{"format":1,"id":"118-s-546","congress":118,"number":"S. 546","kind":"bill","group":"bills","title":"Recruit and Retain Act","title_source":"Short Title(s) as Passed Senate","official_title":"A bill to amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to authorize law enforcement agencies to use COPS grants for recruitment activities, and for other purposes.","titles":[{"type":"Official Title as Introduced","title":"A bill to amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to authorize law enforcement agencies to use COPS grants for recruitment activities, and for other purposes."},{"type":"Short Titles from ENR (Enrolled) bill text","title":"Recruit and Retain Act"},{"type":"Display Title","title":"Recruit and Retain Act"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Introduced","title":"Recruit and Retain Act"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Reported to Senate","title":"Recruit and Retain Act"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Passed Senate","title":"Recruit and Retain Act"}],"outcome":"became_law","law_number":"Public Law 118-64","introduced":"2023-02-28","chambers":{"house":{"status":"roll_call","date":"2024-05-14","vote":{"id":"118-2024-h196","question":"On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass","title":"Recruit and Retain Act","result":"Passed","yea":370,"nay":18,"present":0,"not_voting":42,"source":"https://clerk.house.gov/evs/2024/roll196.xml"}},"senate":{"status":"voice","date":"2023-07-26","vote":null,"how":"voice_vote","words":"Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.(consideration: CR S3580-3582; text: CR S3581-3582)"}},"president":{"status":"signed","date":"2024-05-24"},"vice_president_tie_breaker":null,"latest_action":{"text":"Became Public Law No: 118-64.","date":"2024-05-24"},"nominees":null,"amendments":[],"other_votes":[],"crs_summary":{"date":"2024-05-24","stage":"Public Law","blocks":[{"k":"h","t":"Recruit and Retain Act"},{"k":"p","t":"This act expands the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) grant program to support recruitment efforts by law enforcement agencies."},{"k":"p","t":"Specifically, the act expands the COPS program by"},{"k":"li","t":"allowing funds to be used for reducing application-related fees (e.g., fees for background checks, psychological evaluations, and testing); and","d":1},{"k":"li","t":"directing the Department of Justice (DOJ) to award competitive grants to partnerships between law enforcement agencies and educational institutions (e.g., elementary and secondary schools and institutions of higher education) for recruiting activities, such as for career and job fairs.","d":1},{"k":"p","t":"The act requires DOJ to establish guidance for understaffed law enforcement agencies applying for COPS grants."},{"k":"p","t":"The Government Accountability Office must study and report on the effects of recruitment and attrition rates on federal, state, tribal, and local law enforcement agencies."}],"words":130},"summary":{"main_subject":{"text":"Amends the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) grant provisions of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to cover law enforcement recruitment and hiring, and directs a Comptroller General study of police recruitment and attrition.","cites":[{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/546/text/enr#id5D1347A7A577445F973D8F035C9A7E65:~:text=2.%20Improving%20COPS%20grants%20for%20police%20hiring"},{"label":"Sec. 3","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/546/text/enr#idB56707670BB2445BBA3ED9FB3CAA873A:~:text=3.%20Administrative%20costs"},{"label":"Sec. 4","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/546/text/enr#idF2B7E6A822754BD7BE90EE92B42750F4:~:text=4.%20Pipeline%20Partnership%20Program"},{"label":"Sec. 5","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/546/text/enr#idE588310897E84CEEB7265D6D0DC33CF4:~:text=5.%20COPS%20Grant%20guidance%20for%20agencies%20operating"},{"label":"Sec. 6","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/546/text/enr#idDC741C077391422F92C67A2AC2692A58:~:text=6.%20Study%20on%20Police%20Recruitment"}]},"core_areas":["COPS grant uses for law enforcement hiring and recruitment","COPS Pipeline Partnership Program grants","COPS hiring grant guidance for agencies below budgeted strength","Comptroller General study of law enforcement recruitment and attrition"],"what_it_does":[{"text":"Adds to the permitted uses of COPS grants support for hiring activities by agencies with declines in officer recruitment applications, by reducing application-related fees such as fees for background checks, psychological evaluations, and testing.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/546/text/enr#id5D1347A7A577445F973D8F035C9A7E65:~:text=2.%20Improving%20COPS%20grants%20for%20police%20hiring"}},{"text":"Limits to not more than 2 percent the portion of a grant for hiring or rehiring additional career law enforcement officers that may be used for costs of administering that grant.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 3","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/546/text/enr#idB56707670BB2445BBA3ED9FB3CAA873A:~:text=3.%20Administrative%20costs"}},{"text":"Creates the COPS Pipeline Partnership Program, under which the Attorney General awards competitive grants to a law enforcement agency in partnership with at least 1 educational institution for recruiting activities.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 4","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/546/text/enr#idF2B7E6A822754BD7BE90EE92B42750F4:~:text=4.%20Pipeline%20Partnership%20Program"}},{"text":"Allows the Attorney General to use not more than $3,000,000 of the amounts made available for the COPS part in a fiscal year to carry out the Pipeline Partnership Program.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 4","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/546/text/enr#idF2B7E6A822754BD7BE90EE92B42750F4:~:text=4.%20Pipeline%20Partnership%20Program"}},{"text":"Requires the Attorney General, within 180 days of enactment, to establish consistent procedures and guidance for hiring grant applicants whose agencies operate below budgeted strength, including guidance that they remain eligible for funding.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 5","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/546/text/enr#idE588310897E84CEEB7265D6D0DC33CF4:~:text=5.%20COPS%20Grant%20guidance%20for%20agencies%20operating"}},{"text":"Requires the Comptroller General to study the effects of recruitment and attrition rates on Federal, State, Tribal, and local law enforcement agencies and to report to the Senate and House Judiciary Committees within 540 days of enactment.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 6","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/546/text/enr#idDC741C077391422F92C67A2AC2692A58:~:text=6.%20Study%20on%20Police%20Recruitment"}}],"unexpected":[],"version":{"type":"Enrolled Bill","date":null,"rule":"enrolled","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/546/text/enr"},"current":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","approved":"2026-10-02","approved_by":"checks"},"sources":{"congress_gov":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/546","text":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/546/text"},"card":{"image":"card/item/118-s-546.png","v":"bd87db747960","alt":"Votes on Record. S. 546, 118th Congress: Recruit and Retain Act. House: 370 Yea, 18 Nay. Senate: voice vote. Outcome: Became law, 24 May 2024."}}