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FEDERAL
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
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.
• Office of Justice Programs: $1.87
billion, rejecting the President’s proposal to eliminate
grant programs for state and local organizations to
fight and prevent crime, $177 million above 2008. This
includes Byrne Justice Assistance Grants, the State
Criminal Alien Assistance Program, drug courts, and
programs for at risk youth and missing or abused
children
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.
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