The House and Senate are in recess until September.  Below are issues that moved during the month of July, 2008. 

Juvenile Justice
Senator Leahy introduced S.3155, a bill to reauthorize and improve the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act.  This legislation has been order to be reported to with amendments favorably.  Click Here for a copy of the bill.

Officers Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compear
Congressman Brady introduced H.R.6367.  This legislation would provide an exception to certain mandatory minimum sentence requirements for a law enforcement officer who uses, carries, or possesses a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence committed while pursuing or apprehending a suspect. This legislation was introduced in response to the unjust convictions of Officers Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compear.  These brave officers were simply doing their job in attempting to apprehend a criminal alien drug smuggler.

Resources For Extradition
Senator Biden introduced S. 3136, the “Fugitive Information Networked Database Act of 2008” or the FIND Act.  This legislation would authorize appropriations for the Fugitive Apprehension Task Forces and for the extradition of fugitives through the Justice Prisoner and Alien Transport System. The bill provides grants to State governments to implement and upgrade systems that are compatible with the National Crime Information Center database.

Fugitives From Justice
Senator Durbin introduced S.3143, a bill to assist law enforcement agencies in locating, arresting, and prosecuting fugitives from justice.

Vests
Congressman Cardoza introduced H.R. 6462, the `Jose Rivera Correctional Officer Protection Act'.  This legislation would require the Bureau of Prisons to provide stab-resistant personal body armor to all correctional officers of the Bureau, and to require such officers to wear such armor while on duty.

Federal Funds For Law Enforcement at Border
Senator Bingaman introduced S. 3293, legislation that would provide financial aid to local law enforcement officials along the Nation’s borders.

Senate Appropriation Bill For Fiscal Year 2009
SCAAP
S.3182, making appropriations for the Departments of Commerce and Justice, Science, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2009 has been placed on the Senate Legislative Calendar.  This bill includes $400,000 for the State Criminal Alien Assistance Grant Program (SCAAP).  The program reimburses state and local governments for the costs of incarcerating deportable criminals.  County and state governments should be fully reimbursed for these costs.  The President had proposed eliminating all funding for this program. 

PSOB
The Senate bill funds the Public Safety Officer Benefit Program (PSOB).  The PSOB Program provides a one-time financial benefit to the eligible survivors of public safety officers whose deaths are the direct and proximate result of a traumatic injury sustained in the line of duty.  The current death benefit for officers is $303,064.  The bill also directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to provide an analysis of, and recommendations to improve, Federal and State programs to assist public safety officers and their survivors, who are catastrophically injured or killed in the line of duty.  We strongly support this program and is working to expand and improve it. 

Vests
The Senate bill contains $25,850,000 in funding for the bullet-proof vest grant program, including $5,000,000 is for the National Institute of Standards and Technology's [NIST] Office of Law Enforcement Standards [OLES] to continue supporting the ballistic and stab-resistant material compliance testing programs, as well as for other technical support related to public safety weapons and protective systems. We strongly supports this program.

House Bill
The House Committee on Appropriations passed a 2009 Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriation bill on June 25, 2008.  This bill rejects the President’s proposal to once again gut funding – a $1.6 billion cut – for state and local law enforcement programs. The bill increases funding by $447 million over 2008.  More specific information will be provided in next month's update, when actual bill language is available.  Key programs funded are as follows:

            • Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS): $627 million, rejecting the President’s proposal to eliminate programs that support local law enforcement agencies with technology and hiring grants, $40 million above 2008. Includes $40 million for the “COPS on the Beat” hiring program.

ALADS Federal Legislative Priorities for the 110th Congress

ALADS' top priorities at the federal level include securing funds for Los Angeles for the cost of incarcerating criminal aliens; securing federal funds to purchase high quality protective vests for peace officers; ensuring that ALADS members are not forced to pay into the social security system; protecting officers personal information; and federal death benefits for officers. More Info.

ALADS Legislative Action Alert:  Contact your Member of Congress

Click here to contact your Representative in Congress to express opposition to social security reform proposals that would require state and local government employees to pay into the social security system.  Currently, no measure has been introduced in the House or the Senate.