I 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 7536 

To amend the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, 

to permit the attorney general of a State to bring a civil action to 

eliminate a pattern or practice of violating rights, privileges, or immunities secured or protected by the Constitution or laws of the United 

States, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 9, 2020 

Ms. KELLY of Illinois (for herself, Mr. RICHMOND, and Mr. RASKIN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

A BILL 

To amend the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement 

Act of 1994, to permit the attorney general of a State 

to bring a civil action to eliminate a pattern or practice 

of violating rights, privileges, or immunities secured or 

protected by the Constitution or laws of the United 

States, 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 ‘‘State Attorneys Gen5 eral Empowerment Act of 2020’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. CAUSE OF ACTION REGARDING POLICE PATTERN 

2 OR PRACTICE. 

3 (a) STATE ENFORCEMENT.—Section 210401(b) of 

4 the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 

5 1994 (34 U.S.C. 12601(b)) is amended by inserting after 

6 ‘‘the Attorney General, for or in the name of the United 

7 States’’ the following: ‘‘, or the attorney general of any 

8 State, for or in the name of that State, to the extent the 

9 violation has occurred within that State’’. 

10 (b) SUBPOENA AUTHORITY.—Section 210401 of the 

11 Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 

12 (34 U.S.C. 12601) is amended— 

13 (1) in subsection (b), by striking ‘‘paragraph 

14 (1)’’ and inserting ‘‘subsection (a)’’; and 

15 (2) by adding at the end the following: 

16 ‘‘(c) SUBPOENA AUTHORITY.—In carrying out the 

17 authority in subsection (b), the Attorney General or an 

18 attorney general of a State may require by subpoena the 

19 production of all information, documents, reports, an20 swers, records, accounts, papers, and other data in any 

21 medium (including electronically stored information), as 

22 well as any tangible thing and documentary evidence, and 

23 the attendance and testimony of witnesses necessary in the 

24 performance of the Attorney General or attorney general 

25 of a State under subsection (b). Such a subpoena, in the 

26 case of contumacy or refusal to obey, shall be enforceable 


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1 by order of any appropriate district court of the United 

2 States.’’. 

3 (c) DATA ON EXCESSIVE USE OF FORCE.—Section 

4 210402(a) of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforce5 ment Act of 1994 (34 U.S.C. 12602(a)) is amended— 

6 (1) by striking ‘‘The Attorney General’’ and in7 serting the following: 

8 ‘‘(1) FEDERAL COLLECTION OF DATA.—The 

9 Attorney General’’; and 

10 (2) by adding at the end the following: 

11 ‘‘(2) STATE COLLECTION OF DATA.—The attor12 ney general of a State may, through appropriate 

13 means, acquire data about the use of excessive force 

14 by law enforcement officers and such data may be 

15 used by the attorney general in conducting investiga16 tions under section 210401.’’. 

17 (d) GRANT PROGRAM.— 

18 (1) GRANTS AUTHORIZED.—The Attorney Gen19 eral may award a grant to a State to assist the 

20 State in conducting pattern and practice investiga21 tions at the State level. 

22 (2) ELIGIBILITY.—In order for a State to be el23 igible for a grant under paragraph (1), the attorney 

24 general of the State, or similar State official, shall 

25 have the authority to conduct pattern and practice 


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1 investigations, as described in section 210401 of the 

2 Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 

3 1994 (34 U.S.C. 12601), of governmental agencies 

4 in the State. 

5 (3) APPLICATION.—A State seeking a grant 

6 under paragraph (1) shall submit an application in 

7 such form, at such time, and containing such infor8 mation as the Attorney General may require. 

9 (4) FUNDING.—There are authorized to be ap10 propriated $100,000,000 to the Attorney General for 

11 each of fiscal years 2020 through 2022 to carry out 

12 this subsection. 

Æ 


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