Better Community Policing Recognition Act

Bill: 116-s-3968
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Cotton, Tom [R-AR]
Introduced: 2020-06-16
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Community life and organization

Congressional oversight

Employee performance

Law enforcement administration and funding

Law enforcement officers
Latest action: action_date: 2020-06-16
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Summaries:
action_date: 2020-06-16
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><b>Better Community Policing Recognition Act</b></p> <p>This bill creates an award&#8212;the Better Community Policing Award&#8212;for law enforcement officers who exemplify best practices or significant innovation to reduce the excessive use of force or improve community policing. </p>

tv_txt: II 116th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 3968 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES June 16, 2020 Mr. Cotton introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL To create an award for law enforcement officers who exemplify best practices to reduce the excessive use of force or improve community policing, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Better Community Policing Recognition Act . 2. Awards for law enforcement officers Part Q of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 ( 34 U.S.C. 10381 et seq.) is amended— (1) by redesignating sections 1708 and 1709 ( 34 U.S.C. 10388 , 10389) as sections 1709 and 1710, respectively; and (2) by inserting after section 1707 ( 34 U.S.C. 10387 ) the following: 1708. Better Community Policing Award (a) Definitions In this section: (1) Better Community Policing Award The term Better Community Policing Award means an award authorized under subsection (b). (2) Eligible law enforcement officer The term eligible law enforcement officer means a career law enforcement officer who is— (A) employed by a law enforcement agency receiving funding from a grant under section 1701; and (B) nominated for a Better Community Policing Award by— (i) the law enforcement agency that employs the law enforcement officer; or (ii) the attorney general of the State in which the law enforcement agency that employs the law enforcement officer is located. (b) Awards authorized The Attorney General may distribute cash awards to eligible law enforcement officers who exemplify best practices or significant innovation to— (1) reduce the excessive use of force; or (2) improve community policing. (c) Criteria Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this section, the Attorney General shall establish— (1) the process by which a law enforcement agency or the attorney general of a State may nominate an eligible law enforcement officer for a Better Community Policing Award; (2) the criteria for the selection of recipients of a Better Community Policing Award; and (3) the maximum amount of a Better Community Policing Award. (d) Report Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this section, and annually thereafter, the Attorney General shall submit to Congress a report that includes, for the previous calendar year— (1) the number of nominations received by the Attorney General for a Better Community Policing Award; (2) the number of Better Community Policing Awards distributed by the Attorney General; (3) a geographical breakdown of the location of the recipients of a Better Community Policing Award; and (4) information relating to the size of each law enforcement agency that— (A) nominated a law enforcement officer for a Better Community Policing Award; or (B) employed a recipient of a Better Community Policing Award. (e) Authorization of appropriations There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 though 2025. .