National Law Enforcement Officers Remembrance, Support and Community Outreach Act

Subjects: Crime and Law Enforcement


<html><body><pre>[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3381 Introduced in House (IH)]

&lt;DOC&gt;






118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3381

    To authorize the Attorney General to establish the National Law 
   Enforcement Officers Remembrance, Support and Community Outreach 
                    program, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 16, 2023

 Mr. Nehls (for himself, Mr. Panetta, Mr. Hunt, Mr. Pappas, Mr. Ezell, 
 Ms. Sanchez, Mr. Tiffany, Mr. Deluzio, Mr. Stauber, Ms. Brownley, Mr. 
  Ferguson, Mr. Kildee, Mrs. Boebert, Ms. Craig, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Mr. 
  Davis of North Carolina, Mr. LaMalfa, Mr. Moolenaar, Mr. Bacon, Mr. 
Carter of Texas, Mr. Gooden of Texas, Mr. Stewart, Mr. Carl, Mr. Bost, 
       Mr. Banks, Mr. Alford, Ms. Salinas, Mr. Van Drew, and Mr. 
Reschenthaler) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                       Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To authorize the Attorney General to establish the National Law 
   Enforcement Officers Remembrance, Support and Community Outreach 
                    program, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``National Law Enforcement Officers 
Remembrance, Support and Community Outreach Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

     Congress finds the following:
            (1) The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial and the 
        National Law Enforcement Museum in Washington, DC, represent 
        the only law enforcement campus in the United States and serves 
        a critical national mission of honoring and remembering those 
        law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty, 
        educating the public about the important role of law 
        enforcement in a democratic society, and working to reduce the 
        number of line of duty deaths and injuries among law 
        enforcement.
            (2) It is in the national interest to ensure that the 
        unique education and outreach programs of the National Law 
        Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund and National Law Enforcement 
        Museum be maintained and enhanced.
            (3) In 1984, Congress passed, and President Ronald Reagan 
        signed into law, a joint resolution to authorize the Law 
        Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, Inc., to establish a 
        National Law Enforcement Heroes Memorial (Public Law 98-534) in 
        Washington, DC.
            (4) Dedicated on October 15, 1991, the National Law 
        Enforcement Officers Memorial honors Federal, State, local, and 
        Tribal law enforcement officers who have made the ultimate 
        sacrifice for the safety and protection of our nation and its 
        people. The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial is 
        centered in the 400 block of E Street, NW, Washington, DC and 
        is the nation's monument to law enforcement officers who have 
        died in the line of duty. The Memorial was built entirely with 
        private funds.
            (5) In 2000, Congress passed, and President William J. 
        Clinton signed into law, the National Law Enforcement Museum 
        Act (Public Law 106-492), which authorized the National Law 
        Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, Inc. to build the National 
        Law Enforcement Museum on Federal land in Washington, DC, to 
        honor and commemorate the service and sacrifice of law 
        enforcement officers in the United States.
            (6) In April 2016, construction began on the National Law 
        Enforcement Museum in Washington, DC, across the street from 
        the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Judiciary 
        Square. In October of 2018 the National Law Enforcement Museum 
        was completed and formally opened in October of 2018. No 
        Federal funds were used to build the museum.
            (7) The National Law Enforcement Museum's mission is--
                    (A) to honor and commemorate the extraordinary 
                service and sacrifice of America's law enforcement 
                officers;
                    (B) to serve as an important bridge between law 
                enforcement's past and present, between the heroes of 
                yesteryear and those who have followed in their 
                footsteps, and between America's peace officers and the 
                public they serve; and
                    (C) to increase public understanding and support 
                for law enforcement and to promote law enforcement 
                safety.
            (8) The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund 
        maintains the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial wall 
        in Washington, DC, which includes the names of every law 
        enforcement officers killed in the line of duty in American 
        history. The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund 
        adds names of fallen officers to the Memorial wall every year.
            (9) The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund has 
        become the foremost organization in the country that 
        memorializes law enforcement heroes who die in the line of duty 
        and compiles statistics on law enforcement fatalities and 
        injuries.
            (10) The programs of the National Law Enforcement Officers 
        Memorial Fund and the National Law Enforcement Museum play a 
        critical role in educating the public about the vital 
        importance of law enforcement in a democratic society and the 
        critical role law enforcement plays in protecting and serving 
        the public, and the sacrifices law enforcement officers have 
        made to serve in this role and protect the public.
            (11) The community education and outreach programs, 
        activities, and special exhibits within the National Law 
        Enforcement Museum help bring local law enforcement agencies 
        closer to the communities they serve, and help to foster a 
        better understanding between law enforcement and communities.
            (12) The National Law Enforcement Museum's Officer Safety 
        and Wellness education and outreach programs and activities 
        help provide local, State and Federal law enforcement agencies 
        with critical information on best practices to reduce the 
        number of line of duty deaths and injuries and provide 
        communities and the public with education concerning the 
        sacrifices made. These programs, activities, and special 
        exhibits are vitally important at a time when annual line of 
        duty deaths among law enforcement officers remain at an 
        historically high level.
            (13) Since the establishment of the National Law 
        Enforcement Officers Memorial in 1991, the National Law 
        Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund has worked cooperatively 
        with local, State and Federal law enforcement agencies to 
        properly honor the sacrifices made by law enforcement and 
        provide key programming to reduce the number of law enforcement 
        fatalities and injuries, and foster better understanding 
        between law enforcement and the communities they serve.
            (14) Law enforcement agencies around the country are 
        dedicated to continuous improvement and innovation in officer 
        and community safety, and to building trust through community-
        based engagement and interventions.
            (15) Since 2020, there has been a significant increase in 
        the number of law enforcement officers resigning or retiring. 
        According to the Police Executive Research Forum, over the past 
        3 years there has been an almost 24 percent increase in the 
        number of law enforcement officers retiring, and more than 47 
        percent increase in the number of law enforcement officers 
        resigning.
            (16) Over the past 2 years, a number of local governments 
        have decreased funding for local law enforcement agencies at a 
        critical time when law enforcement agencies are having a 
        difficult time recruiting and retaining officers. A number of 
        law enforcement agencies across the country remain 
        understaffed, and many law enforcement agencies have been 
        forced to declare personnel emergencies and require mandatory 
        overtime.
            (17) The resulting deficit in confidence and support 
        jeopardizes public safety. A sustained national effort to 
        restore confidence and understanding in law enforcement is 
        urgently needed.

SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF NATIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS REMEMBRANCE, 
              SUPPORT, AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAM.

    (a) Establishment.--Not later than 120 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Attorney General shall establish within the 
Department of Justice a National Law Enforcement Officers Remembrance, 
Support, and Community Outreach Program (hereinafter referred to as 
``the Program'').
    (b) Programs.--During the first 7 fiscal years beginning after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Attorney General shall award a 
grant under the Program to the National Law Enforcement Officers 
Memorial Fund for the expenses associated with operating and enhancing 
the community outreach, public education, and officer safety and 
wellness programs operated by the of the National Law Enforcement 
Officers Memorial Fund and National Law Enforcement Museum, including 
programs to--
            (1) memorialize law enforcement heroes who died in the line 
        of duty and compile statistics on law enforcement fatalities 
        and injuries;
            (2) honor and commemorate the extraordinary service and 
        sacrifice of America's law enforcement officers;
            (3) increase public understanding of and support for law 
        enforcement, and bring local law enforcement agencies closer to 
        the communities they serve;
            (4) educate the public about the vital importance of law 
        enforcement in a democratic society and the critical role law 
        enforcement plays in protecting and serving the public, and the 
        sacrifices law enforcement officers have made to serve in this 
        role and protect the public;
            (5) provide local, State and Federal law enforcement 
        agencies with critical information on best practices to reduce 
        the number of line of duty deaths and injuries and provide 
        communities and the public with education concerning the 
        sacrifices made;
            (6) facilitate forums around the country to educate local, 
        State and Federal law enforcement agencies about best practices 
        to promote officer safety and wellness, as well as community-
        based engagement and interventions.
    (c) Progress Report.--For each of the first 7 fiscal years the 
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund is awarded a grant 
under the Program, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund 
shall submit a report to the Attorney General that--
            (1) documents, consistent with the funding provided from 
        the Department, the progress in delivering public education, 
        community outreach and officer safety and wellness programming;
            (2) provides a formal accounting of total amounts of 
        Federal funds expended during the fiscal year.
    (d) Submission to Congress.--Each fiscal year, the Attorney General 
shall submit the report required under subsection (c) to Congress and 
shall make the report available to the public on the internet website 
of the Department of Justice.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--
            (1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated to 
        the Attorney General to carry out this section $6,000,000 for 
        each of the first 7 fiscal years beginning after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act.
            (2) Exception.--If in any fiscal year the amount 
        appropriated pursuant to the authorization under paragraph (1) 
        is not the full amount provided by such paragraph, the Attorney 
        General may transfer such sums as may be necessary from the 
        Office of Justice Programs, up to the amount specified in 
        paragraph (1), to carry out this section.
                                 &lt;all&gt;
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