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103D CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 358

To create a National Commission to support law enforcement.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JANUARY 5, 1993

Ms. SLAUGHTER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the

Committee on the Judiciary

A BILL

To create a National Commission to support law

enforcement.

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 ‘‘National Commission

5 to Support Law Enforcement Act’’.

6 SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL FINDINGS.

7 The Congress finds that—

8 (1) law enforcement officers risk their lives

9 daily to protect citizens, for modest rewards and too

10 little recognition;
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1 (2) a significant shift has occurred in the prob2 lems that law enforcement officers face without a

3 corresponding change in the support from the Fed4 eral Government;

5 (3) law enforcement officers are on the front

6 line in the war against drugs and crime;

7 (4) the rate of violent crime continues to in8 crease along with the increase in drug use;

9 (5) a large percentage of individuals arrested

10 test positive for drug usage;

11 (6) the Presidential Commission on Law En12 forcement and the Administration of Justice of 1965

13 focused attention on many issues affecting law en14 forcement, and a review twenty-five years later

15 would help to evaluate current problems, including

16 drug-related crime, violence, racial conflict, and de17 creased funding; and

18 (7) a comprehensive study of law enforcement

19 issues, including the role of the Federal Government

20 in supporting law enforcement officers, working con21 ditions, and responsibility for crime control would

22 assist in redefining the relationships between the

23 Federal Government, the public, and law enforce24 ment officials.
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1 SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT.

2 There is established a national commission to be

3 known as the ‘‘National Commission to Support Law En4 forcement’’ (referred to in this Act as the ‘‘Commission’’).

5 SEC. 4. DUTIES.

6 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Commission shall study and

7 recommend changes regarding law enforcement agencies

8 and law enforcement issues on the Federal, State, and

9 local levels, including the following:

10 (1) FUNDING.—The sufficiency of funding, in11 cluding a review of grant programs at the Federal

12 level.

13 (2) EMPLOYMENT.—The conditions of law en14 forcement employment.

15 (3) INFORMATION.—The effectiveness of infor16 mation-sharing systems, intelligence, infrastructure,

17 and procedures among law enforcement agencies of

18 Federal, State, and local governments.

19 (4) RESEARCH AND TRAINING.—The status of

20 law enforcement research and education and train21 ing.

22 (5) EQUIPMENT AND RESOURCES.—The ade23 quacy of equipment, physical resources, and human

24 resources.

25 (6) COOPERATION.—The cooperation among

26 Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies.
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1 (7) RESPONSIBILITY.—The responsibility of

2 governments and law enforcement agencies in solv3 ing the crime problem.

4 (8) IMPACT.—The impact of the criminal jus5 tice system, including court schedules and prison

6 overcrowding, on law enforcement.

7 (b) CONSULTATION.—The Commission shall conduct

8 surveys and consult with focus groups of law enforcement

9 officers, local officials, and community leaders across the

10 Nation to obtain information and seek advice on important

11 law enforcement issues.

12 SEC. 5. MEMBERSHIP.

13 (a) NUMBER AND APPOINTMENT.—The Commission

14 shall be composed of 25 members as follows:

15 (1) Seven individuals from national law enforce16 ment organizations representing law enforcement of17 ficers, of whom—

18 (A) Two shall be appointed by the Speaker

19 of the House of Representatives;

20 (B) Two shall be appointed by the majority

21 leader of the Senate;

22 (C) One shall be appointed by the minority

23 leader of the House of Representatives;

24 (D) One shall be appointed by the minority

25 leader of the Senate; and
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1 (E) One shall be appointed by the Presi2 dent.

3 (2) Seven individuals from national law enforce4 ment organizations representing law enforcement

5 management, of whom—

6 (A) Two shall be appointed by the Speaker

7 of the House of Representatives;

8 (B) Two shall be appointed by the majority

9 leader of the Senate;

10 (C) One shall be appointed by the minority

11 leader of the House of Representatives;

12 (D) One shall be appointed by the minority

13 leader of the Senate; and

14 (E) One shall be appointed by the Presi15 dent.

16 (3) Two individuals with academic expertise re17 garding law enforcement issues, of whom—

18 (A) One shall be appointed by the Speaker

19 of the House of Representatives and the major20 ity leader of the Senate.

21 (B) One shall be appointed by the minority

22 leader of the Senate and the minority leader of

23 the House of Representatives.
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1 (4) Two Members of the House of Representa2 tives, appointed by the Speaker and the minority

3 leader of the House of Representatives.

4 (5) Two Members of the Senate, appointed by

5 the majority leader and the minority leader of the

6 Senate.

7 (6) One individual involved in Federal law en8 forcement from the Department of the Treasury, ap9 pointed by the President.

10 (7) One individual from the Department of Jus11 tice, appointed by the President.

12 (8) One individual representing a State or local

13 governmental entity, such as a Governor, mayor, or

14 State Attorney General, to be appointed by the Ma15 jority Leader of the Senate.

16 (9) One individual representing a State or local

17 governmental entity, such as a Governor, mayor, or

18 State Attorney General, to be appointed by the

19 Speaker of the House of Representatives.

20 (10) One individual representing a State or

21 local governmental entity, such as a governor,

22 mayor, or State attorney general, to be appointed by

23 the President.

24 (b) COMPTROLLER GENERAL.—The Comptroller

25 General shall serve in an advisory capacity and shall over-
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1 see the methodology and approach of the Commission’s

2 study.

3 (c) CHAIRPERSON.—Upon their appointment the

4 members of the Commission shall select one of their num5 ber to act as chairperson.

6 (d) COMPENSATION.—

7 (1) IN GENERAL.—Members of the Commission

8 shall receive no additional pay, allowance, or benefit

9 by reason of service on the Commission.

10 (2) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—Each member of the

11 Commission shall receive travel expenses, including

12 per diem in lieu of subsistence, in accordance with

13 sections 5702 and 5703 of title 5, United States

14 Code.

15 (e) APPOINTMENT DATES.—Members of the Com16 mission shall be appointed no later than 90 days after the

17 enactment of this Act.

18 SEC. 6. EXPERTS AND CONSULTANTS.

19 (a) EXPERTS AND CONSULTANTS.—The Commission

20 may procure temporary and intermittent services under

21 section 3109(b) of title 5, United States Code.

22 (b) STAFF OF FEDERAL AGENCIES.—Upon request

23 of the Commission, the head of any Federal agency is au24 thorized to detail, on a reimbursable basis, any of the per-
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1 sonnel of that agency to the Commission to assist the

2 Commission in carrying out its duties under this Act.

3 (c) ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT.—The Administrator

4 of General Services shall provide to the Commission, on

5 a reimbursable basis, administrative support services as

6 the Commission may request.

7 SEC. 7. POWERS OF COMMISSION.

8 (a) HEARINGS.—The Commission may, for purposes

9 of this Act, hold hearings, sit and act at the times and

10 places, take testimony, and receive evidence, as the Com11 mission considers appropriate.

12 (b) DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY.—Any member or

13 agent of the Commission may, if authorized by the Com14 mission, take any action the Commission is authorized to

15 take by this section.

16 (c) INFORMATION.—The Commission may secure di17 rectly from any Federal agency information necessary to

18 enable it to carry out this Act. Upon request of the chair19 person of the Commission, the head of an agency shall

20 furnish the information to the Commission to the extent

21 permitted by law.

22 (d) GIFTS AND DONATIONS.—The Commission may

23 accept, use, and dispose of gifts or donations of services

24 or property.
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1 (e) MAILS.—The Commission may use the United

2 States mails in the same manner and under the same con3 ditions as other Federal agencies.

4 SEC. 8. REPORT.

5 Not later than the expiration of the eighteen-month

6 period beginning on the date of the appointment of the

7 members of the Commission, a report containing the find8 ings of the Commission and specific proposals for legisla9 tion and administrative actions that the Commission has

10 determined to be appropriate shall be submitted to Con11 gress.

12 SEC. 9. TERMINATION.

13 The Commission shall cease to exist upon the expira14 tion of the sixty-day period beginning on the date on which

15 the Commission submits its report under section 8.

16 SEC. 10. REPEALS.

17 Title XXXIV of the Crime Control Act of 1990 (Pub18 lic Law 101–647; 104 Stat. 4918) and title II, section 211

19 B of the Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State,

20 the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act,

21 1991 (Public Law 101–515; 104 Stat. 2122) are repealed.

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