sincerely, 

DOUGLAS W. ELMENDORF, 

DIRECTOR. 

Enclosure 


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cc: Honorable John Conyers, Jr. 

Ranking Member 

H.R. 6062—Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance 

Grant Program Reauthorization Act of 2012. 

As ordered reported by the House Committee on the Judiciary 

on July 18, 2012. 

SUMMARY

H.R. 6062 would authorize the appropriation of $800 million annually over the 2013–2017 period for the Edward Byrne Memorial 

Justice Assistance Grant program in the Department of Justice. (In 

2012, the Congress appropriated $470 million for such grants, 

which support criminal justice systems at the State, local, and tribal level.) 

Assuming appropriation of the authorized amounts, CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 6062 would cost about $2.7 billion 

over the 2013–2017 period and $1.3 billion in subsequent years. 

Pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply to this legislation because it 

would not affect direct spending or revenues. 

H.R. 6062 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA). 

ESTIMATED COST TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

The estimated budgetary impact of H.R. 6062 is shown in the following table. CBO assumes that the authorized amounts will be appropriated near the start of each fiscal year and that outlays will 

follow the historical rate of spending for these activities. The costs 

of this legislation fall within budget function 750 (administration 

of justice). 

By Fiscal Year, in Millions of Dollars 

2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2013– 

2017 

CHANGES IN SPENDING SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATION 

Authorization Level 800 800 800 800 800 4,000 

Estimated Outlays 176 416 576 696 800 2,664 

PAY-AS-YOU-GO CONSIDERATIONS: 

None. 

INTERGOVERNMENTAL AND PRIVATE-SECTOR IMPACT

H.R. 6062 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in UMRA. Assuming appropriation of the authorized amounts, State, local, and tribal governments would receive $4 

billion for law enforcement programs. Any costs to those governments would be incurred voluntarily as a condition of receiving 

Federal assistance. 


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ESTIMATE PREPARED BY: 

Federal Costs: Mark Grabowicz 

Impact on State, Local, and Tribal Governments: Melissa Merrell 

Impact on the Private Sector: Paige Piper/Bach 

ESTIMATE APPROVED BY: 

Theresa Gullo 

Deputy Assistant Director for Budget Analysis 

Performance Goals and Objectives 

The Committee states that pursuant to clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII 

of the Rules of the House of Representatives, H.R. 6062 reauthorizes the Byrne JAG program at $800 million a year for 5 years. 

Advisory on Earmarks 

In accordance with clause 9 of rule XXI of the Rules of the House 

of Representatives, H.R. 6062 does not contain any congressional 

earmarks, limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined 

in clause 9(e), 9(f), or 9(g) of Rule XXI. 

Section-by-Section Analysis 

The following discussion describes the bill as reported by the 

Committee. 

Sec. 1. Short title. This section cites the short title of the bill as 

the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program Reauthorization Act of 2012. 

Section 2. Reauthorization of Byrne JAG Grants. This section reauthorizes the Byrne JAG program at $800 million a year for fiscal 

years 2013–2017. 

Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported 

In compliance with clause 3(e) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 

House of Representatives, changes in existing law made by the bill, 

as reported, are shown as follows (new matter is printed in italics 

and existing law in which no change is proposed is shown in 

roman): 

OMNIBUS CRIME CONTROL AND SAFE STREETS ACT OF 

1968 

* * * * * * * 

TITLE I—JUSTICE SYSTEM IMPROVEMENT 

* * * * * * * 

PART E—BUREAU OF JUSTICE ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAMS

Subpart 1—Edward Byrne Memorial Justice 

Assistance Grant Program 

* * * * * * * 


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SEC. 508. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this subpart 

$1,095,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2006 through 2012, and 

$800,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2013 through 2017. 

* * * * * * * 

Æ 


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