Measuring What Matters Act
Bill: H.R.4189 | Sponsor: Rep. Spanberger, Abigail Davis (D-VA)
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement

Summary:
Measuring What Matters Act
This bill establishes a working group—the U.S. Commission on Reforming Police Metrics—to study best practices for measuring public trust in police institutions and including such findings in police performance measurement. The working group must report on its findings and conclusions, including recommendations.
The bill requires the Department of Justice to establish a pilot program to award competitive grants for technical assistance and financial support to local police departments and sheriff departments that carry out the recommendations of the working group.

To direct the Attorney General to convene a national working group to 
 study proactive strategies and best practices to ensure the inclusion 
      of community satisfaction and trust in policing performance 
                  measurement, 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; FINDINGS.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Measuring What 
Matters Act''.
    (b) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            (1) On December 18, 2014, President Barack Obama signed an 
        Executive order establishing the Task Force on 21st Century 
        Policing. The President charged the task force with identifying 
        best practices and offering recommendations on how policing 
        practices can promote effective crime reduction while building 
        public trust.
            (2) The task force, which met 7 times in January and 
        February of 2015, brought the 11 members of the task force 
        together with more than 100 individuals from diverse 
        stakeholder groups--police officers and executives, community 
        members, civic leaders, advocates, researchers, academics, and 
        others--in addition to many others who submitted written 
        testimony to study the problems from all perspectives.
            (3) The task force recommendations, each with action items, 
        were organized around six main topic areas or ``pillars'', with 
        the first being the Building Trust and Legitimacy Pillar.
            (4) Recommendation 1.7 under the Building Trust and 
        Legitimacy Pillar found that police departments should track 
        the level of trust in police by their communities just as they 
        measure changes in crime.
            (5) The 1.7.1 action item of recommendation 1.7 was that 
        the Federal Government should develop survey tools and 
        instructions for use of such a model to prevent local 
        departments from incurring the expense and to allow for 
        consistency across jurisdictions.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF WORKING GROUP.

     Not later than 90 after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
Attorney General shall establish a national working group, to be known 
as the U.S. Commission on Reforming Police Metrics, to study best 
practices and resources needed to--
            (1) measure public trust in police institutions through the 
        inclusion of community input; and
            (2) properly integrate the findings of the community input 
        in police performance measurement.

SEC. 3. DUTIES OF THE WORKING GROUP.

    In carrying out the study described in section 2, the working group 
shall--
            (1) develop findings on the best means of facilitating 
        community input on--
                    (A) community trust in the procedural justice of 
                policing institutions; and
                    (B) information on what the community believes 
                about local crime, how to fight it, and how its 
                relationship with police serves or impedes progress;
            (2) develop the means of inclusion and proper weighing of 
        community input into police performance measurement;
            (3) develop best practices to increase community trust and 
        satisfaction with police performance;
            (4) develop estimates and descriptions of the funding, 
        resources, and proactive strategies necessary for Federal, 
        State, and local police to successfully implement a system that 
        includes community input in police performance measurement; and
            (5) develop findings and best practices for instilling a 
        sense of shared responsibility between communities and the 
        police for public safety through engagement, and accurate 
        metrics related to public safety measurement.

SEC. 4. MEMBERS OF THE WORKING GROUP.

    (a) Composition.--The working group shall be composed of such 
representatives of Federal departments and agencies, non-Federal 
policing institutions, nongovernmental organizations, community-based 
organizations, and academic institutions as the Attorney General 
determines appropriate. The Attorney General shall invite 
representatives from the following organizations to be members of the 
working group:
            (1) The Director of the Office of Community Oriented 
        Policing Services of the Department of Justice.
            (2) The Office of Justice Programs of the Department of 
        Justice.
            (3) Community-based organizations and Civil Rights groups, 
        to include--
                    (A) the National Association for the Advancement of 
                Colored People;
                    (B) UnidosUS;
                    (C) the League of United Latin American Citizens;
                    (D) the Japanese American Citizens League;
                    (E) the Organization of Chinese Americans;
                    (F) Muslim Advocates;
                    (G) the Council on American-Islamic Relations;
                    (H) the National Congress of American Indians;
                    (I) the National Organization for Women;
                    (J) the American Association of University Women;
                    (K) the Leadership Conference on Civil and Legal 
                Rights;
                    (L) the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism;
                    (M) the National Collection of Churches;
                    (N) the United States Conference of Catholic 
                Bishops;
                    (O) the American Civil Liberties Union;
                    (P) the National Association for Civilian Oversight 
                of Law Enforcement;
                    (Q) the Mexican American Legal Defense and 
                Educational Fund; and
                    (R) the American Law Institute.
            (4) Policing Institutions and Local Government 
        Organizations, to include--
                    (A) Major Cities Chiefs Association;
                    (B) the Fraternal Order of Police;
                    (C) the National Sheriffs Association;
                    (D) the National Police Foundation;
                    (E) the Police Executive Research Forum;
                    (F) the National Association of Police 
                Organizations;
                    (G) the National District Attorneys Association;
                    (H) the Conference of Mayors;
                    (I) the International Association of Chiefs of 
                Police;
                    (J) the National Association of Counties; and
                    (K) the Law Enforcement Action Partnership.
    (b) Continuation of Membership.--If a member of a working group was 
appointed based on membership in an agency or organization and the 
member ceases to be a member of such agency or organization, such 
member shall cease to be a member of the working group on the date on 
which the member ceases to be a member of such agency or organization.
    (c) Terms.--Each member should be appointed for the life of the 
working group.
    (d) Vacancy.--Any member appointed to fill a vacancy occurring 
before the expiration of the term for which the member's predecessor 
was appointed shall be appointed only for the remainder of that term. A 
member may serve after the expiration of that member's term until a 
successor has taken office. A vacancy in the working group shall be 
filled in the manner in which the original appointment was made.
    (e) Compensation.--Members of the working group shall serve without 
pay.
    (f) Quorum.--A simple majority of the members constitutes a quorum, 
but a lesser number may hold hearings.
    (g) Chairperson.--The Chairperson of the working group shall be the 
Director of the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services of the 
Department of Justice.
    (h) Meetings.--The working group shall hold virtual meetings 
monthly, and any subgroup of the working group shall hold additional 
meetings as necessary.

SEC. 5. STAFF OF WORKING GROUP; EXPERTS AND CONSULTANTS.

    (a) Staff.--The Chairperson of the working group may appoint and 
fix the pay of additional personnel as the Chairperson considers 
appropriate.
    (b) Experts and Consultants.--The Chairperson may procure temporary 
and intermittent services under section 3109(b) of title 5, United 
States Code.
    (c) Detailees.--Upon request of the Chairperson, the head of any 
Federal department or agency may detail, on a reimbursable basis, any 
of the personnel of that department or agency to the working group to 
assist it in carrying out its duties under this Act.

SEC. 6. POWERS OF THE WORKING GROUP.

    (a) Hearings and Sessions.--The working group may, for the purpose 
of carrying out this Act, hold hearings, sit and act at times and 
places, take testimony, and receive evidence as the working group 
considers appropriate. The working group may administer oaths or 
affirmations to witnesses appearing before it.
    (b) Powers of Members and Agents.--Any member or agent of the 
working group may, if authorized by the Chairperson, take any action 
which the working group is authorized to take by this section, 
including requesting information and data.
    (c) Obtaining Official Data.--The working group may secure directly 
from any department or agency of the United States information 
necessary to enable it to carry out this Act. Upon request of the 
Chairperson of the working group, the head of that department or agency 
shall furnish that information to the working group.
    (d) Mails.--The working group may use the United States mails in 
the same manner and under the same conditions as other departments and 
agencies of the United States.
    (e) Administrative Support Services.--Upon the request of the 
working group, the Administrator of General Services shall provide to 
the working group, on a reimbursable basis, the administrative support 
services necessary for the working group to carry out its 
responsibilities under this Act.

SEC. 7. REPORT.

    Not later than 270 days after the date of enactment of this Act, 
the working group shall submit to the Attorney General, the Committees 
on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives and the Senate, and 
the Committees on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and 
the Senate, a report, which shall contain a detailed statement of the 
findings and conclusions of the working group, together with its 
recommendations for a pilot program.

SEC. 8. TERMINATION.

    (a) In General.--The working group shall terminate 120 days after 
submission of the report, unless the Attorney General determines that 
such termination is not appropriate.
    (b) Reconvening Group.--In the case that the working group 
terminates, the Attorney General may reconvene the working group in 
accordance with this Act.

SEC. 9. PILOT PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the working group 
submits its report to Congress, the Attorney General shall establish a 
competitive pilot program which shall award grants to police 
departments and sheriffs departments that carry out the recommendations 
of the working group's report. The purpose of the pilot program shall 
be to provide technical assistance and financial support to local 
police departments and sheriffs departments in carrying out the 
recommendations of the working group.
    (b) Applications.--To receive a grant under this section, a police 
department or sheriffs department shall submit to the Attorney General 
an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such 
information as the Attorney General may require.
    (c) Limited Membership in Pilot Program.--To ensure a group of 
participating agencies representative of the United States, the 
Attorney General shall limit participation in the pilot program to not 
more than 15 agencies nationwide. When selecting these agencies, the 
Attorney General shall ensure the inclusion of--
            (1) at least three police departments from major United 
        States cities;
            (2) at least two police departments from mid-sized United 
        States cities;
            (3) at least one police department serving a suburban 
        county;
            (4) at least one Tribal police department;
            (5) at least two police departments serving rural counties; 
        and
            (6) at least two sheriffs departments.
    (d) Other Considerations.--In selecting participants for the pilot 
program, the Attorney General shall consider--
            (1) whether the agency is, as of the date of submission of 
        the application, or has been, during the 5-year period before 
        such submission, subject to a consent decree or a pattern or 
        practice investigation by the Department of Justice under 
        section 210401 of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement 
        Act of 1994 (34 U.S.C. 12601); and
            (2) whether the agencies participating are representative 
        when considering--
                    (A) geography;
                    (B) race; and
                    (C) socioeconomic makeup.
    (e) Report.--The Attorney General shall submit to Congress on an 
annual basis a report, which shall include--
            (1) information related to the operation of the pilot 
        program under this section, including police performance 
        measurements used by participating police departments and any 
        changes in department practices implemented by agencies in 
        response to the new performance measures; and
            (2) the recommendations of the advisory group described in 
        subsection (f).
    (f) Advisory Group.--
            (1) In general.--The Attorney General shall form an 
        advisory group, including members of the working group and such 
        other members as the Attorney General may designate, to oversee 
        the pilot program established under this section and make 
        recommendations for the improvement of such program.
            (2) Final report.--The advisory group formed under 
        paragraph (1) shall submit to the Attorney General and Congress 
        a report on--
                    (A) any findings with respect to the pilot program;
                    (B) recommendations with respect to how best 
                practices of the pilot program may be incorporated in 
                programs and practices of the Department of Justice; 
                and
                    (C) a recommendation with respect to whether the 
                pilot program should be reauthorized permanently.

SEC. 10. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There is authorized to be appropriated from the general fund of the 
Treasury such sums as may be necessary to carry out this Act.
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