I
104TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 4140
To establish a National Center for Rural Law Enforcement, and for other
purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
SEPTEMBER 24, 1996
Mr. BALDACCI introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on the Judiciary
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 Act of 1996’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds that—
(1) effective and impartial enforcement of the
law is one of the most important functions of the
government;
(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 resides primarily with State and local
governments;
(4)(A) one-third of all Americans live in non-
urban areas and 90 percent of all law enforcement
agencies serve populations of fewer than 25,000 resi-
dents; and
(B) 75 percent serve a population of fewer than
10,000 residents;
(5) rural violent crime has increased over 35
percent from 1985 to 1995, and is taking a toll on
rural citizens and rural law enforcement practition-
ers;
(6) approximately 22,400 local government en-
tities exist in the 50 States, and the needs of rural
law enforcement in the areas of research, technical
assistance, and the delivery of executive education
and training programs have been jointly identified
by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Depart-
ment of Justice, and the National Center for Rural
Law Enforcement at the University of Arkansas at
Little Rock; and
(7) the National Center for Rural Law Enforce-
ment at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock
will continue to cooperate with the Federal Bureau
of Investigation and the Department of Justice to
promote the development and implementation of
training and education programs for rural law en-
forcement agencies.
SEC. 3. NATIONAL CENTER FOR RURAL LAW ENFORCE-
MENT.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Title XVIII of the Violent Crime
Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 is amended
by adding at the end the following new subtitle:
‘‘Subtitle D—National Center for
Rural Law Enforcement
‘‘SEC. 180401. ESTABLISHMENT.
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—There is established at the Uni-
versity of Arkansas, at Little Rock, the National Center
for Rural Law Enforcement.
‘‘(b) ADVISORY BOARD.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—There shall be established
within the National Center for Rural Law Enforce-
ment an Advisory Board (referred to in this Act as
the ‘Advisory Board’) that shall be comprised of 15
members, of whom—
‘‘(A) 10 shall be selected by the Attorney
General of the United States, in consultation
with the Director of the Federal Bureau of In-
vestigation, from personnel of rural law enforce-
ment agencies serving communities with popu-
lations of less than 25,000 people, 2 from each
of 5 regions (including the Northeast, North-
west, Southeast, Southwest, and Midwest);
‘‘(B) 2 shall be selected by the Attorney
General from personnel of State law enforce-
ment agencies, 1 from training and 1 from law
enforcement;
‘‘(C) 2 shall be selected by the Director of
the Federal Bureau of Investigation from em-
ployees of the Federal Bureau of Investigation;
and
‘‘(D) the Executive Director of the Na-
tional Center for Rural Law Enforcement, who
shall serve as a permanent member of the Advi-
sory Board.
‘‘(2) POWERS.—
‘‘(A) Terms of the Advisory Board mem-
bers will be for 1 year, with 3 members rotating
each year. The first Advisory Board members,
at their first meeting, will draw lots from 1 to
5 years.
‘‘(B) The Advisory Board members shall
formulate, adopt, and publish guidelines govern-
ing the operation of the Center, consistent with
its mission.
‘‘(3) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—The members of the
Advisory Board shall be allowed travel expenses, in-
cluding per diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates au-
thorized for employees of agencies under subchapter
I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code, while
away from their homes or regular places of business
in performance of services for the Advisory Board.
‘‘(c) EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.—
‘‘(1) APPOINTMENT.—The Attorney General
shall appoint the Executive Director of the National
Center for Rural Law Enforcement in consultation
with the Director of the Federal Bureau of Inves-
tigation and the Chancellor of the University of Ar-
kansas at Little Rock. The Executive Director shall
serve a term not longer than 5 years.
‘‘(2) DUTIES.—The Executive Director shall
have the duties and responsibilities fulfilling func-
tions as set forth in this Act, including the prepara-
tion and submission of a periodic report to the Advi-
sory Board and the Chancellor of the University of
Arkansas at Little Rock.
‘‘(d) PROCUREMENT OF TEMPORARY AND INTERMIT-
TENT SERVICES.—The National Center for Rural Law
Enforcement, with the advice of the Advisory Board, may
procure temporary and intermittent services under section
3109 of title 5, United States Code, at rates for individ-
uals that do not exceed the daily equivalent of the annual
rate of basic pay prescribed for members of the Senior
Executive Service, ES–6, Level V of the Executive Sched-
ule as authorized by section 5352 of such title.
‘‘SEC. 180402. FUNCTIONS.
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Director of the National
Center for Rural Law Enforcement shall provide for—
‘‘(1) the training of supervisory and executive
managers of rural law enforcement in a systematic
and effective manner;
‘‘(2) the support of rural law enforcement agen-
cies with technical assistance and practical and fo-
cused research;
‘‘(3) equitable education and training opportu-
nities for rural law enforcement personnel;
‘‘(4) the delivery of training programs by Fed-
eral agencies and the Center;
‘‘(5) the promotion, development, and adoption
of a voluntary national system of education and
training standards and certification;
‘‘(6) the development and dissemination of in-
formation designed to assist States and units of
local government in rural areas throughout the coun-
try;
‘‘(7) grants to, and contracts with, Federal,
State, and general units of local government, public
and private agencies, educational institutions, orga-
nizations, and individuals to carry out this subtitle;
‘‘(8) the establishment and continuation of a
clearinghouse and information center for the collec-
tion, preparation, and dissemination of information
on criminal justice and rural law enforcement, in-
cluding programs for prevention of crime and recidi-
vism, and management training of law enforcement
personnel;
‘‘(9) assistance and service in a consulting ca-
pacity to Federal, State, and local criminal justice
agencies in the development, maintenance, and co-
ordination of programs, facilities and services, train-
ing, research, and prevention with respect to crime
in rural areas;
‘‘(10) the encouragement and assistance to
Federal, State, and local government programs and
services, and programs for law enforcement officers,
judges and judicial personnel, probation and parole
personnel, correctional personnel, welfare workers,
and other persons;
‘‘(11) the development of technical training
teams to aid in the development of seminars, work-
shops, and training programs within the States and
with the State and local agencies that work with
rural law enforcement managers;
‘‘(12) the conduct, encouragement, and coordi-
nation of research relating to law enforcement and
criminal justice issues, including the causes, diag-
nosis, and prevention of criminal activity;
‘‘(13) the formulation and dissemination of
rural law enforcement policy, goals, standards, and
recommendations for Federal, State, and local crimi-
nal justice agencies, organizations, institutions, and
personnel; and
‘‘(14) evaluation programs that study the effec-
tiveness of new approaches, techniques, systems,
programs, and devices employed to improve rural
law enforcement systems.
‘‘(b) AUTHORITY.—The National Center for Rural
Law Enforcement may—
‘‘(1) enter into contracts with public or private
agencies, organizations, or individuals for the per-
formance of any of the functions of the Center;
‘‘(2) enter into cooperative agreements with
Federal, State, and local agencies and nonprofit en-
tities to carry out the functions of the Center;
‘‘(3) arrange with and reimburse the heads of
Federal departments and agencies for the use of
personnel, facilities, or equipment of such depart-
ments and agencies;
‘‘(4) confer with and avail itself of the assist-
ance, services, records, and facilities of State and
local governments or other public or private agen-
cies, organizations, and individuals; and
‘‘(5) procure the services of experts and con-
sultants in accordance with section 3109 of title 5,
United States Code, at rates of compensation not to
exceed the daily equivalent of the rate authorized for
members of the Senior Executive Service, ES–6,
Level 5, as authorized by section 5352 of title 5,
United States Code.
‘‘SEC. 180403. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
‘‘There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out
this subtitle, as a separate line item in the Department
of Justice Appropriations Act—
‘‘(1) $12,000,000 for fiscal year 1997; and
‘‘(2) such sums as are necessary for each of the
fiscal years 1998 through 2001.’’.
(b) TECHNICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents
for the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act
of 1994 is amended by adding at the end of the matter
relating to title XVIII, the following:
‘‘SUBTITLE D—NATIONAL CENTER FOR RURAL LAW ENFORCEMENT
‘‘Sec. 180401. Establishment.
‘‘Sec. 180402. Functions.
‘‘Sec. 180403. Authorization of appropriations.’’.
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