I 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 6469 

To authorize grants for States and units of local government to reverse 

law enforcement efforts that have been restricted, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 21, 2022 

Ms. HERRERA BEUTLER introduced the following bill; which was referred to 

the Committee on the Judiciary 

A BILL 

To authorize grants for States and units of local government 

to reverse law enforcement efforts that have been restricted, 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 ‘‘Refund the Police Act 

5 of 2022’’. 

6 SEC. 2. GRANTS TO REVERSE RESTRICTIONS ON LAW EN7 FORCEMENT. 

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

9 through the Director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance, 

10 is authorized to make grants to eligible States and units 


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1 of local government for the purposes described in sub2 section (d). 

3 (b) ELIGIBILITY.—In order to be eligible for a grant 

4 under this section, a State or unit of local government 

5 shall meet each of the following requirements: 

6 (1) LAW ENFORCEMENT POLICIES.— 

7 (A) IN GENERAL.—A State or unit of local 

8 government shall certify to the Attorney Gen9 eral that such State or unit of local govern10 ment— 

11 (i) does not have in effect any law re12 quiring a heightened standard for use of 

13 force; and 

14 (ii) has taken steps, in the previous 

15 year, to expand efforts to hire and retain 

16 law enforcement officers. 

17 (B) HEIGHTENED USE OF FORCE STAND18 ARDS DEFINED.—For the purposes of this sub19 section, the term ‘‘heightened standard for use 

20 of force’’— 

21 (i) means a standard requiring law 

22 enforcement officers to use more than rea23 sonable care in determining whether to use 

24 physical force against another person; and 


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1 (ii) includes a standard requiring a 

2 law enforcement officer to leave an area in3 stead of using force in any case in which 

4 there is no threat of imminent harm and 

5 no crime has been committed, is being 

6 committed, or is about to be committed. 

7 (2) DRIVE-BY SHOOTINGS.—A State or unit of 

8 local government shall certify to the Attorney Gen9 eral that such State or unit of local government has 

10 not taken steps in the previous year to eliminate 

11 drive-by shooting as a basis for murder in the first 

12 degree (as defined in section 1111(a) of title 18, 

13 United States Code). 

14 (c) APPLICATION.—To receive a grant under this sec15 tion, a State or unit of local government shall submit to 

16 the Attorney General at such time, in such manner, and 

17 containing such information as the Attorney General may 

18 require, including the certification described in subsection 

19 (b). 

20 (d) USE OF FUNDS.—A State or unit of local govern21 ment that receives a grant under this section may use the 

22 grant for the purposes described under section 1701(b) 

23 of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets 

24 Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10381). 


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1 (e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

2 authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 

3 $25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2028. 

4 (f) DEFINITIONS.—In this section, the terms ‘‘State’’ 

5 and ‘‘unit of local government’’ have the meanings given 

6 such terms in section 901 of title I of the Omnibus Crime 

7 Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10251). 

Æ 


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