I 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 7245 

To direct the Director of the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services 

to carry out a pilot program to establish community outpost houses, 

and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 18, 2020 

Mr. EMMER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on the Judiciary 

A BILL 

To direct the Director of the Office of Community Oriented 

Policing Services to carry out a pilot program to establish community outpost houses, 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 ‘‘Community Outpost 

5 Outreach and Engagement Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. COP HOUSE PILOT PROGRAM. 

7 (a) AUTHORIZATION.—The Attorney General, acting 

8 through the Director of the Office of Community Oriented 

9 Policing Services to carry out a pilot program to make 


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1 grants to eligible applicant to establish and operate com2 munity outpost houses (referred to in this section as 

3 ‘‘COP houses’’). 

4 (b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the pilot program is 

5 to provide long-term stabilization in the relationship of law 

6 enforcement and the community by— 

7 (1) building relationships, awareness, and trust 

8 with members of the community; 

9 (2) uniting members of the community and law 

10 enforcement; 

11 (3) improving the quality of life in the neigh12 borhood; and 

13 (4) reducing crime. 

14 (c) USES OF FUNDS.—A COP house funded under 

15 this section may provide services, including— 

16 (1) connecting with residents and involvement 

17 in community outreach programs; 

18 (2) providing government benefit program con19 sultations; 

20 (3) nursing services and coordination with med21 ical services in the community; 

22 (4) emergency medical services; 

23 (5) space for use by community groups; and 


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1 (6) holding events with community partners, in2 cluding public health services, educational classes or 

3 seminars, tutoring services for youth. 

4 (d) OFFICER QUALIFICATIONS.—A recipient of a 

5 grant under this section shall certify to the Director that 

6 any officer stationed at the COP house— 

7 (1) has demonstrated their communication and 

8 problem-solving skills; 

9 (2) does not have a history of verified instances 

10 of excessive force; and 

11 (3) has completed necessary training to under12 stand the cultural sensitivities of the obligations of 

13 a position at the COP house. 

14 (e) REPORT.—The Director shall submit to Congress 

15 on an annual basis information related to the operation 

16 of the pilot program under this section, including the im17 pact that COP houses have had on the relationships be18 tween law enforcement officers and the community and 

19 any changes in the rates of crime in the communities in 

20 which COP houses have been established pursuant to this 

21 section. 

22 (f) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

23 (1) The term ‘‘eligible applicant’’ means a non24 profit organization, or a law enforcement organizaVerDate Sep 11 2014 05:36 Jul 09, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7245.IH H7245

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1 tion applying jointly with at least one non-profit or2 ganization. 

3 (2) The term ‘‘community outpost house’’ 

4 means a location in the jurisdiction served by a law 

5 enforcement agency that is operated by the law en6 forcement agency in a collaborative manner with 

7 nonprofit organizations and other service providers. 

Æ 


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