I 
114TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6419 
To amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to 
provide that COPS grant funds may be used to hire and train new, 
additional career law enforcement officers who are residents of the com-
munities they serve, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 1, 2016 
Mr. LEWIS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on the Judiciary 
A BILL 
To amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets 
Act of 1968 to provide that COPS grant funds may 
be used to hire and train new, additional career law 
enforcement officers who are residents of the commu-
nities they serve, 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 ‘‘Law Enforcement In-
clusion Act of 2016’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
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(1) According to the Equal Employment Oppor-
tunity Commission (EEOC) and the Census Bureau, 
which together provide detail on the racial composi-
tion of government workers in large American cities, 
in about two-thirds of the United States cities with 
the largest police forces, the majority of police offi-
cers commute to work from outside the city in which 
they work. 
(2) When officers live in the cities in which they 
work, it may reduce the carbon footprint by employ-
ees in their journey to work, foster more employee 
concern in the affairs of their city, ensure manpower 
will be available in case of emergencies, generate ad-
ditional tax revenue for the city, and cut down on 
absenteeism and tardiness. 
(3) According to the President’s Task Force on 
21st Century Policing, recommendation 1.8 reads 
‘‘law enforcement agencies should strive to create a 
workforce that contains a broad range of diversity 
including race, gender, language, life experience, and 
cultural background to improve understanding and 
effectiveness in dealing with all communities.’’. 
(4) Additionally, the Fairness and Effectiveness 
in Policing: The Evidence states ‘‘A critical factor in 
managing bias is seeking candidates who are likely 
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to police in an unbiased manner. Since people are 
less likely to have biases against groups with which 
they have had positive experiences, police depart-
ments should seek candidates who have had positive 
interactions with people of various cultures and 
backgrounds.’’. 
SEC. 3. USE OF COPS GRANT FUNDS TO HIRE LAW EN-
FORCEMENT OFFICERS WHO ARE RESIDENTS 
OF THE COMMUNITIES THEY SERVE. 
Section 1701(b) of the Omnibus Crime Control and 
Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796dd(b)) is amend-
ed— 
(1) in paragraph (17), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 
end; 
(2) by redesignating paragraph (18) as para-
graph (20); 
(3) in paragraph (20), as so redesignated, by 
striking ‘‘(17)’’ and inserting ‘‘(19)’’; and 
(4) by inserting after paragraph (17) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(18) to recruit, hire, promote, retain, develop, 
and train new, additional career law enforcement of-
ficers who are residents of the communities they 
serve; 
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‘‘(19) to develop and publicly report strategies 
and timelines to recruit, hire, promote, retain, de-
velop, and train a diverse and inclusive law enforce-
ment workforce, consistent with merit system prin-
ciples and applicable law; and’’. 
Æ 
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