I 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4209 
To temporarily deny Federal assistance to the City of Gretna Police Depart-
ment, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Crescent City Con-
nection Division Police Department in the State of Louisiana for their 
maltreatment of individuals seeking aid during the Hurricane Katrina 
crisis, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 2, 2005 
Ms. MCKINNEY introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on the Judiciary 
A BILL 
To temporarily deny Federal assistance to the City of Gretna 
Police Department, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, 
and the Crescent City Connection Division Police Depart-
ment in the State of Louisiana for their maltreatment 
of individuals seeking aid during the Hurricane Katrina 
crisis, 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. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following:
(1) American law enforcement has a funda-
mental duty to provide compassion, aid, and safety 
to the people it serves. 
(2) A primary function of law enforcement is to 
preserve life, regardless of the race, ethnicity, reli-
gion, social or economic standing, sexual preference, 
or country of origin of the individuals involved. 
(3) During the period of August 26 through 
September 2, 2005, Hurricane Katrina ravaged the 
gulf area, including the cities of New Orleans and 
Gretna, Louisiana, and left thousands of individuals 
in danger of death and immense suffering. 
(4) On or about September 1, 2005, New Orle-
ans authorities directed a group of individuals to 
evacuate New Orleans by crossing the Crescent City 
Connection Bridge, which spans the Mississippi 
River and links New Orleans to the west bank of 
Gretna. 
(5) Following these directions, the individuals, 
by all accounts an orderly group of men, women, 
and children, began their dangerous trek through 
streets flooded with contaminated water and littered 
with debris and corpses in an effort to reach safety. 
(6) As the group approached the bridge, shots 
were fired, and members of the Gretna law enforce-
ment agencies confronted, threatened, and pointed 
their weapons at the group, thus preventing the 
group’s entrance into the Gretna area. 
(7) It is unacceptable to permit anything but 
the strongest response to the actions of the Gretna 
law enforcement agencies, which prevented the 
group’s lawful exodus from a life-threatening situa-
tion. 
(8) The behavior and silence of members of the 
Gretna law enforcement agencies are a disgrace to 
the efforts of law enforcement agencies throughout 
the United States and shall not be tolerated. 
(9) Since there is no dispute that members of 
each entity of the Gretna law enforcement agencies 
referred to in section 4 were present during the 
events described in this section, each such entity 
should be equally held accountable, regardless of 
which members actually fired shots or ordered the 
group to turn back. 
SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
It is the sense of Congress that the dishonorable ac-
tions referred to in section 1 should be recorded and con-
demned.
SEC. 3. INELIGIBILITY FOR FEDERAL ASSISTANCE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—During the 1-year period begin-
ning on the date of enactment of this Act, the Gretna law 
enforcement agencies shall be ineligible to participate in 
any Federal program, whether by funding, assistance, con-
tract, grant, personnel support, or otherwise. 
(b) LICENSES.—During the 1-year period beginning 
on the date of enactment of this Act, any Federal license 
issued to the Gretna law enforcement agencies shall be 
suspended. 
(c) EQUIPMENT.—Gretna law enforcement agencies 
shall immediately return all Federally-owned equipment in 
the possession or use of the Gretna law enforcement agen-
cies to the appropriate Federal agency . 
SEC. 4. GRETNA LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES DEFINED. 
In this Act, the term ‘‘Gretna law enforcement agen-
cies’’ means the following entities in the State of Lou-
isiana: 
(1) The City of Gretna Police Department. 
(2) The Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. 
(3) The Crescent City Connection Division Po-
lice Department. 
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