H.R. 9188 — Introduced in House

I 117th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 9188 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES October 14, 2022Ms. Sherrill (for herself, Mr. Bacon, Ms. Craig, Mr. Carbajal, Mr. Gottheimer, Mr. Kim of New Jersey, and Mr. Trone) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL To provide funding to State and local law enforcement agencies to combat auto theft and stolen automobile trafficking, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Auto Theft Prevention Act. 2. Auto theft prevention grant program (a) Establishment Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Director of the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services of the Department of Justice shall establish an auto theft prevention grant program (in this Act referred to as the Program) to provide funding to State law enforcement agencies and local law enforcement agencies to combat auto theft and stolen vehicle trafficking. (b) Eligible recipient The Director shall make grants under the Program to the Attorney General of each State, with the amount awarded determined by prioritizing States with a higher rate of auto thefts as determined by an equal weighting of the— (1) rate of auto thefts faced by the State in the year prior to the date of enactment of this Act; and (2) percentage increase in auto thefts between the year that is three years prior to the date of the enactment of this Act and the year prior to the date of the enactment of this Act. (c) Distribution of funds (1) Local law enforcement agencies The Attorney General of a State shall make at least 50 percent of a grant awarded under subsection (b) available as competitive subgrants to local law enforcement agencies to combat auto theft, with the amount awarded determined by prioritizing localities with a higher rate of auto theft as determined by an equal weighting of the— (A) rate of auto thefts faced by the locality in the year prior to the date of enactment of this Act; and (B) percentage increase in auto thefts between three years prior to the date of the enactment of this Act and the year prior to the date of the enactment of this Act. (2) State law enforcement agencies The Attorney General of a State shall make at least 25 percent of a grant awarded under subsection (b) available as competitive grants to State law enforcement agencies to combat auto theft. (3) Other amounts The Attorney General of a State shall make any proportion of the grant awarded under subsection (b) not allocated under paragraph (1) or (2) available as competitive subgrants to local law enforcement agencies or competitive grants to State law enforcement agencies. Any subgrant made under this paragraph to a local law enforcement agency shall follow the prioritization pursuant to paragraph (1). (d) Eligible activities Amounts from a grant awarded under subsection (b) may only be used for the purpose of combating auto theft and combating stolen automobile trafficking, including— (1) purchasing equipment used to combat auto theft, such as law enforcement vehicles and license plate readers; (2) hiring additional law enforcement officers and support staff to combat auto theft; (3) funding overtime costs and additional compensation for law enforcement officers and support staff involved in combating auto theft; (4) providing training for law enforcement officers and support staff to combat auto theft; (5) providing resources for joint task forces established to combat auto theft; and (6) funding law enforcement data collection and research activities related to combating auto theft. (e) Authorization of appropriations There is authorized to be appropriated $30,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2027 to carry out the Program. 3. Additional authorized uses of cops grant program funds Section 1701(b) of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10381(b)) is amended— (1) by redesignating paragraph (23) as paragraph (24); (2) in paragraph (22)— (A) by striking (21) and inserting (22); and (B) by redesignating paragraph (22) as paragraph (23); and (3) by inserting after paragraph (21), the following: (22) to combat auto thefts and combat stolen automobile trafficking by purchasing equipment, hiring law enforcement officers and support staff, covering overtime and officer compensation costs, expanding access to training initiatives, funding joint task forces, and funding law enforcement data collection and research activities related to auto thefts; . 4. Definitions For purposes of this Act: (1) Local law enforcement agency The term local law enforcement agency means any entity administered by a locality that exists primarily to prevent and detect crime and enforce criminal laws. (2) Locality The term locality means any city, county, township, town, borough, parish, village, or other general purpose political subdivision of a State. (3) State The term State means any State of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. (4) State law enforcement agency The term State law enforcement agency means any State entity that exists primarily to prevent and detect crime and enforce criminal laws.