FY2018 Appropriations for Department of Justice Grant Programs

October 12, 2017 (R44893)
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Tables

Summary

Each year, Congress provides funding for a variety of grant programs through the Department of Justice (DOJ). These programs are used to fund state, local, and tribal governments and nonprofit organizations for a variety of criminal justice-related purposes, such as efforts to combat violence against women, reduce backlogs of DNA evidence, support community policing, assist crime victims, promote prisoner reentry, and improve the functioning of the juvenile justice system. Congress funds these programs through five accounts in the annual Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) appropriations act: Violence Against Women Programs; Research, Evaluation, and Statistics; State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance; Juvenile Justice Programs; and Community Oriented Policing Services.

For FY2018, the Trump Administration requests a total of $1.979 billion for the five DOJ grant accounts, which includes $480.0 million for the Violence Against Women Programs account; $111.0 million for the Research, Evaluation, and Statistics account; $940.5 million for the State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance account; $229.5 million for the Juvenile Justice Programs account; and $218.0 million for the Community Oriented Policing Services account. The Administration proposes transferring a total of $610.0 million from the Crime Victims Fund to three accounts: $445.0 million to Violence Against Women Programs, $73.0 million to State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance, and $92.0 million to Juvenile Justice Programs. The transfers would supplement direct appropriations for the three accounts.

In H.R. 3354, the House recommends a total of $2.215 billion for DOJ's grant accounts, which includes $527.5 million for the Violence Against Women Programs account; $83.0 million for the Research, Evaluation, and Statistics account; $1.189 billion for the State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance account; $175.5 million for the Juvenile Justice Programs account; and $240.5 million for the Community Oriented Policing Services account.

In S. 1662, the Senate Committee on Appropriations recommends a total of $2.226 billion for DOJ's grant accounts. This amount includes a $379.0 million transfer from the Crime Victims Fund to the Violence Against Women Programs account. Within the amount provided, $483.5 million is for the Violence Against Women Programs account; $85.0 million is for the Research, Evaluation, and Statistics account; $1.171 billion is for the State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance account; $260.0 million for the Juvenile Justice Programs account; and $226.5 million for the Community Oriented Policing Services account.

The Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018, and Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Requirements Act, 2017 (P.L. 115-56), funds DOJ at the rate provided in P.L. 115-31, minus a 0.6791% rescission, until December 8, 2017, or until DOJ's FY2018 appropriations are enacted. However, Section 109 of Division D of P.L. 115-56 prohibits DOJ from making grants under the continuing resolution.


FY2018 Appropriations for Department of Justice Grant Programs

Each year, Congress provides funding for a variety of grant programs through the Department of Justice (DOJ). These programs provide support to state, local, and tribal governments and nonprofit organizations for a variety of criminal justice-related purposes, such as combatting violence against women, reducing backlogs of DNA evidence, supporting community policing, assisting crime victims, promoting prisoner reentry, and improving the functioning of the juvenile justice system. Congress funds these programs through five accounts in the annual Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) appropriations act:

This report provides an overview of congressional actions to fund DOJ's grant programs through these accounts for FY2018. The report also provides information on FY2017 appropriations for DOJ's grant programs.

Congress passed the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018, and Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Requirements Act, 2017, which was signed into law by President Trump on September 8, 2017 (P.L. 115-56). The act funds DOJ at the rate provided in P.L. 115-31, minus a 0.6791% rescission, until December 8, 2017, or until DOJ's FY2018 appropriations are signed into law. However, Section 109 of Division D of P.L. 115-56 prohibits DOJ from making grants under the continuing resolution.1

Office on Violence Against Women (OVW)

The Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) was established to administer programs created under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) of 1994 (P.L. 103-322). These programs provide financial and technical assistance to communities around the country to facilitate the creation of programs, policies, and practices designed to improve criminal justice responses related to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.

The Trump Administration's FY2018 budget request for OVW is largely in-line with what Congress appropriated for FY2017. The Administration's budget request would cut $2.0 million from the grant program which encourages arrest policies in instances of domestic violence, $1.0 million from grants that are designed to prevent domestic violence in rural jurisdictions, and $1.5 million from grants that support efforts to expand tribal jurisdiction over certain domestic violence cases involving non-tribal members. The Administration's budget request would increase funding by $1 million for grants for states that have laws that allow women to terminate the parental rights of rapists.

The Administration proposes supplementing $35.0 million in direct appropriations for the OVW account with $445.0 million from the Crime Victims Fund. For FY2017, Congress supplemented direct appropriations for OVW with a $326.0 million transfer from the Crime Victims Fund.2

The House-passed bill funds nearly every program under the OVW account at the FY2017-enacted level. The House-passed bill (H.R. 3354) includes a $0.5 million increase for research on violence against women. The $45.5 million increase in the OVW account is due to the House proposing to fund grants for victims of trafficking through the OVW account rather than the State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance account, where the appropriation for this program is traditionally provided. The House-passed bill does not recommend transferring any funding from the Crime Victims Fund to the OVW account.

The Senate Committee on Appropriations would also largely fund programs under the OVW account at the FY2017-enacted level. The two exceptions are $1.0 million increases for both transitional housing assistance and grants for rural domestic violence and child abuse enforcement assistance. The committee-reported bill includes a $379.0 million transfer from the Crime Victims Fund to the OVW account.

Table 1. Appropriations for the Office on Violence Against Women Programs, FY2017 and FY2018

Appropriations in millions of dollars

Program

FY2017 Enacted

FY2018 Administration's Request

FY2018 House-Passed

FY2018 Senate Committee- Reported

FY2018 Enacted

STOP Formula Grantsa

$215.0

$215.0

$215.0

$215.0

 

Research and Evaluation on Violence Against Women

3.0

5.0

3.5

3.0

 

Transitional Housing Assistance

30.0

30.0

30.0

31.0

 

Grants to Encourage Arrest Policies

53.0

51.0

53.0

53.0

 

Homicide Reduction Initiative

(4.0)

(4.0)

(4.0)

(4.0)

 

Rural Domestic Violence and Child Abuse Enforcement Assistance Grants

35.0

34.0

35.0

36.0

 

Violence on College Campuses

20.0

20.0

20.0

20.0

 

Civil Legal Assistance

45.0

45.0

45.0

45.0

 

Sexual Assault Victims Services

35.0

35.0

35.0

35.0

 

Elder Abuse Grant Program

5.0

5.0

5.0

5.0

 

Education and Training for Disabled Female Victims

6.0

6.0

6.0

6.0

 

Research on Violence Against Indian Women

1.0

1.0

1.0

1.0

 

Consolidated Youth Oriented Program

11.0

11.0

11.0

11.0

 

National Resource Center on Workplace Responses

0.5

0.5

0.5

0.5

 

Indian Country Sexual Assault Clearinghouse

0.5

0.5

0.5

0.5

 

Family Civil Justice Program

16.0

16.0

16.0

16.0

 

Tribal Special Domestic Violence Criminal Jurisdiction

4.0

2.5

4.0

4.0

 

Rape Survivor Child Custody Act

1.5

2.5

1.5

1.5

 

Victims of Trafficking Grantsb

45.0

 

Total: OVW

481.5c

480.0d

527.5e

483.5f

 

Source: The FY2017-enacted amounts were taken from the joint explanatory statement to accompany P.L. 115-31, printed in the May 3, 2017, Congressional Record (pp. H3365-H3390). The FY2018 requested amounts were taken from the Appendix to the President's FY2018 budget. The House-passed amounts were taken from the text of H.R. 3354. The Senate committee-reported amounts were taken from the report to accompany S. 1662 (S.Rept. 115-139).

Note: Amounts may not add to totals due to rounding. Numbers in parentheses are set-asides. The program provides funding for violence against women prevention programs administered by the Office on Violence Against Women.

a. "STOP" stands for "Service―Training―Officers―Prosecutors."

b. This program is traditionally funded under the State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance account. See Table 3.

c. This amount includes the $326.0 million transfer from the Crime Victims Fund to the Office on Violence Against Women per P.L. 115-31.

d. This amount includes a proposed $445.0 million transfer from the Crime Victims Fund.

e. An amendment adopted during floor consideration of H.R. 3354 added $0.5 million to the OVW account, but the amendment did not specify to which program the additional funding was added.

f. This amount includes a proposed $379.0 million transfer from the Crime Victims Fund.

Office of Justice Programs (OJP)

The Office of Justice Programs (OJP) manages and coordinates the National Institute of Justice; Bureau of Justice Statistics; Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; Office of Victims of Crimes; Bureau of Justice Assistance; Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking; and related grant programs.

Research, Evaluation, and Statistics

The Research, Evaluation, and Statistics account (formerly the Justice Assistance account) funds the operations of the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) and the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), among other things.

The Administration's FY2018 request for the Research, Evaluation, and Statistics account is $22.0 million (24.7%) greater than the FY2017-enacted appropriation of $89.0 million. The increase is entirely the result of the Administration requesting funding for the Regional Information Sharing System (RISS) program under this account. For FY2017, Congress provided funding for the RISS program under the Community Oriented Policing Services account. The Administration's budget request would decrease funding for both the Bureau of Justice Statistics (-$4.5 million) and the National Institute of Justice (-$3.5 million).

The House funds BJS at the FY2017-enacted level and reduces funding for NIJ by $1.0 million. The House declined to adopt the Administration's proposal to fund RISS through the Research, Evaluation, and Statistics account (funding for this program is provided under the Community Oriented Policing Services account). In addition, the House eliminates funding for the forensic sciences improvement initiative.

The Senate Committee on Appropriations reduces funding for BJS by $0.5 million, but funds NIJ at the FY2017-enacted level. The committee declined to provide funding for RISS under the Research, Evaluation, and Statistics account (funding for this program is provided under the Community Oriented Policing Services account). The committee also eliminates funding for the forensic sciences improvement initiative.

Table 2. Appropriations for Research, Evaluation, and Statistics, FY2017 and FY2018

Appropriations in millions of dollars

Program

FY2017 Enacted

FY2018 Administration's Request

FY2018 House-Passed

FY2018 Senate Committee-Reported

FY2018 Enacted

Bureau of Justice Statistics

$45.5

$41.0

$44.5

$45.0

 

National Crime Statistics Exchange (NCS-X)

(5.0)

(5.0)

 

National Institute of Justice

39.5

36.0

38.5

39.5

 

Domestic Radicalization Research

(4.0)

(4.0)

 

Regional Information Sharing System

a

30.0

b

b

 

Forensic Science Improvement

4.0

4.0

 

Total: Research, Evaluation, and Statistics

89.0

111.0

83.0

85.0

 

Source: The FY2017-enacted amounts were taken from the joint explanatory statement to accompany P.L. 115-31, printed in the May 3, 2017, Congressional Record (pp. H3365-H3390). The FY2018 requested amounts were taken from the Appendix to the President's FY2018 budget. The House-passed amounts were taken from the text of H.R. 3354. The Senate committee-reported amounts were taken from the report to accompany S. 1662 (S.Rept. 115-139).

Notes: Amounts may not add to totals due to rounding. Numbers in parentheses are set-asides. This account provides funding for research, evaluation, and statistics programs within the Office of Justice Programs.

a. FY2017 funding for this program is provided under the Community Oriented Policing Services account. See Table 5.

b. Funding for this program is provided under the Community Oriented Policing Services account. See Table 5.

State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance

The State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance (S&LLEA) account includes funding for a variety of grant programs to improve the functioning of state, local, and tribal criminal justice systems. Programs that have traditionally been funded under this account include the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) program, the Drug Courts program, the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP), and DNA backlog reduction grant programs.

For FY2018, the Trump Administration requests $940.5 million for the S&LLEA account, which includes a proposed $73.0 million transfer from the Crime Victims Fund. The Administration's budget would eliminate funding for SCAAP (-$210.0 million) and the Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation program (-$17.5 million). The budget also includes a $70.5 million reduction for JAG, $20.0 million reductions for both the DNA Analysis and Capacity Enhancement program and the Second Chance Act, and a $30.0 million reduction for the Comprehensive School Safety Initiative. The Administration also proposes to eliminate funding for the Community Trust and Opioids Initiatives, though it requests funding for many of the programs funded under both initiatives as their own line items in the S&LLEA account. The Administration proposes funding grant programs to help law enforcement agencies purchase armor vests and body-worn cameras with set-asides from the JAG program. For FY2017, both of these programs were funded as their own line items in the S&LLEA account.

The Administration's budget request would increase funding for two programs that focus on combatting violent crime. The FY2018 budget request includes $70.0 million for a program to reduce gang and gun violence, also referred to as Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). For FY2017, Congress provided $6.5 million for PSN as a set-aside from JAG. The Administration proposes changing PSN from a competitive grant program to a block grant program.3 The Administration also requests $5.0 million for a National Crime Reduction Assistance Network, which would provide training and technical assistance to cities to support violence reduction strategies. Congress did not appropriate funding for this program for FY2017.

The House-passed bill includes $1.189 billion for the S&LLEA account. The House declined to adopt many of the Administration's proposals, such as supplementing funding for the account with a transfer from the Crime Victims Fund, increasing funding for Project Safe Neighborhoods, and eliminating funding for the SCAAP and Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation programs (funding for the latter is provided under the Community Oriented Policing Services account and is $7.5 million less than the FY2017-enacted appropriation). The House-passed bill moves funding for several programs—grants under the Second Chance Act, the Community Trust Initiative, and grants for community teams to reduce sexual assault kit backlogs—to the Community Oriented Policing Services account. The House would generally fund most programs under the S&LLEA account at the FY2017-enacted level, but the House recommends a $5.0 million reduction for both the Comprehensive School Safety and Emergency Federal Law Enforcement Assistance programs. The House also recommends a $112.0 million increase for JAG, a $20.0 million increase for SCAAP, and a $22.0 million increase for programs authorized by the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016 (CARA, P.L. 114-198).

The Senate Committee on Appropriations recommends $1.171 billion for the S&LLEA account. The committee also declined to adopt many of the Administration's proposals, including the proposal to supplement funding for the account with a transfer from the Crime Victims Fund, increasing funding for Project Safe Neighborhoods, and eliminating funding for the SCAAP and Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation programs. While the committee did not eliminate funding for SCAAP, it did recommend a $110.0 million cut to the program. The committee generally funds all programs under the S&LLEA account at the FY2017-enacted level, but recommends increases for JAG (+$1.5 million); grants to prevent economic, white collar, and cybercrimes (+$1.0 million); grants under the Second Chance Act (+$2.0 million); the Paul Coverdell Forensic Sciences Improvement program (+$0.5 million); and programs authorized under CARA (+$8.0 million).

Table 3. Appropriations for State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance, FY2017 and FY2018

Appropriations in millions of dollars

Program

FY2017 Enacted

FY2018 Administration's Request

FY2018 House-Passed

FY2018 Senate Reported

FY2018 Enacted

Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grants (JAG)

$403.0a

$332.5

$515.0

$404.5

 

Improving Police Response to People with Mental Illness

(2.5)

(2.5)

 

VALOR Initiative

(7.5)

(15.0)

(10.0)

(7.5)

 

Evidence-Based Policing Initiative

(5.0)

(5.0)

(5.0)

 

Prosecutorial Decision-making Initiative

(2.5)

(4.0)

(2.5)

 

Domestic Radicalization Research

(4.0)

(4.0)

 

National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUS)

(2.4)

(2.4)

(2.4)

 

Violent Gang and Gun Crime Reduction (Project Safe Neighborhoods)

(6.5)

(20.0)

(6.5)

 

John R. Justice Grant Program

(2.0)

(2.0)

 

Capital Litigation/ Wrongful Conviction Review

(2.5)

(2.5)

 

Body Worn Camera Partnership Initiative

(22.5)

 

Bulletproof Vests Grant Program

(22.5)

 

Prison Rape Prevention and Prosecution

(10.5)

(15.5)

 

Pre-inauguration Presidential Security

(27.0)

 

Juvenile Indigent Defense

(2.0)

 

White Collar Crime Prevention

(10.0)

 

State Criminal Alien Assistance Program

210.0

230.0

100.0

 

Victims of Trafficking Grants

45.0

45.0

b

45.0

 

Economic, High-Tech and, Cybercrime Prevention

13.0

11.0

c

14.0

 

IP Enforcement

(2.5)

(2.5)

 

Cybercrime Prosecutor Pilot Program

(1.0)

(1.0)

 

Digital Investigation Education Program

(1.0)

 

CASA-Special Advocates

9.0

9.0

9.0

9.0

 

Second Chance Act

68.0

48.0

d

70.0

 

Smart Probation

(6.0)

(6.0)

(6.0)

 

Children of Incarcerated Parents Demonstration Grants

(5.0)

(5.0)

(5.0)

 

Pay for Success

(7.5)

(7.5)

(7.5)

 

Project HOPE

(4.0)

(4.0)

(4.0)

 

Violent Gang and Gun Crime Reduction (Project Safe Neighborhoods)

e

70.0

c

c

 

National Criminal History Improvement

73.0

68.0

73.0

73.0

 

NICS Improvements Act

(25.0)

(15.0)

(25.0)

 

Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Grants

13.0

13.0

13.5

 

Implementation of the Adam Walsh Act

20.0

20.0

20.0

20.0

 

Children Exposed to Violence Initiative

8.0

 

National Sex Offender Public Website

1.0

1.0

1.0

1.0

 

Bulletproof Vests Grant Program

22.5

f

22.5

22.5

 

Residential Substance Abuse Treatment

g

12.0

h

h

 

Mentally Ill Offenders Act

g

10.0

h

h

 

Drug Courts

g

40.0

h

h

 

Veterans' Treatment Courts

g

6.0

h

h

 

Prescription Drug Monitoring

g

12.0

h

h

 

Capital Litigation/ Wrongful Conviction Review

e

2.5

2.5

 

Prison Rape Prevention and Prosecution

e

15.5

c

 

DNA Initiatives

125.0

105.0

135.0

125.0

 

DNA Analysis and Capacity Enhancement

(117.0)

(97.0)

(127.0)

(117.0)

 

Post-conviction DNA Testing Grants

(4.0)

(4.0)

(4.0)

(4.0)

 

Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners

(4.0)

(4.0)

(4.0)

(4.0)

 

Grants for Community Teams to Reduce the Sexual Assault Kit Backlog

45.0

45.0

d

45.0

 

Comprehensive School Safety Initiative

50.0

20.0

45.0

50.0

 

Justice Reinvestment Initiative

i

22.0

 

National Crime Reduction Assistance Network

5.0

 

Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Grant Program

20.0

 

Community Trust Initiative

65.0

d

65.0

 

Body Worn Camera Partnership Initiative

(22.5)

f

d

(22.5)

 

Justice Reinvestment Initiative

(25.0)

d

(25.0)

 

Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation Program

(17.5)

d

(17.5)

 

Opioids Initiative

103.0

128.0

111.0

 

Residential Substance Abuse Treatment

(14.0)

(12.0)

(14.0)

 

Mentally Ill Offenders Act

(12.0)

(14.0)

(12.0)

 

Drug Courts

(43.0)

(43.0)

(43.0)

 

Veterans' Treatment Courts

(7.0)

(10.0)

(7.0)

 

Prescription Drug Monitoring

(14.0)

(14.0)

(14.0)

 

Other Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act Activities

(13.0)

(35.0)

(21.0)

 

Emergency Federal Law Enforcement Assistance

15.0

10.0

 

Total: State and Local Law Enforcement

1,280.5

940.5j

1,188.5

1,171.0

 

Source: The FY2017-enacted amounts were taken from the joint explanatory statement to accompany P.L. 115-31, printed in the May 3, 2017, Congressional Record (pp. H3365-H3390). The FY2018 requested amounts were taken from the Appendix to the President's FY2018 budget. The House-passed amounts were taken from the text of H.R. 3354. The Senate committee-reported amounts were taken from the report to accompany S. 1662 (S.Rept. 115-139).

Note: Amounts may not add to totals due to rounding. Numbers in parentheses are set-asides. This account provides funding for state and local law enforcement assistance programs within the Office of Justice Programs.

a. This amount includes $7.0 million that was appropriated pursuant to the Further Continuing and Security Assistance Appropriations Act, 2017 (P.L. 114-254) for the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) program to reimburse overtime costs associated with providing security for President-elect Donald Trump that was extended until the end of FY2017 by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 (P.L. 115-31).

b. Funding for this program is provided under the Office on Violence Against Women Programs account. See Table 1.

c. Funding for this program is provided as a set-aside from JAG.

d. Funding for this program is provided under the Community Oriented Policing Services account. See Table 5.

e. For FY2017, this program was funded as a set-aside from the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) program.

f. Funding for this program is requested as a set-aside from the JAG program.

g. For FY2017, funding for this program was provided under the Opioid Initiative.

h. See the Opioids Initiative in this account.

i. For FY2017, funding for this program was provided under the Community Trust Initiative.

j. This amount includes a proposed transfer of $73.0 million from the Crime Victims Fund.

Juvenile Justice Programs

The Juvenile Justice Programs account includes funding for grant programs to reduce juvenile delinquency and help state, local, and tribal governments improve the functioning of their juvenile justice systems.

The Administration's FY2018 request for Juvenile Justice Programs is $17.5 million (-7.1%) less than the FY2017-enacted appropriation of $247.0 million. The $229.5 million the Trump Administration requests for this account includes a transfer of $92.0 million from the Crime Victims Fund. The overall reduction in funding for this account is almost solely attributable to a $22.0 million reduction in funding for youth mentoring grants. The Administration's budget request includes increases for Part B formula grants (+$3.0 million), Title V delinquency prevention grants (+$2.5 million), and grants to improve juvenile indigent defense (+$0.5 million).

The House-passed bill includes $175.5 million for the Juvenile Justice Programs account. The House eliminated funding for Part B State Formula grants, Title V Delinquency Prevention grants, and grants to improve indigent defense for juveniles. The remaining programs would be funded at the FY2017-enacted level. The House did not adopt the Administration's proposal to supplement direct funding for this account with a transfer from the Crime Victims Fund.

The bill reported by the Senate Committee on Appropriations recommends a $13.0 million increase for the Juvenile Justice Programs account ($260.0 million). The committee-reported bill includes increases for Part B State Formula grants (+$5.0 million), Title V Delinquency Prevention grants (+$4.5 million), and Missing and Exploited Children programs (+$3.5 million). The committee did not adopt the Administration's proposal to supplement direct funding for this account with a transfer from the Crime Victims Fund.

Table 4. Appropriations for Juvenile Justice Programs, FY2017 and FY2018

Appropriations in millions of dollars

Program

FY2017 Enacted

FY2018 Administration's Request

FY2018 House-Passed

FY2018 Senate Committee-Reported

FY2018 Enacted

Part B—State Formula

$55.0

$58.0

$60.0

 

Emergency Planning—Juvenile Detention Facilities

(0.5)

(0.5)

(0.5)

 

Youth Mentoring Grants

80.0

58.0

80.0

80.0

 

Title V—Delinquency Prevention Grants

14.5

17.0

19.0

 

Gang Prevention

(4.0)

(5.0)

(4.0)

 

Children of Incarcerated Parents Web Portal

(0.5)

(0.5)

(0.5)

 

Girls in the Juvenile Justice System

(2.0)

(2.0)

a

(2.0)

 

Community-Based Violence Prevention Initiative

(8.0)

(8.0)

 

Investigation and Prosecution of Child Abuse Programs

21.0

20.0

21.0

21.0

 

Child Abuse Training for Judicial Personnel

2.0

2.0

2.0

2.0

 

Missing and Exploited Children Programs

72.5

72.0

72.5

76.0

 

Improving Juvenile Indigent Defense Program

2.0

2.5

2.0

 

Total: Juvenile Justice Programs

247.0

229.5b

175.5

260.0

 

Source: The FY2017-enacted amounts were taken from the joint explanatory statement to accompany P.L. 115-31, printed in the May 3, 2017, Congressional Record (pp. H3365-H3390). The FY2018 requested amounts were taken from the Appendix to the President's FY2018 budget. The House-passed amounts were taken from the text of H.R. 3354. The Senate committee-reported amounts were taken from the report to accompany S. 1662 (S.Rept. 115-139).

Note: Amounts may not add to totals due to rounding. Numbers in parentheses are set-asides. This account provides funding for juvenile justice programs within the Office of Justice Programs.

a. This program is funded as a set-aside from appropriations for the Second Chance Act under the Community Oriented Policing Services account. See Table 5.

b. This amount includes a proposed $92.0 million transfer from the Crime Victims Fund.

Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS)

The Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Office awards grants to state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies throughout the United States so they can hire new officers, train them in community policing, purchase and deploy new crime-fighting technologies, and develop and test new and innovative policing strategies.

The Administration requests $218.0 million for COPS for FY2018, which is $3.5 million less than the FY2017-enacted appropriation. The budget request would increase funding for the COPS Hiring Program, and within this amount re-establish a set-aside for assistance to tribal law enforcement. However, the budget request would eliminate funding for anti-methamphetamine and anti-heroin task forces.

The House recommends $240.5 million for the COPS account, but the House-passed bill would eliminate funding for many programs that are traditionally administered by the COPS Office. Most of the programs the House would fund under the COPS account traditionally receive funding under the S&LLEA account. It remains to be seen what effect the House's proposal would have on the COPS Office given that many of the programs under the COPS account are administered by OJP and would, presumably, be transferred to OJP if Congress adopts the House's proposal.4 The House Committee on Appropriations included a similar proposal in its FY2017 CJS appropriations bill (H.R. 5393), but it was not included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act (P.L. 115-31).

The Senate committee-reported bill includes $226.5 million for the COPS account. The committee recommends a $13.0 million increase for the COPS hiring program and a $2.0 million increase for anti-heroin task forces.

Table 5. Appropriations for Community Oriented Policing Services, FY2017 and FY2018

Appropriations in millions of dollars

Program

FY2017 Enacted

FY2018 Administration's Request

FY2018 House-Passed

FY2018 Senate Committee-Reported

FY2018 Enacted

COPS Hiring Program

$194.5

$207.0

$207.5

 

Community Policing Development

(5.0)

(10.0)

(5.0)

 

Tribal Law Enforcement Assistance

(30.0)

 

Training and Technical Assistance on the Collaborative Reform Model

(10.0)

(10.0)

(10.0)

 

Regional Information Sharing System

(35.0)

a

(36.0)

 

The POLICE Actb

(7.5)

(7.5)

 

Transfer to the Drug Enforcement Administration for Methamphetamine Lab Clean-Up

10.0

11.0

11.0

 

Anti-methamphetamine Task Forces

7.0

7.0

 

Anti-heroin Task Forces

10.0

12.0

 

The POLICE Act

10.0

 

Community Trust Initiativec

67.5d

 

Body Worn Camera Partnership Initiative

(22.5)

 

Justice Reinvestment Initiative

(25.0)

 

Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation Program

(10.0)

 

Research and Statistics on Community Trust

(7.5)

 

Second Chance Actc

68.0

 

Children of Incarcerated Parents Demonstration Grants

(5.0)

 

Girls in the Juvenile Justice System

(2.0)

 

Grants for Community Teams to Reduce the Sexual Assault Kit Backlogc

49.0

 

Regional Information Sharing System

35.0

 

Total: Community Oriented Policing Services

221.5

218.0

240.5

226.5

 

Source: The FY2017-enacted amounts were taken from the joint explanatory statement to accompany P.L. 115-31, printed in the May 3, 2017, Congressional Record (pp. H3365-H3390). The FY2018 requested amounts were taken from the Appendix to the President's FY2018 budget. The House-passed amounts were taken from the text of H.R. 3354. The Senate committee-reported amounts were taken from the report to accompany S. 1662 (S.Rept. 115-139).

Note: Amounts may not add to totals due to rounding. Numbers in parentheses are set-asides. This program provides funding for programs to promote community policing and provide assistance to state and local law enforcement administered by the COPS Office.

a. The Administration requests funding for this program under the Research, Evaluation, and Statistics account.

b. The POLICE Act of 2016 (P.L. 114-199) allows COPS grants to be used for active-shooter training.

c. Funding for this program has traditionally been provided under the State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance account. See Table 3.

d. An amendment adopted during floor consideration of H.R. 3354 added $2.5 million to the Community Trust Initiative, but the amendment did not specify to which program the additional funding was added.

Author Contact Information

[author name scrubbed], Analyst in Crime Policy ([email address scrubbed], [phone number scrubbed])

Key Policy Staff

Area of Expertise

Name

Phone

Email

Juvenile Justice Programs

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Office on Violence Against Women

Lisa Sacco

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance; COPS; Research, Evaluation, and Statistics

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Footnotes

1.

Section 109 states "[n]otwithstanding any other provision of this Act, except section 106, for those programs that would otherwise have high initial rates of operation or complete distribution of appropriations at the beginning of fiscal year 2018 because of distributions of funding to States, foreign countries, grantees, or others, such high initial rates of operation or complete distribution shall not be made, and no grants shall be awarded for such programs funded by this Act that would impinge on final funding prerogatives."

2.

The Crime Victims Fund (CVF) was established by the Victims of Crime Act (P.L. 98-473) to provide funding for state victim compensation and assistance programs. The CVF does not receive appropriated funding. Rather, deposits to the CVF come from a number of sources including criminal fines, forfeited bail bonds, penalties, and special assessments collected by the U.S. Attorneys Offices, federal courts, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons from offenders convicted of federal crimes. For more information on the CVF, see CRS Report R42672, The Crime Victims Fund: Federal Support for Victims of Crime, by [author name scrubbed].

3.

For many years, the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) used a formula, based on crime and population, to allocate PSN funds. Starting in FY2012, BJA chose to award PSN funds on a competitive basis to focus funding on high-performing, evidence-based programs with the greatest need.

4.

There is precedent for such action. In the early 2000s, Congress provided funding for several programs (e.g., Project Safe Neighborhoods, DNA backlog reduction initiatives, Paul Coverdell grants, offender reentry programs, the National Criminal History Improvement program, and the Bulletproof Vest Grant program) that were traditionally administered by OJP under the COPS account. Those funds were transferred to OJP. For more information on this and other issues related to funding for COPS, see CRS Report RL33308, Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS): In Brief, by [author name scrubbed].