Federal

Supporting Women COPS Act of 2023

Source: Congress.gov · 852 words in original text

What This Bill Does

This bill creates a Task Force on Women in Law Enforcement to study how different states hire law enforcement officers. The task force will develop national hiring standards and recommendations to help women officers get hired, stay in their jobs and move into leadership positions.

Who It Affects

States that hire law enforcement officers. The task force itself. Law enforcement agencies and female police officers. The Attorney General. Congress.

Key Provisions

• A 15-member task force appointed by the Attorney General will study state hiring standards for law enforcement officers and develop national hiring standards that do not disadvantage applicants based on sex (Sec. 2(a) and 2(b)). • The task force will develop recommendations for national hiring standards covering physical fitness, critical thinking and communication skills (Sec. 2(c)(1)). • The task force will develop recommendations to help female officers stay in their jobs by addressing barriers like physical fitness after childbirth and childcare responsibilities (Sec. 2(c)(2)). • The task force will develop recommendations for helping female officers advance to leadership roles in law enforcement (Sec. 2(c)(3)). • States that adopt the task force's recommendations will receive an additional 5 percent of their current federal law enforcement grants to use for authorized purposes (Sec. 3(a)).

What Changes

States will be incentivized to adopt national hiring standards for law enforcement officers developed by the task force. States that do so will receive extra federal funding equal to 5 percent of their current law enforcement grants.

Important Definitions

None defined in the bill text.

Effective Date

The task force must submit its report to Congress within 18 months after the bill becomes law (Sec. 2(d)). Financial incentives begin in the fiscal year after the task force develops its recommendations (Sec. 3(a)).

I 118TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 2572 To establish a Task Force on Women in Law Enforcement to study and develop national hiring standards for law enforcement officers, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES APRIL 10, 2023 Ms. ROSS (for herself and Mrs. FOUSHEE) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL To establish a Task Force on Women in Law Enforcement to study and develop national hiring standards for law enforcement officers, 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 ‘‘Supporting Women 4 with Career Opportunities in Policing Services Act of 5 2023’’ or the ‘‘Supporting Women COPS Act of 2023’’. 6 SEC. 2. TASK FORCE ON WOMEN IN LAW ENFORCEMENT. 7 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established a Task 8 Force on Women in Law Enforcement (referred to in this 9 VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:57 Apr 15, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2572.IH H2572 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 2572 IH section as the ‘‘Task Force’’) to study State hiring stand- 1 ards for law enforcement officers, develop national hiring 2 standards for law enforcement officers, and develop rec- 3 ommendations for female officer retention and promotion. 4 (b) COMPOSITION.—The Task Force shall be com- 5 posed of 15 members, appointed by the Attorney General 6 as follows: 7 (1) One representative from the Civil Rights 8 Division of the Department of Justice. 9 (2) Two mayors. 10 (3) Three female police executives, one of whom 11 serves as the head of a municipal law enforcement 12 agency, one of whom serves as the head of a State 13 law enforcement agency, and one of whom serves as 14 the head of a sheriff’s department. 15 (4) Two female law enforcement officers with 16 the rank of lieutenant or below. 17 (5) Two representatives from community-based 18 organizations. 19 (6) Two academics or researchers who are ex- 20 perts in gender diversity and policing. 21 (7) One expert in medicine or anatomy who is 22 knowledgeable about the physical differences be- 23 tween male and female law enforcement officers. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:57 Apr 15, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2572.IH H2572 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 2572 IH (8) One representative from a law enforcement 1 accreditation or standards and training organization. 2 (9) One representative from a national law en- 3 forcement organization representing women. 4 (c) DUTIES OF THE TASK FORCE.—The duties of the 5 Task Force are as follows: 6 (1) To develop recommendations for national 7 hiring standards for law enforcement officers, in- 8 cluding standards for physical fitness, critical think- 9 ing, and communication skills, that do not disadvan- 10 tage applicants based on sex. 11 (2) To develop recommendations for female offi- 12 cer retention, addressing barriers including physical 13 fitness after childbirth and family responsibilities, 14 such as childcare. 15 (3) To develop recommendations for female ad- 16 vancement to leadership roles in law enforcement. 17 (d) REPORT.—Not later than 18 months after the 18 date of enactment of this Act, the Task Force shall submit 19 to Congress a report that details its findings and rec- 20 ommendations. 21 SEC. 3. INCENTIVIZING STATES TO ADOPT STANDARDS. 22 (a) IN GENERAL.—Beginning in the fiscal year that 23 begins after the development of the recommendations 24 under section 2(c), a State that adopts such recommenda- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:57 Apr 15, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2572.IH H2572 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 2572 IH tions shall receive, in addition to the amount that the 1 State otherwise receives under subpart 1 of part E of the 2 Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act (34 U.S.C. 3 10151 et seq.) (commonly known as the ‘‘Edward Byrne 4 Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program’’), an 5 amount that is equal to 5 percent of what such State re- 6 ceives under such subpart, which may be used for the pur- 7 poses authorized under such subpart. 8 (b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 9 authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be nec- 10 essary to carry out subsection (a) for each fiscal year be- 11 ginning in the fiscal year that begins after the develop- 12 ment of the recommendations under section 2(c). 13 (c) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.— 14 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Attorney General is au- 15 thorized to provide technical assistance to assist 16 States in adopting the recommendations under sec- 17 tion 2(c). 18 (2) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 19 There is authorized to be appropriated such sums as 20 may be necessary to carry out this subsection. 21 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:57 Apr 15, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H2572.IH H2572 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS

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