Refund the Police Act of 2022
Bill: H.R.6469 | Sponsor: Rep. Herrera Beutler, Jaime (R-WA)
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement

Summary:
Refund the Police Act of 2022
This bill authorizes the Bureau of Justice Assistance within the Department of Justice to make grants to state and local governments for the same purposes as grants under the Community Oriented Policing Services Program. To be eligible for a grant, a state or local government must certify that it

To authorize grants for States and units of local government to reverse 
   law enforcement efforts that have been restricted, and for other 
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Refund the Police Act of 2022''.

SEC. 2. GRANTS TO REVERSE RESTRICTIONS ON LAW ENFORCEMENT.

    (a) Authorization.--The Attorney General, acting through the 
Director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance, is authorized to make 
grants to eligible States and units of local government for the 
purposes described in subsection (d).
    (b) Eligibility.--In order to be eligible for a grant under this 
section, a State or unit of local government shall meet each of the 
following requirements:
            (1) Law enforcement policies.--
                    (A) In general.--A State or unit of local 
                government shall certify to the Attorney General that 
                such State or unit of local government--
                            (i) does not have in effect any law 
                        requiring a heightened standard for use of 
                        force; and
                            (ii) has taken steps, in the previous year, 
                        to expand efforts to hire and retain law 
                        enforcement officers.
                    (B) Heightened use of force standards defined.--For 
                the purposes of this subsection, the term ``heightened 
                standard for use of force''--
                            (i) means a standard requiring law 
                        enforcement officers to use more than 
                        reasonable care in determining whether to use 
                        physical force against another person; and
                            (ii) includes a standard requiring a law 
                        enforcement officer to leave an area instead of 
                        using force in any case in which there is no 
                        threat of imminent harm and no crime has been 
                        committed, is being committed, or is about to 
                        be committed.
            (2) Drive-by shootings.--A State or unit of local 
        government shall certify to the Attorney General that such 
        State or unit of local government has not taken steps in the 
        previous year to eliminate drive-by shooting as a basis for 
        murder in the first degree (as defined in section 1111(a) of 
        title 18, United States Code).
    (c) Application.--To receive a grant under this section, a State or 
unit of local government shall submit to the Attorney General at such 
time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Attorney 
General may require, including the certification described in 
subsection (b).
    (d) Use of Funds.--A State or unit of local government that 
receives a grant under this section may use the grant for the purposes 
described under section 1701(b) of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control 
and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10381).
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $25,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2023 through 2028.
    (f) Definitions.--In this section, the terms ``State'' and ``unit 
of local government'' have the meanings given such terms in section 901 
of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 
(34 U.S.C. 10251).
                                 <all>