American Law Enforcement Heroes Act incentivizes law enforcement agencies to hire military veterans
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and John Cornyn (R-TX) announced that their bipartisan legislation to encourage law enforcement agencies to hire veterans has passed Congress and now heads to the President’s desk to be signed into law. The American Law Enforcement Heroes Act prioritizes the U.S. Department of Justice Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) grant applications of law enforcement agencies who use that funding to hire veterans. The COPS program awards grants to state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies throughout the United States so they can hire and train law enforcement officers to participate in community policing, purchase and deploy new crime-fighting technologies, and develop and test new and innovative policing strategies.
“When we ask our young men and women to fight in defense of our nation, we make a promise that we will take care of them when they return home,” Klobuchar said. “This law will help our veterans secure good jobs and make our communities safer.”
The legislation is cosponsored by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Dean Heller (R-NV), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Chris Coons (D-DE), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Roy Blunt (R-MO), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Joe Donnelly (D-IN), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), John Kennedy (R-LA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), and Todd Young (R-IN).
In February, Klobuchar and Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) introduced the COPS Improvement Act that would provide for the hiring of more police officers and expand the COPS program to account for developments in community policing techniques that have proven effective in preventing and fighting crime. The senators also sent a letter to the President about the importance of this law enforcement program in conjunction with the bill’s introduction.
###