I 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 3908 

To amend title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 

1968 to provide for improvements under the Edward Byrne Memorial 

Justice Assistance Grant Program to reduce racial and ethnic disparities 

in the criminal justice system. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 16, 2014 

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

on the Judiciary 

A BILL 

To amend title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe 

Streets Act of 1968 to provide for improvements under 

the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant 

Program to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in the 

criminal justice system. 

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 ‘‘Byrne/JAG Program 

5 Accountability Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. IMPROVEMENTS UNDER THE EDWARD BYRNE ME2 MORIAL JUSTICE ASSISTANCE GRANT PRO3 GRAM TO REDUCE RACIAL AND ETHNIC DIS4 PARITIES IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYS5 TEM. 

6 Section 501 of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe 

7 Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3751) is amended by add8 ing at the end the following new subsection: 

9 ‘‘(h) RACIAL DISPARITIES PRACTICES.—For years 

10 beginning after the date of the enactment of the Byrne/ 

11 JAG Program Accountability Act, States and units of 

12 local government receiving funds under this subpart shall 

13 implement policy, practice, and system improvement strat14 egies at the State, local, and tribal levels, as applicable, 

15 to identify and reduce racial and ethnic disparities among 

16 individuals who come into contact with or are under the 

17 supervision of the criminal justice system, without estab18 lishing or requiring numerical standards or quotas, 

19 through each of the following methods: 

20 ‘‘(1) Establishing coordinating bodies, com21 posed of criminal justice stakeholders at the State, 

22 local, or tribal levels, as applicable, to oversee and 

23 monitor efforts by such States, unit of local govern24 ment, or Indian tribe to reduce racial and ethnic dis25 parities. 


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1 ‘‘(2) Identifying and analyzing key decision 

2 points in the criminal justice system of the State, 

3 unit of local government, or Indian tribe, as applica4 ble, to determine which points create racial and eth5 nic disparities among those who come into contact 

6 with the justice system. 

7 ‘‘(3) Developing and implementing data collec8 tion and analysis systems to identify where racial 

9 and ethnic disparities exist in the criminal justice 

10 system and to track and analyze such disparities. 

11 ‘‘(4) Developing and implementing a work plan 

12 that includes measurable objectives for policy prac13 tice or other system changes, based on the needs 

14 identified in the data collection and analysis under 

15 paragraphs (2) and (3). 

16 ‘‘(5) Publicly reporting, on an annual basis, the 

17 efforts made in accordance with paragraphs (2), (3), 

18 and (4) during the previous year.’’. 

Æ 


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