I
105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1524
To establish a National Center for Rural Law Enforcement, and for other
purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MAY 1, 1997
Mr. HUTCHINSON (for himself, Mr. BALDACCI, Mr. TAYLOR, Mr. COOKSEY,
Mr. BOUCHER, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. FROST, and Mr. BUNNING) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Ju-
diciary
A BILL
To establish a National Center for Rural Law Enforcement,
and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Rural Law Enforce-
ment Assistance Act of 1997’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) Effective and impartial enforcement of the
law is one of the most important functions of gov-
ernment.
(2) The preservation of our form of government
and the rights of our citizens are dependent upon
competent and professional law enforcement agen-
cies.
(3) Responsibility for law enforcement in the
United States reposes primarily with State and local
governments.
(4) Approximately 22,400 local government en-
tities exist in the 50 states; one-third of all Ameri-
cans live in nonurban areas; of the 17,120 law en-
forcement agencies, 90 percent serve populations of
less than 25,000 residents and 75 percent serve a
population of fewer than 10,000 residents.
(5) Rural violent crime has increased over 53
percent from 1983 to 1995, and is taking a toll on
small town and rural citizens and small town and
rural law enforcement personnel.
(6) Rural law enforcement agencies totaling
12,735 (police departments and sheriffs offices serv-
ing a population of under 25,000) have needs in the
areas of providing management education and train-
ing, a clearinghouse, professional evaluation, tech-
nical assistance, practical research and analyses, and
computer and forensic education and training as
identified by the National Center for Rural Law En-
forcement and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
(7) The National Center for Rural Law En-
forcement has cooperated in the past and will con-
tinue to cooperate with the FBI, the Department of
Justice, and the Department of Agriculture to pro-
mote the development and implementation of man-
agement education and training, a clearinghouse,
professional evaluation, technical assistance, prac-
tical research and analyses, and computer and foren-
sic education and training for rural law enforcement
agencies.
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF NATIONAL CENTER FOR
RURAL LAW ENFORCEMENT.
(a) IN GENERAL.—For the purpose of assisting rural
law enforcement agencies with management education and
training, maintaining a clearinghouse, evaluation, tech-
nical assistance, research, computer and forensic edu-
cation and training, and providing such other support as
may be necessary or useful, there is authorized to be es-
tablished a private, nonprofit corporation, to be known as
the National Center for Rural Law Enforcement which
shall be neither an agency nor establishment of the United
States Government.
(b) INCORPORATORS.—The Board of Directors first
appointed shall be deemed the incorporators, and the in-
corporation shall be deemed to have been effected from
the date of the first meeting of the Board.
(c) RESIDENCE.—The Center shall be located in, and
shall be considered, for purposes of venue in civil actions,
to be a resident of Little Rock, Arkansas, or at such other
place as the Board may subsequently direct.
SEC. 4. CORPORATE POWERS.
The Center—
(1) shall have succession, and may sue and be
sued, in its corporate name;
(2) may adopt and use a corporate seal which
shall be judicially noticed;
(3) may adopt, amend, and repeal bylaws;
(4) may purchase, lease, or otherwise acquire
and hold such property as it deems necessary or con-
venient in the transaction of its business, and may
dispose of any such property;
(5) shall be eligible to apply for and to make
grants from or to, and to enter into contracts or co-
operative agreements without regard to the Federal
Procurement Acquisition Regulations with, Federal,
State, and local governments, public or private insti-
tutions, organizations, entities, and individuals nec-
essary or convenient to the exercise of the functions
or powers conferred explicitly or implicitly by this
Act;
(6) may arrange, as permitted by law, for the
loan, detail or assistance, or use of facilities, person-
nel, or equipment from Federal, State, or local agen-
cies, departments, or entities on a reimbursable or
nonreimbursable basis;
(7) may request from any Federal department
or agency such information, data, and materials as
may be necessary or convenient to the exercise of the
functions or powers conferred explicitly or implicitly
by this Act although the head of such department or
agency may decline to comply with such a request;
(8) may solicit and accept gifts, devises, grants
and donations of property, including cash or services
in furtherance of its function and mission;
(9) shall have such other powers as may be nec-
essary or appropriate for the exercise of the func-
tions or powers conferred specifically or implicitly by
this Act; and
(10) is prohibited from supporting any political
party or candidate for elective or appointive office.
SEC. 5. BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
(a) COMPOSITION.—The Board of the Center shall be
composed of 18 members as follows:
(1) Two members from each of the 6 regions
(Northeast, Northwest, Southeast, Southwest, Mid-
west, and West) shall be appointed from rural law
enforcement agencies serving rural areas.
(2) One member shall be appointed from the
International Association of Directors of State Law
Enforcement Training.
(3) Two members shall be selected from person-
nel of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and shall
hold membership on the Board in an ex officio ca-
pacity. The members shall be selected by and serve
at the pleasure of the Director of the FBI.
(4) The president of the University of Arkansas
shall be an ex officio Board member.
(5) The Executive Director of the Center shall
be an ad hoc Board member.
(6) One resident of a rural area shall be se-
lected to serve as an ad hoc member.
(b) INITIAL BOARD.—
(1) 
SELECTION
OF
MEMBERS.—Appointive
members of the initial Board of Directors shall be
selected cooperatively by the president of the Univer-
sity of Arkansas, the Director of the FBI, and the
(9) encouragement and assistance to Federal,
State, and local government programs and services;
(10) the development of technical education and
training teams to aid in the development of semi-
nars, workshops, education and training programs
within the States and with the State and local agen-
cies that work with small town and rural law en-
forcement managers;
(11) conducting, encouraging, and coordinating
research relating to law enforcement and criminal
justice issues, including the causes, assessment, eval-
uation, analysis, and prevention of criminal activity;
(12) the formulation and recommendation of
rural law enforcement policy, goals, and standards
applicable to involved criminal justice agencies, orga-
nizations, institutions, and personnel; and
(13) the evaluation by institutions of higher
learning for the purpose of encouraging programs of
study for rural law enforcement.
(b) 
DISCRETIONARY
ACTIVITIES.—The 
Center
may—
(1) create an organizational structure with re-
gional representation for the purpose of—
(A) delivering management education and
training;