I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 8871 

To develop a scenario-based training curriculum for law enforcement 

personnel, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 27, 2024 

Mrs. SYKES (for herself, Mr. BACON, Mr. IVEY, and Mr. FITZPATRICK) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

A BILL 

To develop a scenario-based training curriculum for law 

enforcement personnel, 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 ‘‘Law Enforcement Sce5 nario-Based Training for Safety and De-Escalation Act of 

6 2024’’. 

7 SEC. 2. LAW ENFORCEMENT SCENARIO-BASED TRAINING 

8 CURRICULUM. 

9 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the 

10 date of enactment of this Act, the Attorney General, actVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:03 Aug 09, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8871.IH H8871

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1 ing through the Director of the Office of Community Ori2 ented Policing Services, shall develop a scenario-based 

3 training curriculum for use in accordance with the grant 

4 program under section 3. 

5 (b) CURRICULUM.—In developing the curriculum 

6 under subsection (a), the Attorney General shall— 

7 (1) develop a scenario-based training cur8 riculum that addresses— 

9 (A) improving community-police relations; 

10 (B) officer safety; 

11 (C) officer resilience; 

12 (D) situational awareness; 

13 (E) physical and emotional responses to 

14 stress; 

15 (F) critical decision making and problem 

16 solving; 

17 (G) de-escalation; 

18 (H) use of force and deadly force; and 

19 (I) crisis intervention; 

20 (2) consult with relevant professional law en21 forcement associations, community-based organiza22 tions, and defense and national security agencies in 

23 the development and dissemination of the cur24 riculum; 


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1 (3) provide expertise and technical assistance to 

2 entities seeking to implement the curriculum; 

3 (4) evaluate best practices of scenario-based 

4 training methods and curriculum content to main5 tain state-of-the-art expertise in scenario-based 

6 learning methodology; and 

7 (5) develop a certification process for entities 

8 that have successfully implemented the curriculum. 

9 SEC. 3. LAW ENFORCEMENT SCENARIO-BASED TRAINING 

10 GRANT PROGRAM. 

11 (a) IN GENERAL.—Beginning on the date that is 1 

12 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Attorney 

13 General, acting through the Director of the Office of Com14 munity Oriented Policing Services, shall be authorized to 

15 make grants to States, units of local government, Indian 

16 Tribal governments, other public and private entities, and 

17 multi-jurisdictional or regional consortia to provide law en18 forcement personnel with access to a scenario-based train19 ing curriculum that is substantially similar to the cur20 riculum developed under section 2. 

21 (b) APPLICATION.—An applicant seeking a grant 

22 under this section shall submit to the Attorney General 

23 an application at such time, in such manner, and con24 taining such information as the Attorney General may rea25 sonably require. 


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1 (c) REPORTS.— 

2 (1) GRANTEE REPORTS.—On the date that is 1 

3 year after receiving a grant under this section, each 

4 grant recipient shall submit to the Attorney General 

5 a report on— 

6 (A) any benefits of, and barriers to, deliv7 ering the curriculum to law enforcement per8 sonnel; and 

9 (B) recommendations for improving the ac10 cess of law enforcement personnel to scenario11 based training. 

12 (2) OFFICE OF COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLIC13 ING SERVICES REPORTS.—Not later than 1 year 

14 after initially awarding grants under this section, 

15 and annually thereafter, the Attorney General, act16 ing through the Director of the Office of Community 

17 Oriented Policing Services, shall submit to Congress 

18 a report on— 

19 (A) the number of entities that received 

20 grants under this section; 

21 (B) the cumulative number and proportion 

22 of law enforcement personnel in each State that 

23 received training under the scenario-based 

24 training curriculum described in section 2, or a 


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1 curriculum that is substantially similar to that 

2 curriculum; 

3 (C) any benefits of, and barriers to, deliv4 ering such curriculum to law enforcement per5 sonnel; 

6 (D) recommendations for improving the 

7 curriculum developed under section 2; and 

8 (E) recommendations for improving the 

9 grant program under this section. 

10 (d) FUNDING.—No additional funds are authorized 

11 to be appropriated to carry out this Act. The Attorney 

12 General shall carry out this Act using unobligated 

13 amounts that are otherwise made available to the Depart14 ment of Justice. 

15 SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS. 

16 In this Act: 

17 (1) COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS.—The 

18 term ‘‘community-based organization’’ means a 

19 grassroots organization that— 

20 (A) works in communities to improve po21 lice accountability and transparency; and 

22 (B) has a national presence and member23 ship. 

24 (2) PROFESSIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT ASSO25 CIATION.—The term ‘‘professional law enforcement 


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1 association’’ means a law enforcement membership 

2 association that works for the needs of Federal, 

3 State, local, or Indian Tribal law enforcement 

4 groups and with the civilian community on matters 

5 of common interest. 

6 (3) SCENARIO-BASED TRAINING.—The term 

7 ‘‘scenario-based training’’ means the use of live-ac8 tion simulations and role playing to place law en9 forcement personnel in an interactive learning envi10 ronment to replicate real-life scenarios or teach par11 ticular skills or techniques. 

12 (4) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means any 

13 State of the United States, the District of Columbia, 

14 the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Is15 lands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth 

16 of the Northern Mariana Islands, and any possession 

17 of the United States. 

Æ 


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