Law Enforcement Immersive Training Act of 2019

I 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 2329 To develop an immersive, real-life, scenario-based training curriculum for law enforcement personnel, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES APRIL 15, 2019 Mr. RYAN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL To develop an immersive, real-life, scenario-based training curriculum for law enforcement personnel, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Law Enforcement 4 Immersive Training Act of 2019’’. 5 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 6 Congress finds the following: 7 (1) Grassroots organizations like the National 8 Association for the Advancement of Colored People, 9 the American Civil Liberties Union, the National 10 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:57 Apr 23, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2329.IH H2329 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 2 •HR 2329 IH Council of La Raza, the National Urban League, 1 National Congress of American Indians, and the Na- 2 tional Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium 3 have monitored the issue of police misconduct. 4 (2) Membership associations like the Hispanic 5 American Police Command Officers Association, Na- 6 tional Asian Pacific Officers Association, National 7 Black Police Association, National Latino Peace Of- 8 ficers Association, National Organization of Black 9 Law Enforcement Executives, Women in Law En- 10 forcement, Native American Law Enforcement Asso- 11 ciation, International Association of Chiefs of Police, 12 National Sheriffs’ Association, Fraternal Order of 13 Police, and National Association of School Resource 14 Officers have worked for the needs of Federal, State, 15 local, and Indian tribal law enforcement groups and 16 with the civilian community on matters of common 17 interest. 18 SEC. 3. LAW ENFORCEMENT IMMERSIVE TRAINING CUR- 19 RICULUM. 20 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year after the 21 date of the enactment of this Act, the Attorney General, 22 acting through the Director of the Office of Community 23 Oriented Policing Services, shall develop an immersive, 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:57 Apr 23, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2329.IH H2329 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 3 •HR 2329 IH real-life, scenario-based training curriculum for use in ac- 1 cordance with the grant program under section 4. 2 (b) CURRICULUM.—In developing the curriculum 3 under subsection (a), the Attorney General shall— 4 (1) develop an immersive, real-life, scenario- 5 based training curriculum, which addresses— 6 (A) improving community-police relations; 7 (B) officer safety; 8 (C) officer resilience; 9 (D) situational awareness; 10 (E) physical and emotional responses to 11 stress; 12 (F) critical decision-making and problem- 13 solving; 14 (G) de-escalation; 15 (H) use of force and deadly force; and 16 (I) crisis intervention; 17 (2) consult with relevant professional law en- 18 forcement associations, community-based organiza- 19 tions, and defense and national security agencies in 20 the development and dissemination of the cur- 21 riculum; 22 (3) provide expertise and technical assistance to 23 entities seeking to implement the curriculum; 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:57 Apr 23, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2329.IH H2329 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 4 •HR 2329 IH (4) evaluate best practices of immersive, real- 1 life, scenario-based training methods and curriculum 2 content to maintain state-of-the-art expertise in 3 immersive, real-life, scenario-based learning method- 4 ology; and 5 (5) develop a certification process for entities 6 that have successfully implemented the curriculum. 7 SEC. 4. LAW ENFORCEMENT IMMERSIVE TRAINING GRANT 8 PROGRAM. 9 (a) IN GENERAL.—Beginning on the date that is one 10 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Attor- 11 ney General, acting through the Director of the Office of 12 Community Oriented Policing Services, is authorized to 13 make grants to States, units of local government, Indian 14 tribal governments, other public and private entities, and 15 multi-jurisdictional or regional consortia to provide law en- 16 forcement personnel with access to an immersive, real-life, 17 scenario-based training curriculum that is substantially 18 similar to the curriculum developed under section 3. 19 (b) APPLICATION.—An applicant seeking a grant 20 under this section shall submit to the Attorney General 21 an application at such time, in such manner, and con- 22 taining such information as the Attorney General may rea- 23 sonably require. 24 (c) REPORTS.— 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:57 Apr 23, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2329.IH H2329 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 5 •HR 2329 IH (1) GRANTEE REPORTS.—On the date that is 1 one year after receiving a grant under this section, 2 each grant recipient shall submit to the Attorney 3 General a report on— 4 (A) any benefits of, and barriers to, deliv- 5 ering the curriculum to law enforcement per- 6 sonnel; and 7 (B) recommendations for improving the ac- 8 cess of law enforcement personnel to immersive, 9 real-life, scenario-based training. 10 (2) OFFICE OF COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLIC- 11 ING SERVICES REPORTS.—Not later than one year 12 after initially awarding grants under this section, 13 and annually thereafter, the Attorney General, act- 14 ing through the Director of the Office of Community 15 Oriented Policing Services, shall submit to Congress 16 a report on— 17 (A) the number of entities that received 18 grants under this section; 19 (B) the cumulative number and proportion 20 of law enforcement personnel in each State that 21 received training under the immersive, real-life, 22 scenario-based training curriculum described in 23 section 3, or a curriculum that is substantially 24 similar to such curriculum; 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:57 Apr 23, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2329.IH H2329 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 6 •HR 2329 IH (C) any benefits of, and barriers to, deliv- 1 ering such curriculum to law enforcement per- 2 sonnel; 3 (D) recommendations for improving the 4 curriculum developed under section 3; and 5 (E) recommendations for improving the 6 grant program under this section. 7 (d) FUNDING.—No additional funds are authorized 8 to be appropriated to carry out this Act. The Attorney 9 General shall carry out this Act using unobligated 10 amounts that are otherwise made available to the Depart- 11 ment of Justice. 12 SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS. 13 In this Act: 14 (1) COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS.—The 15 term ‘‘community-based organization’’ means a 16 grassroots organization that monitors the issue of 17 police misconduct and that has a national presence 18 and membership. 19 (2) IMMERSIVE, REAL-LIFE, SCENARIO-BASED 20 TRAINING.—The term ‘‘immersive, real-life, sce- 21 nario-based training’’ means the use of simulations 22 and role-playing to place law enforcement personnel 23 in an interactive learning environment to replicate 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:57 Apr 23, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2329.IH H2329 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 7 •HR 2329 IH real-life scenarios or teach particular skills or tech- 1 niques. 2 (3) PROFESSIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT ASSO- 3 CIATION.—The term ‘‘professional law enforcement 4 association’’ means a law enforcement membership 5 association that works for the needs of Federal, 6 State, local, or Indian tribal law enforcement groups 7 and with the civilian community on matters of com- 8 mon interest. 9 (4) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means any 10 State of the United States, the District of Columbia, 11 the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Is- 12 lands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth 13 of the Northern Mariana Islands, and any possession 14 of the United States. 15 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:57 Apr 23, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H2329.IH H2329 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS