Auto Theft Prevention Act
Bill: H.R.9188 | Sponsor: Rep. Sherrill, Mikie (D-NJ)
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement

Summary:
Auto Theft Prevention Act
This bill establishes a grant program and allows other grants to be used to combat auto theft and stolen automobile trafficking.
Specifically, the bill directs the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services within the Department of Justice to award grants for state and local law enforcement agencies to combat auto theft and stolen vehicle trafficking. Grant funds must be used for specified purposes, including to purchase equipment, hire additional law enforcement officers, and provide resources and training.
The bill also allows funds under the Community Oriented Policing Services grant program to be used to combat auto thefts and stolen automobile trafficking.

To provide funding to State and local law enforcement agencies to 
  combat auto theft and stolen automobile trafficking, 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 ``Auto Theft Prevention Act''.

SEC. 2. AUTO THEFT PREVENTION GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) Establishment.--Not later than 60 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Director of the Office of Community Oriented 
Policing Services of the Department of Justice shall establish an auto 
theft prevention grant program (in this Act referred to as the 
``Program'') to provide funding to State law enforcement agencies and 
local law enforcement agencies to combat auto theft and stolen vehicle 
trafficking.
    (b) Eligible Recipient.--The Director shall make grants under the 
Program to the Attorney General of each State, with the amount awarded 
determined by prioritizing States with a higher rate of auto thefts as 
determined by an equal weighting of the--
            (1) rate of auto thefts faced by the State in the year 
        prior to the date of enactment of this Act; and
            (2) percentage increase in auto thefts between the year 
        that is three years prior to the date of the enactment of this 
        Act and the year prior to the date of the enactment of this 
        Act.
    (c) Distribution of Funds.--
            (1) Local law enforcement agencies.--The Attorney General 
        of a State shall make at least 50 percent of a grant awarded 
        under subsection (b) available as competitive subgrants to 
        local law enforcement agencies to combat auto theft, with the 
        amount awarded determined by prioritizing localities with a 
        higher rate of auto theft as determined by an equal weighting 
        of the--
                    (A) rate of auto thefts faced by the locality in 
                the year prior to the date of enactment of this Act; 
                and
                    (B) percentage increase in auto thefts between 
                three years prior to the date of the enactment of this 
                Act and the year prior to the date of the enactment of 
                this Act.
            (2) State law enforcement agencies.--The Attorney General 
        of a State shall make at least 25 percent of a grant awarded 
        under subsection (b) available as competitive grants to State 
        law enforcement agencies to combat auto theft.
            (3) Other amounts.--The Attorney General of a State shall 
        make any proportion of the grant awarded under subsection (b) 
        not allocated under paragraph (1) or (2) available as 
        competitive subgrants to local law enforcement agencies or 
        competitive grants to State law enforcement agencies. Any 
        subgrant made under this paragraph to a local law enforcement 
        agency shall follow the prioritization pursuant to paragraph 
        (1).
    (d) Eligible Activities.--Amounts from a grant awarded under 
subsection (b) may only be used for the purpose of combating auto theft 
and combating stolen automobile trafficking, including--
            (1) purchasing equipment used to combat auto theft, such as 
        law enforcement vehicles and license plate readers;
            (2) hiring additional law enforcement officers and support 
        staff to combat auto theft;
            (3) funding overtime costs and additional compensation for 
        law enforcement officers and support staff involved in 
        combating auto theft;
            (4) providing training for law enforcement officers and 
        support staff to combat auto theft;
            (5) providing resources for joint task forces established 
        to combat auto theft; and
            (6) funding law enforcement data collection and research 
        activities related to combating auto theft.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated $30,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2027 to 
carry out the Program.

SEC. 3. ADDITIONAL AUTHORIZED USES OF COPS GRANT PROGRAM FUNDS.

    Section 1701(b) of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act 
of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10381(b)) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating paragraph (23) as paragraph (24);
            (2) in paragraph (22)--
                    (A) by striking ``(21)'' and inserting ``(22)''; 
                and
                    (B) by redesignating paragraph (22) as paragraph 
                (23); and
            (3) by inserting after paragraph (21), the following:
            ``(22) to combat auto thefts and combat stolen automobile 
        trafficking by purchasing equipment, hiring law enforcement 
        officers and support staff, covering overtime and officer 
        compensation costs, expanding access to training initiatives, 
        funding joint task forces, and funding law enforcement data 
        collection and research activities related to auto thefts;''.

SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.

     For purposes of this Act:
            (1) Local law enforcement agency.--The term ``local law 
        enforcement agency'' means any entity administered by a 
        locality that exists primarily to prevent and detect crime and 
        enforce criminal laws.
            (2) Locality.--The term ``locality'' means any city, 
        county, township, town, borough, parish, village, or other 
        general purpose political subdivision of a State.
            (3) State.--The term ``State'' means any State of the 
        United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of 
        Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the 
        Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
            (4) State law enforcement agency.--The term ``State law 
        enforcement agency'' means any State entity that exists 
        primarily to prevent and detect crime and enforce criminal 
        laws.
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