Bill Summary
The "Law Enforcement Education Grant Program Act of 2025" is a proposed piece of legislation aimed at encouraging students to pursue careers in law enforcement by establishing a dedicated grant program. The act amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to authorize the Secretary of Education to administer the Law Enforcement Education Grants program.
Key features of the legislation include:
1. **Grant Amount**: Eligible candidates can receive up to $4,000 per year, with a maximum total of $16,000 over the course of their associate or baccalaureate degree in law enforcement or criminal justice.
2. **Eligibility Criteria**: Candidates must be enrolled at an approved institution, demonstrate their intent to pursue a career in law enforcement, and have not previously obtained a degree in a related field.
3. **Service Obligation**: Recipients of the grant must agree to serve as full-time law enforcement officers for a minimum of four years within eight years of completing their degree. Failure to fulfill this obligation would convert the grant into a loan that must be repaid.
4. **Implementation and Administration**: The program's administration, including application processes and eligibility verification, falls under the purview of the Secretary of Education, who will establish specific regulations for the program.
5. **Funding and Limitations**: The funding for this program will not come from existing Pell Grant or Direct Loan programs, and the Secretary will prioritize funding for this program in case of budget constraints.
6. **Repeal of Existing Programs**: The bill also includes a provision to repeal existing university sustainability programs under the Higher Education Act.
Overall, this legislation seeks to support the recruitment and education of future law enforcement professionals while ensuring a commitment to service in the community.
Possible Impacts
Here are three examples of how the Law Enforcement Education Grant Program Act of 2025 could affect people:
1. **Increased Accessibility to Law Enforcement Careers**: The grant program provides financial support to students pursuing degrees in law enforcement or criminal justice. This could lead to a more diverse pool of candidates entering the field, as the financial burden of education is alleviated. This may encourage individuals from lower-income backgrounds or those who might have been deterred by tuition costs to pursue careers in law enforcement.
2. **Commitment to Service**: By requiring grant recipients to commit to serving as full-time law enforcement officers for a minimum of four years, the legislation can help address staffing shortages in police departments. This may lead to improved community policing efforts and greater public safety, as more trained officers would be available to serve communities. Additionally, this commitment may foster a sense of accountability and dedication among new recruits, enhancing the overall professionalism of the law enforcement community.
3. **Potential Financial Consequences for Noncompliance**: The legislation stipulates that if grant recipients fail to fulfill their service obligation, the grant will be converted into a loan that must be repaid. This could have significant financial implications for individuals who are unable to meet this obligation, possibly leading to increased debt burdens. It may also deter potential candidates from applying for the grants if they are uncertain about their ability to complete the service requirement due to personal circumstances, such as health issues or job availability.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3436 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3436
To authorize a Law Enforcement Education Grant program to encourage
students to pursue a career in law enforcement.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 15, 2025
Mrs. Fischbach (for herself, Mr. Stauber, Mr. Bacon, and Mr. Higgins of
Louisiana) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Education and Workforce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To authorize a Law Enforcement Education Grant program to encourage
students to pursue a career in law enforcement.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Law Enforcement Education Grant
Program Act of 2025''.
SEC. 2. LAW ENFORCEMENT EDUCATION GRANT PROGRAM.
Part A of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1070 et seq.) is amended by inserting at the end of subpart 7 the
following new subpart:
``Subpart 8--Law Enforcement Education Grants
``SEC. 420. LAW ENFORCEMENT EDUCATION GRANT PROGRAM ESTABLISHED.
``(a) Program Authority.--
``(1) Payments required.--The Secretary is authorized to
carry out a Law Enforcement Education Grants program to pay to
each law enforcement candidate who is selected by the
Secretary, on a competitive basis, to participate in such
program, a Law Enforcement Education Grant in the amount of
$4,000 for each year during which that candidate is eligible.
``(2) References.--Grants made under paragraph (1) shall be
known as `Law Enforcement Education Grants'.
``(3) Funding.--Of the amounts otherwise authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this title, such sums as may be
necessary are authorized to be made available to carry out this
subpart, except that--
``(A) none of the sums made available to carry out
this subpart may be derived from amounts authorized to
be appropriated to carry out the Federal Pell Grants
program under section 401 or the Federal Direct Loan
Program under part D; and
``(B) to the extent that insufficient amounts are
made available in any fiscal year to carry out all
programs authorized under this title, the Secretary
shall give priority to fully funding the program under
this subpart.
``(b) Distribution of Grants to Law Enforcement Candidates.--
Payments under this subpart shall be made, in accordance with
regulations promulgated by the Secretary for such purpose, in such
manner as will best accomplish the purposes of this subpart.
``(c) Reductions in Amount.--
``(1) Part-time students.--In any case where a law
enforcement candidate attends an eligible institution on less
than a full-time basis (including a law enforcement candidate
who attends an eligible institution on less than a half-time
basis) during any year, the amount of a grant under this
subpart for which that law enforcement candidate is eligible
shall be reduced in proportion to the degree to which that law
enforcement candidate is not attending on a full-time basis, in
accordance with a schedule of reductions established by the
Secretary for the purposes of this subpart, computed in
accordance with this subpart. Such schedule of reductions shall
be established by regulation and published in the Federal
Register in accordance with section 482 of this Act.
``(2) No exceeding cost.--The amount of a grant awarded
under this subpart, in combination with Federal student
assistance and other student assistance the law enforcement
candidate may receive, shall not exceed the cost of attendance
(as defined in section 472) at the eligible institution at
which that law enforcement candidate is in attendance.
``(d) Period of Eligibility for Grants.--
``(1) In general.--The period during which a student may
receive grants under this subpart shall be the period required
for the completion of the first associate or baccalaureate
course of study related to law enforcement or criminal justice
being pursued by the law enforcement candidate at the eligible
institution at which the law enforcement candidate is in
attendance, except that--
``(A) any period during which the law enforcement
candidate is enrolled in a noncredit or remedial course
of study as described in paragraph (2) shall not be
counted for the purpose of this paragraph; and
``(B) the total amount that a law enforcement
candidate may receive under this subpart shall not
exceed $16,000.
``(2) Remedial course.--Nothing in this subpart shall be
construed to exclude from eligibility courses of study which
are noncredit or remedial in nature (including courses in
English language acquisition) which are determined by the
eligible institution to be necessary to help the law
enforcement candidate be prepared for the pursuit of a first
associate or baccalaureate degree or, in the case of courses in
English language instruction, to be necessary to enable the law
enforcement candidate to utilize already existing knowledge,
training, or skills.
``SEC. 421. APPLICATIONS; ELIGIBILITY; SELECTION.
``(a) Applications.--The Secretary shall periodically set dates by
which students shall file applications to complete for grants under
this subpart. Each student desiring to compete for a grant under this
subpart for any year shall file an application containing such
information and assurances as the Secretary may determine necessary to
enable the Secretary to carry out the functions and responsibilities of
this subpart.
``(b) Demonstration of Grant Eligibility.--Each application
submitted under subsection (a) shall contain such information as is
necessary to demonstrate that the applicant is a student who--
``(1) is enrolled at an eligible institution;
``(2) is an eligible student for purposes of section 484;
``(3) is completing coursework and other requirements
necessary to begin a career in law enforcement or criminal
justice, or plans to complete such coursework and requirements
prior to graduating; and
``(4) has not obtained an associate or baccalaureate degree
related to law enforcement or criminal justice before receiving
a Law Enforcement Education grant.
``(c) Selection.--The Secretary shall award grants under this
subpart competitively on the basis of criteria determined by the
Secretary by regulation.
``SEC. 422. AGREEMENTS TO SERVE.
``(a) Service Agreements.--Each application under section 421(a)
shall contain or be accompanied by an agreement by the applicant that--
``(1) if selected to be a law enforcement candidate, the
applicant will--
``(A) serve as a full-time law enforcement officer
for a total of not less than 4 years within 8 years
after completing the course of study for which the
candidate received a Law Enforcement Education Grant
under this subpart; and
``(B) submit evidence of such employment in the
form of a certification by the chief officer of the law
enforcement agency or department employing the
candidate upon completion of each year of such service;
``(2) in the event that a law enforcement candidate is
determined to have failed or refused to carry out such service
obligation, the sum of the amounts of any Law Enforcement
Education Grants received by such candidate will be treated as
a loan and collected from the candidate in accordance with
subsection (b) and the regulations thereunder; and
``(3) contains, or is accompanied by, a plain-language
disclosure form developed by the Secretary that clearly
describes the nature of the Law Enforcement Education Grant
award, the service obligation, and the loan repayment
requirements that are the consequence of the failure to
complete the service obligation.
``(b) Repayment for Failure To Complete Service.--
``(1) In general.--In the event that law enforcement
candidate fails or refuses to comply with the service
obligation in the agreement under subsection (a), the sum of
the amounts of any Law Enforcement Education Grants received by
such candidate shall, upon a determination of such a failure or
refusal in such service obligation, be treated as a Federal
Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan under part D of this title,
and shall be subject to repayment, together with interest
thereon accruing from the date the grant is converted to such a
Loan, in accordance with terms and conditions specified by the
Secretary in regulations under this subpart.
``(2) Extenuating circumstances.--The Secretary shall
establish, by regulation, categories of extenuating
circumstances under which a law enforcement candidate who is
unable to fulfill all or part of the candidate's service
obligation may be excused from fulfilling that portion of the
service obligation. Such categories shall ensure that a law
enforcement candidate who is hired and serves as a full-time
law enforcement officer but is unable to fulfill part of the
candidate's service obligation due to medical discharge by a
law enforcement agency or department because of a medical issue
resulting from service as a law enforcement officer shall be
excused from fulfilling the remaining portion of the service
obligation.
``SEC. 423. DEFINITIONS.
``For the purposes of this subpart:
``(1) Eligible institution.--The term `eligible
institution' means an institution of higher education, as
defined in section 102, that--
``(A) provides an associate or baccalaureate degree
in a field related to law enforcement or criminal
justice; and
``(B) has been approved by the Police Officer
Standard and Training Board of the State in which the
institution is located or related State agency.
``(2) Law enforcement candidate.--The term `law enforcement
candidate' means an individual who is selected by the Secretary
to receive a Law Enforcement Education Grant under this
subpart.
``(3) Law enforcement officer.--The term `law enforcement
officer' means any officer, agent, or employee of a State, unit
of local government, of Indian tribe who is authorized to
supervise the prevention, detection, or investigation of any
violation of criminal law.''.
SEC. 3. REPEAL OF UNIVERSITY SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAMS.
Part U of title VIII of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1161u) is repealed.
<all>