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.

Bill Summary: Western Hemisphere Security Strategy Act of 2022

Bill Title: Western Hemisphere Security Strategy Act of 2022

Introduction: The bill was introduced by Mr. Rubio along with Mr. Menendez, Mr. Cassidy, Mr. Kaine, and Mr. Coons in the Senate of the United States on February 7, 2022. It was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

Purpose: The bill aims to establish a United States security strategy for the Western Hemisphere and promote security, stability, and prosperity in countries of the region.

Sense of Congress: The bill expresses the sense of Congress on various aspects related to the Western Hemisphere, including:

• The importance of security, stability, prosperity, and democratic governance in countries of the Western Hemisphere to the national interests of the United States.
• The risks posed by the malign influence of the Governments of China and Russia in Latin America and the Caribbean.
• The need for the United States to strengthen alliances, partnerships, and security cooperation in the Western Hemisphere.
• The importance of addressing shared challenges, such as narcotics trafficking, human trafficking, transnational criminal organizations, and promoting rule of law, democracy, and human rights in the region.
• The need for the United States to maintain credible security capabilities and increase investments in the Western Hemisphere.

Security Strategy: The bill mandates the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense to jointly develop and submit a multi-year strategy, known as the "Western Hemisphere Security Strategy," within 180 days of the bill's enactment. This strategy is meant to enhance diplomatic engagement and security assistance, promote regional security and stability, and advance U.S. strategic interests in the Western Hemisphere.

Elements of the Strategy: The strategy must include the following elements:

1. A proposal for increasing United States security assistance and cooperation in Latin America and the Caribbean.
2. Activities to build the defense and security capacity of partner countries in the region.
3. Efforts to counter malign influence by state actors and transnational criminal organizations.
4. Efforts to disrupt and counter transnational illicit trafficking, particularly narcotics trafficking.
5. Activities to increase transparency, accountability, and respect for human rights in defense, security, and law enforcement institutions.
6. Expansion of military training exercises with partner countries in the region.
7. Initiatives for humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, and promoting the development of responsive institutions.
8. Support for women, peace, and security initiatives, including ensuring the safety and rights of women and promoting their participation in the defense and security sectors.
9. Professional military education initiatives.
10. An assessment of resources required for implementation.

Implementation: The Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense must commence the implementation of the strategy within 90 days of its submission. They are also required to provide regular briefings to the appropriate committees of Congress on the implementation. The authority under this section will terminate three years after the bill's enactment.

Report on Efforts to Capture and Detain U.S. Citizens as Hostages: The bill instructs the Secretary of State to submit a report within 30 days of the bill's enactment to the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on Foreign Affairs. The report should cover efforts by the Maduro regime of Venezuela to detain U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents, including the individuals involved and any role played by transnational criminal organizations. The report should also assess if and how U.S. citizens have been lured to Venezuela. The report will have an unclassified form but will include a classified annex listing the total number of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents detained or imprisoned in Venezuela.