COPS Improvements Act of 2007
Latest action · Aug 3, 2007 Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedMar 26, 2007
- Passed HouseMay 15, 2007
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
(This measure has not been amended since it was reported to the House on May 14, 2007. The summary of that version is repeated here.)
COPS Improvements Act of 2007 - (Sec. 2) Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to expand the authority of the Attorney General to make grants for public safety and community policing programs (COPS ON THE BEAT or COPS program). Revises grant purposes to provide for: (1) the hiring or training of law enforcement officers for intelligence, anti-terror, and homeland security duties; (2) the hiring of school resource officers; (3) school-based partnerships between local law enforcement agencies and schools to combat crime, gangs, drug activities, and other problems facing elementary and secondary schools; (4) innovative programs to reduce and prevent illegal drug (including methamphetamine) manufacturing, distribution, and use; (5) criminal gang enforcement task forces; and (6) enhanced community policing and crime prevention grants that meet emerging law enforcement needs.
Allows COPS program grants to be used to hire former members of the Armed Forces to serve as career law enforcement officers for community-oriented policing, particularly in communities adversely affected by a recent military base closing.
Authorizes the Attorney General to make grants to: (1) assign community prosecutors to handle cases from specific geographic areas and address counterterrorism problems, specific violent crime problems, and localized violent and other crime problems; and (2) develop new technologies to assist state and local law enforcement agencies in crime prevention.
Grants the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services exclusive authority to perform functions and activities under the COPS grant program.
Authorizes the Attorney General to renew COP program grants if grant recipients can demonstrate significant progress in achieving the objectives of the initial grant application.
Requires the Attorney General to select one or more institutions of higher education, including historically Black colleges and universities, to conduct a scientific study of the effectiveness of the programs, projects, and activities funded by the COPS program. Requires such institutions to report on on their studies to the Attorney General not later than four years after the enactment of this Act. Requires the Attorney General to report to Congress on such studies.
Increases and extends through FY2013 the authorization of appropriations for the COPS program. Increases from 3 to 5% the amount of funds available for technical assistance. Specifies amounts to be made available for hiring officers and prosecutors, and for technology grants.
(Sec. 3) Requires the Inspector General of the Department of Justice to report to Congress on the COPS program, including information on: (1) the effect of the program on the rate of violent crime, drug offenses, and other crimes; (2) the degree to which state and local governments awarded a COPS grant contribute funds for law enforcement programs and activities; and (3) any waste, fraud, or abuse in the program. Requires the Inspector General to audit and review a random sampling of state and local law enforcement agencies in preparing such report.
Recorded votes 1
Newest first. Open one to see how every member voted.
| Roll call | Question | Result | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| House 348 | On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended | Passed381–34 | May 15, 2007 |
Cosponsors 102
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Mar 26, 2007 to May 14, 2007, with 2 there on the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| R-FL | Ric Keller | Original | Mar 26, 2007 |
| D-VA | Robert C. "Bobby" Scott | Original | Mar 26, 2007 |
| D-PA | Patrick J. Murphy | Apr 17, 2007 | |
| D-OH | Betty Sutton | Apr 18, 2007 | |
| D-NY | Carolyn McCarthy | Apr 18, 2007 | |
| D-OH | Charles A. Wilson | Apr 18, 2007 | |
| D-TX | Ciro D. Rodriguez | Apr 18, 2007 | |
| D-FL | Corrine Brown | Apr 18, 2007 | |
| D-MA | Edward J. Markey | Apr 18, 2007 | |
| D-CA | Grace F. Napolitano | Apr 18, 2007 | |
| D-PA | Robert A. Brady | Apr 18, 2007 | |
| D-TX | Ruben Hinojosa | Apr 18, 2007 | |
| D-TX | Solomon P. Ortiz | Apr 18, 2007 | |
| D-CA | Adam B. Schiff | Apr 19, 2007 | |
| D-MI | Bart Stupak | Apr 19, 2007 |
Actions 20
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Aug 3, 2007Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- May 16, 2007Received in the Senate.
- May 15, 2007At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
- May 15, 2007Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H5016)
- May 15, 2007Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H4985-4995)
Related bills 1
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| S 368 | COPS Improvements Act of 2007 | Related bill | Jun 20, 2007 |
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement.
- Armed Forces and National Security
- Arrest
- Authorization
- Black colleges
- Community policing
- Congressional reporting requirements
- Crime and Law Enforcement
- Crime prevention
- Criminal investigation
- Criminology
- Department of Justice
- Drug abuse
- Drug law enforcement
- Drugs and youth
- Economics and Public Finance
- Education
- Elementary and secondary education
- Families
- Federal aid to law enforcement
- Federal-local relations
- Federal-state relations
- Fraud
- Gangs
- Government Operations and Politics
- Higher education
- Inspectors general
- Intergovernmental fiscal relations
- Labor and Employment
- Methamphetamine
- Minorities
- Police
- Police communication systems
- Police training
- Prosecution
- Recruiting of employees
- Retired military personnel
- School security
- Science, Technology, Communications
- Technological innovations
- Terrorism
- Veterans' employment
- Violence
- Waste in government spending
Text 4
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Aug 3, 2007Referred in Senate
- May 15, 2007Engrossed in House
- May 14, 2007Reported in House
- Mar 26, 2007Introduced in House
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov.