Explanation of Bill

This bill, known as the "Invest to Protect Act of 2022," aims to establish a grant program that will provide assistance to local governments with fewer than 200 law enforcement officers. The grant program will focus on two main objectives: providing training and access to mental health resources for law enforcement officers, and improving recruitment and retention of local law enforcement officers.

Within the bill, several definitions are provided. "De-escalation training" refers to training that teaches law enforcement officers how to stabilize potential force encounters and reduce the need for physical force. The "Director" refers to the Director of the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services of the Department of Justice. "Eligible local government" includes any local government below the state level, such as a county, municipality, town, or village, that employs fewer than 200 law enforcement officers. The definition also includes tribal governments that meet the same criteria. "Law enforcement officer" has the same meaning as "career law enforcement officer" as defined in the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968.

The bill establishes a grant program under the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services to provide training and mental health resources to local law enforcement officers and improve recruitment and retention efforts. The Director is responsible for awarding grants to eligible local governments within 120 days of the bill's enactment.

The Attorney General is tasked with determining any barriers to establishing a streamlined application process for the grants and submitting a report to Congress within 60 days of the bill's enactment. The report should include a plan for a simplified application process that allows eligible local governments to complete the application within 2 hours. The plan may also include provisions for providing information and technical assistance to applicants.

Eligible local governments that receive grants under this bill can use the funds for various activities, including de-escalation training and victim-centered training for handling domestic violence situations. The grants can also be used for evidence-based law enforcement safety training, offsetting overtime costs, providing signing bonuses and retention bonuses to law enforcement officers, offering stipends for graduate education in relevant fields, and providing access to behavioral health services for law enforcement officers.

The bill introduces accountability measures for the grants, including an audit requirement by the Department of Justice Inspector General to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse of funds. If an unresolved audit finding is identified, the recipient of the grant will be barred from receiving future grants for two fiscal years. The bill also requires the Attorney General to submit an annual certification indicating the completion of audits, exclusions, and reimbursements.

To prevent duplicative grants, the Attorney General must compare potential grant awards with previous awards to determine if they serve a similar purpose. If multiple grants are awarded to the same applicant for a similar purpose, a report must be submitted to the Senate Judiciary Committee and the House Judiciary Committee.

Funding for the grant program will come from existing funds within the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. Up to $50,000,000 can be allocated for each fiscal year from 2023 to 2027.

This bill has been passed by the Senate on August 1, 2022.