I 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2572 

To establish a Task Force on Women in Law Enforcement to study and 

develop national hiring standards for law enforcement officers, and for 

other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 10, 2023 

Ms. ROSS (for herself and Mrs. FOUSHEE) introduced the following bill; which 

was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

A BILL 

To establish a Task Force on Women in Law Enforcement 

to study and develop national hiring standards for law 

enforcement officers, 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 ‘‘Supporting Women 

5 with Career Opportunities in Policing Services Act of 

6 2023’’ or the ‘‘Supporting Women COPS Act of 2023’’. 

7 SEC. 2. TASK FORCE ON WOMEN IN LAW ENFORCEMENT. 

8 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established a Task 

9 Force on Women in Law Enforcement (referred to in this 


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1 section as the ‘‘Task Force’’) to study State hiring stand2 ards for law enforcement officers, develop national hiring 

3 standards for law enforcement officers, and develop rec4 ommendations for female officer retention and promotion. 

5 (b) COMPOSITION.—The Task Force shall be com6 posed of 15 members, appointed by the Attorney General 

7 as follows: 

8 (1) One representative from the Civil Rights 

9 Division of the Department of Justice. 

10 (2) Two mayors. 

11 (3) Three female police executives, one of whom 

12 serves as the head of a municipal law enforcement 

13 agency, one of whom serves as the head of a State 

14 law enforcement agency, and one of whom serves as 

15 the head of a sheriff’s department. 

16 (4) Two female law enforcement officers with 

17 the rank of lieutenant or below. 

18 (5) Two representatives from community-based 

19 organizations. 

20 (6) Two academics or researchers who are ex21 perts in gender diversity and policing. 

22 (7) One expert in medicine or anatomy who is 

23 knowledgeable about the physical differences be24 tween male and female law enforcement officers. 


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1 (8) One representative from a law enforcement 

2 accreditation or standards and training organization. 

3 (9) One representative from a national law en4 forcement organization representing women. 

5 (c) DUTIES OF THE TASK FORCE.—The duties of the 

6 Task Force are as follows: 

7 (1) To develop recommendations for national 

8 hiring standards for law enforcement officers, in9 cluding standards for physical fitness, critical think10 ing, and communication skills, that do not disadvan11 tage applicants based on sex. 

12 (2) To develop recommendations for female offi13 cer retention, addressing barriers including physical 

14 fitness after childbirth and family responsibilities, 

15 such as childcare. 

16 (3) To develop recommendations for female ad17 vancement to leadership roles in law enforcement. 

18 (d) REPORT.—Not later than 18 months after the 

19 date of enactment of this Act, the Task Force shall submit 

20 to Congress a report that details its findings and rec21 ommendations. 

22 SEC. 3. INCENTIVIZING STATES TO ADOPT STANDARDS. 

23 (a) IN GENERAL.—Beginning in the fiscal year that 

24 begins after the development of the recommendations 

25 under section 2(c), a State that adopts such recommendaVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:57 Apr 15, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2572.IH H2572

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1 tions shall receive, in addition to the amount that the 

2 State otherwise receives under subpart 1 of part E of the 

3 Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act (34 U.S.C. 

4 10151 et seq.) (commonly known as the ‘‘Edward Byrne 

5 Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program’’), an 

6 amount that is equal to 5 percent of what such State re7 ceives under such subpart, which may be used for the pur8 poses authorized under such subpart. 

9 (b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

10 authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be nec11 essary to carry out subsection (a) for each fiscal year be12 ginning in the fiscal year that begins after the develop13 ment of the recommendations under section 2(c). 

14 (c) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.— 

15 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Attorney General is au16 thorized to provide technical assistance to assist 

17 States in adopting the recommendations under sec18 tion 2(c). 

19 (2) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

20 There is authorized to be appropriated such sums as 

21 may be necessary to carry out this subsection. 

Æ 


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