I
106TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1659
To reinforce police training and reestablish police and community relations,
and to create a commission to study and report on the policies and
practices that govern the training, recruitment, and oversight of police
officers, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MAY 4, 1999
Mr. SERRANO (for himself and Mr. HYDE) introduced the following bill; which
was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
A BILL
To reinforce police training and reestablish police and com-
munity relations, and to create a commission to study
and report on the policies and practices that govern
the training, recruitment, and oversight of police officers,
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 ‘‘National Police Train-
ing Commission Act of 1999’’.
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT.
There is established a commission to be known as the
‘‘National Police Training Commission’’ (hereinafter in
this Act referred to as the ‘‘Commission’’).
SEC. 3. MEMBERSHIP.
(a) NUMBER AND APPOINTMENT.—The Commission
shall be composed of 5 members appointed as follows:
(1) The majority and minority leaders of the
Senate shall each appoint 1 member.
(2) The Speaker of the House of Representa-
tives and the minority leader of the House shall each
appoint 1 member.
(3) The 4 members appointed under para-
graphs (1) and (2) shall then select 1 member.
(b) ELIGIBILITY AND QUALIFICATIONS.—
(1) ELIGIBILITY.—The members of the Com-
mission shall be individuals who have knowledge or
expertise, whether by experience or training, in mat-
ters to be studied by the Commission under this Act.
The members may be from the public or private sec-
tor, and may include Federal, State, or local officers
or employees, members of academia, non-profit orga-
nizations, or other interested individuals.
(2) QUALIFICATIONS.—The members of the
Commission shall be individuals who possess relevant
backgrounds, credentials, and experience in some or
all of the following:
(A) Civil and criminal litigation.
(B) Administrative and management func-
tions of law enforcement in major cities and
smaller communities.
(C) Community relations.
(c) TERM.—Each member shall be appointed for the
life of the Commission.
(d) LENGTH
OF COMMISSION.—The Commission
shall cease to exist 180 days after the initial appointment
of the 4 members described in paragraphs (1) and (2) of
subsection (a).
(e) VACANCIES.—Except as otherwise provided in
this subsection, a vacancy in the Commission shall be filled
in the manner in which the original appointment was
made, and shall not affect the power of the remaining
members to execute the duties of the Commission. If any
of the original appointments are not made by the day that
is 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act,
any members already appointed shall fill any vacancy ex-
isting on that date.
(f) MEETINGS.—The Commission shall meet at the
call of the Chairperson.
(g) CHAIRPERSON.—The Chairperson of the Commis-
sion shall be elected by the members.
SEC. 4. FUNCTIONS.
(a) STUDY.—The Commission shall conduct a study
of the effectiveness of training, recruiting, hiring, over-
sight, and funding policies and practices in law enforce-
ment, including the following:
(1) Training: policies, practices, and organiza-
tional strategies of law enforcement, and training
and instruction in the use of force, the use of non
lethal force, tactical and defensive tactical; arrests,
searches and handcuffing; verbal communication; ve-
hicle use; community relations and sensitivity train-
ing of law enforcement vis a vis the community and
the community vis a vis law enforcement.
(2) Recruitment and Hiring: policies and prac-
tices in hiring and recruiting law enforcement offi-
cers and identifying and setting standards for hiring
regarding 
educational 
and 
psychological 
back-
grounds; diversity; lengths of probationary periods.
(3) Oversight: complaint procedures regarding
police officers, including screening, organization, and
training of investigatory staff; due process require-
ments for, and obstacles to, ensuring objective and
timely investigations; discrimination and harass-
ment; the ‘‘code of silence
(4) Funding: the effectiveness of the use of
funding for programs relating to matters described
in paragraphs (1) through (3) of this subsection,
whether derived from the Violent Crime Control and
Law Enforcement Act of 1994 or otherwise, by cities
listed in section 210501 of such Act.’’.
(b) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the ini-
tial appointment of the 4 members described in para-
graphs (1) and (2) of section 3(a), the Commission shall
submit a report to Congress of the results of its study,
including any recommendations the Commission may
make with regard to the matters studied.
SEC. 5. ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS.
(a) INFORMATION FROM FEDERAL AGENCIES.—The
Commission may secure directly from any Federal depart-
ment or agency such information as the Commission con-
siders necessary to carry out its duties under section 4.
Upon the request of the Commission, the head of such
department or agency may furnish such information to the
Commission.
(b) COMPENSATION OF MEMBERS.—Each member of
the Commission who is not an officer or employee of the
Federal Government, or whose compensation is not pre-
cluded by a State or local government position, shall be
compensated at a rate equal to the daily equivalent of the
annual rate of basic pay prescribed for level IV of the Ex-
ecutive Schedule under section 5315 of title 5, United
States Code, for each day (including travel time) during
which such member is engaged in the performance of the
duties of the Commission. All members of the Commission
who are officers or employees of the United States shall
serve without compensation in addition to that received
for their services as officers or employees of the United
States.
(c) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—The members of the Com-
mission shall be allowed travel expenses, including per
diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates authorized for employ-
ees 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 the performance of service
for the Commission.
(d) STAFF.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Chairman of the Com-
mission may, without regard to the civil service laws
and regulations, appoint and terminate an executive
director and such other additional personnel as may
be necessary to enable the Commission to perform
its duties. The employment and termination of an
executive director shall be subject to confirmation by
a majority of the members of the Commission.
(2) COMPENSATION.—The executive director
shall be compensated at a rate not to exceed the rate
payable for level V of the Executive Schedule under
section 5316 of title 5, United States Code. The
Chairman may fix the compensation of other per-
sonnel without regard to the provisions of chapter
51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5,
United States Code, relating to classification of posi-
tions and General Schedule pay rates, except that
the rate of pay for such personnel may not exceed
the rate payable for level V of the Executive Sched-
ule under section 5316 of such title.
(3) DETAIL
OF
GOVERNMENT
EMPLOYEES.—
Any Federal Government employee, with the ap-
proval of the head of the appropriate Federal agen-
cy, may be detailed to the Commission without reim-
bursement, and such detail shall be without inter-
ruption or loss of civil service status, benefits, or
privilege.
(e) PROCUREMENT OF TEMPORARY AND INTERMIT-
TENT SERVICES.—The Chairman of the Commission may
procure temporary and intermittent services under section
3109(b) of title 5, United States Code, at rates for individ-
uals not to exceed the daily equivalent of the annual rate
of basic pay prescribed for level V of the Executive Sched-
ule under section 5316 of such title.
(f) MEETINGS.—The Commission shall meet at the
call of the Chairman.
(g) QUORUM; VOTING; RULES.—Two members of the
Commission shall constitute a quorum to conduct busi-
ness. Each member of the Commission shall have one vote,
and the vote of each member shall be accorded the same
weight. The Commission may establish by vote of a major-
ity of its members any other rules for the conduct of the
Commission’s business, if such rules are not inconsistent
with this Act or other applicable law.
SEC. 6. TRAINING.
Section 210501 of the Violent Crime Control and
Law Enforcement Act of 1994 is amended—
(1) in subsection (b)(1)(A), by inserting ‘‘, and
provide, under paragraph (4), training, recruitment,
hiring, and oversight assistance’’ before the semi-
colon; and
(2) in subsection (b), by adding at the end the
following:
‘‘(4) The training, recruitment, hiring, and
oversight assistance under paragraph (1)(A) shall be
given to the following cities: New York, Chicago, Los
Angeles, and Washington. The money appropriated
for such assistance shall be distributed to those cit-
ies in proportion to the size of their police depart-
ments. There are authorized to be appropriated for
fiscal year 2000 for the purposes of such assistance
the sum of $3,000,000.’’.
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