FY2018 Appropriations for Department of Justice Grant Programs

May 8, 2018 (R44893)
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Contents

Tables

Summary

Each year, Congress and the Administration provide 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. These programs are funded 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 requested a total of $1.979 billion for the five DOJ grant accounts, which included $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. To achieve these funding levels the Administration proposed 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 have supplemented appropriations from the General Fund of the Treasury for the three accounts.

In H.R. 3354, the House recommended a total of $2.215 billion for DOJ's grant accounts, which included $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. The House bill would not have transferred funding from the Crime Victims Fund to the Violence Against Women Programs, State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance, and Juvenile Justice Programs accounts.

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

Congress and the Administration funded DOJ's five grant accounts at $2.820 billion for FY2018. This amount includes $492.0 million for the Violence Against Women Programs account; $90.0 million for the Research, Evaluation, and Statistics account; $1.680 billion for the State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance account; $282.5 million for the Juvenile Justice Programs account; and $275.5 million for the Community Oriented Policing Services account. Total funding includes $492.0 million that is to be transferred from the Crime Victims Fund to the Office on Violence Against Women. In general, most DOJ grant programs were funded at or above the FY2017 level. Many of the programs that received the largest increases in funding are related to combatting opioid abuse. Congress also largely declined to accept the Administration's proposals to eliminate funding for several grant programs, such as the State Criminal Alien Assistance program, and to decrease funding for other programs.


FY2018 Appropriations for Department of Justice Grant Programs

Each year, Congress and the Administration provide 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. These programs are funded 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.

The amounts in this report reflect only new funding made available at the start of the fiscal year. Therefore, the amounts do not include any rescissions of unobligated or deobligated balances that may be counted as offsets to newly enacted appropriations.

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 to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.

The Trump Administration's FY2018 budget request for OVW was largely in-line with what was provided for FY2017. The Administration's budget request would have cut, relative to FY2017 funding, $2.0 million from the grant program that is designed to improve the criminal justice response to sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking; $1.0 million from grants that are designed to prevent domestic violence in rural jurisdictions; and $1.5 million from grants that assist Indian tribes in planning, implementing, and exercising criminal jurisdiction over non-Indians who commit crimes of domestic violence or dating violence or violate certain protection orders in Indian country. The Administration's budget request would have increased funding by $1.0 million, relative to FY2017 funding, for a program to increase states' allocations under the STOP formula grant program if the state has a law that allows women to terminate the parental rights of rapists.

The Administration proposed supplementing $35.0 million in appropriations from the General Fund of the Treasury for the OVW account with a $445.0 million transfer from the Crime Victims Fund. For FY2017, Congress and the Administration supplemented appropriations from the General Fund of the Treasury for OVW with a $326.0 million transfer from the Crime Victims Fund.1

The House-passed bill (H.R. 3354) would have funded nearly every program under the OVW account at the FY2017 level. The House-passed bill included a $0.5 million increase for research on violence against women relative to FY2017 funding. The proposed $45.5 million increase in the OVW account relative to FY2017 funding was 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 did not recommend transferring any funding from the Crime Victims Fund to the OVW account.

The Senate committee-reported bill (S. 1662) would have also largely funded programs under the OVW account at the FY2017 level. The two exceptions were $1.0 million increases, relative to FY2017 funding, for both transitional housing assistance and grants for rural domestic violence and child abuse enforcement assistance. The committee-reported bill included a $379.0 million transfer from the Crime Victims Fund to the OVW account.

Congress and the Administration provided $492.0 million for OVW for FY2018, all of which comes via a transfer from the Crime Victims Fund. FY2018 funding was $10.5 million greater than FY2017 funding and $12.0 million more than the Administration's request. In general, for FY2018 OVW programs were funded at the FY2017 level, but there were a few programs that received an increase. Congress and the Administration provided, relative to FY2017 funding, an additional $5.0 million for transitional housing assistance grants, an additional $5.0 million for grants to assist victims of domestic violence in rural areas, and an additional $0.5 million for research related to violence against women.

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

$215.0

Research and Evaluation on Violence Against Women

3.0

5.0

3.5

3.0

3.5

Transitional Housing Assistance

30.0

30.0

30.0

31.0

35.0

Grants to Encourage Arrest Policies

53.0

51.0

53.0

53.0

53.0

Homicide Reduction Initiative

(4.0)

(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

40.0

Violence on College Campuses

20.0

20.0

20.0

20.0

20.0

Civil Legal Assistance

45.0

45.0

45.0

45.0

45.0

Sexual Assault Victims Services

35.0

35.0

35.0

35.0

35.0

Elder Abuse Grant Program

5.0

5.0

5.0

5.0

5.0

Education and Training for Disabled Female Victims

6.0

6.0

6.0

6.0

6.0

Research on Violence Against Indian Women

1.0

1.0

1.0

1.0

1.0

Consolidated Youth Oriented Program

11.0

11.0

11.0

11.0

11.0

National Resource Center on Workplace Responses

0.5

0.5

0.5

0.5

0.5

Indian Country Sexual Assault Clearinghouse

0.5

0.5

0.5

0.5

0.5

Family Civil Justice Program

16.0

16.0

16.0

16.0

16.0

Tribal Special Domestic Violence Criminal Jurisdiction

4.0

2.5

4.0

4.0

4.0

Rape Survivor Child Custody Act

1.5

2.5

1.5

1.5

1.5

Victims of Trafficking Grants

45.0b

Total: OVW

481.5c

480.0d

527.5e

483.5f

492.0g

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 amounts for the Administration's FY2018 budget request were taken from the report to accompany H.R. 3267 (H.Rept. 115-231). The House-passed amounts were taken from the text of H.R. 3354 and H.Rept. 115-231. House-passed amounts were then adjusted for the budgetary effects of floor amendments. The Senate committee-reported amounts were taken from the report to accompany S. 1662 (S.Rept. 115-139). The FY2018 enacted amounts were taken from the joint explanatory statement to accompany P.L. 115-141, printed in the March 22, 2018, Congressional Record (pp. H2084-H2115).

Note: Amounts may not add to totals due to rounding. Numbers in parentheses are set-asides. This account provides funding for grant programs administered by the Office on Violence Against Women.

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

b. The House-passed bill would have provided funding for victims of trafficking grants under the Office on Violence Against Women account. For FY2018, funding program provided under the State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance account. See Table 3.

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

d. This amount included 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 included a proposed $379.0 million transfer from the Crime Victims Fund.

g. This amount includes a $492.0 million transfer from the Crime Victims Fund to the Office on Violence Against Women per P.L. 115-141.

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 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 was $22.0 million greater than FY2017 funding. The proposed increase was entirely the result of the Administration requesting funding for the Regional Information Sharing System (RISS) program under this account. For FY2017, Congress and the Administration provided funding for the RISS program under the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) account. The Administration's budget request would have decreased funding for both the Bureau of Justice Statistics (-$4.5 million) and the National Institute of Justice (-$3.5 million) relative to FY2017 funding.

The House bill would have funded BJS at the FY2017 level and reduced funding for NIJ by $1.0 million relative to FY2017 funding. The House declined to adopt the Administration's proposal to fund RISS through the Research, Evaluation, and Statistics account (funding for this program was provided under the Community Oriented Policing Services account). In addition, the House bill would have eliminated funding for the forensic sciences improvement initiative.

The Senate committee-reported bill would have reduced funding for BJS by $0.5 million relative to FY2017 funding, but would have funded NIJ at the FY2017 level. The committee declined to provide funding for RISS under the Research, Evaluation, and Statistics account (funding for this program is provided under the COPS account). The committee-reported bill would have also eliminated funding for the forensic sciences improvement initiative.

Congress and the Administration funded the Research, Evaluation, and Statistics account at $90.0 million for FY2018, an amount that is $1.0 million more than FY2017 funding, but $21.0 million less than the Administration's request. The reduced funding relative to the Administration's request is the result of not funding the Forensic Science Improvement program and providing funding for RISS under the COPS account. Congress and the Administration provided increased funding, relative to FY2017 funding, for both BJS (+$2.5 million) and NIJ (+$2.5 million).

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

$48.0

National Crime Statistics Exchange (NCS-X)

(5.0)

(5.0)

(5.0)

National Institute of Justice

39.5

36.0

38.5

39.5

42.0

Domestic Radicalization Research

(4.0)

(4.0)

(4.0)

Regional Information Sharing System

30.0a

Forensic Science Improvement

4.0

4.0

Total: Research, Evaluation, and Statistics

89.0

111.0

83.0

85.0

90.0

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 amounts for the Administration's FY2018 budget request were taken from the report to accompany H.R. 3267 (H.Rept. 115-231). The House-passed amounts were taken from the text of H.R. 3354 and H.Rept. 115-231. House-passed amounts were then adjusted for the budgetary effects of floor amendments. The Senate committee-reported amounts were taken from the report to accompany S. 1662 (S.Rept. 115-139). The FY2018 enacted amounts were taken from the joint explanatory statement to accompany P.L. 115-141, printed in the March 22, 2018, Congressional Record (pp. H2084-H2115).

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. The Administration requested funding for RISS under the Research, Evaluation, and Statistics account. For FY2018, 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 requested $940.5 million for the S&LLEA account, which included a proposed $73.0 million transfer from the Crime Victims Fund. The Administration's budget would have eliminated funding for SCAAP (-$210.0 million) and the Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation program (-$17.5 million). The budget also included, relative to FY2017 funding, 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 proposed to eliminate funding for the Community Trust and Opioids Initiatives, though it requested funding for many of the programs funded under both initiatives as their own line items in the S&LLEA account. The Administration proposed 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 have increased funding for two programs that focus on combatting violent crime. The FY2018 budget request included $70.0 million for a program to reduce gang and gun violence, also referred to as Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). For FY2017, Congress and the Administration provided $6.5 million for PSN as a set-aside from JAG. The Administration proposed changing PSN from a competitive grant program to a block grant program.2 The Administration also requested $5.0 million for a National Crime Reduction Assistance Network, which would have provided training and technical assistance to cities to support violence reduction strategies.

The House-passed bill included $1.189 billion for the S&LLEA account. The House declined to adopt many of the Administration's funding 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 FY2017 funding). The House-passed bill would have moved 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 COPS account. The House bill would have generally funded most programs under the S&LLEA account at the FY2017 level, but the House bill would have reduced funding for both the Comprehensive School Safety and Emergency Federal Law Enforcement Assistance programs by $5.0 million relative to FY2017 funding. The House bill also included, relative to FY2017 funding, 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-reported bill included $1.171 billion for the S&LLEA account. The committee also declined to adopt many of the Administration's funding 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-reported bill would not have eliminated funding for SCAAP, it included a $110.0 million cut to the program relative to FY2017 funding. The committee-reported bill would have generally funded all programs under the S&LLEA account at the FY2017 level, but it included 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) relative to FY2017 funding.

Congress and the Administration provided $1.680 billion for the S&LLEA account for FY2018. The enacted amount was $399.5 million more than FY2017 funding and $739.5 million more than the Administration's request. In general, Congress declined to adopt the Administration's funding proposals for the S&LLEA account, including supplementing appropriations from the General Fund of the Treasury with a transfer from the Crime Victims Fund, eliminating funding for SCAAP and the Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation program, and cutting funding for JAG, DNA initiatives, and the Comprehensive School Safety Initiative relative to FY2017 funding. Congress and the Administration did not provide funding for a National Crime Reduction Assistance Network. In addition, Congress and the Administration did not provide the $70.0 million the Administration requested for PSN, but funding for the program was increased by $13.5 million for FY2018. Several other programs received increased funding for FY2018:

Congress and the Administration reauthorized the Matching Grant Program for School Security (commonly referred to as the "Secure Our Schools program") as a part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (Title V of Division S of P.L. 115-141). The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 requires all funds provided for the Comprehensive School Safety Initiative ($75.0 million) for FY2018 to be used for grants under the Secure Our Schools program.3

Congress and the Administration also reestablished a line-item appropriation for tribal assistance ($35.0 million) that was eliminated under the S&LLEA account for FY2017. For FY2017, Congress and the Administration authorized DOJ to use up to 7% of the funding available under the State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance, Juvenile Justice Programs, and Community Oriented Policing Services account, with a few exceptions, for tribal justice assistance programs.4 The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018, does not authorize DOJ to set aside funds for tribal assistance programs. Instead, tribal assistance will be provided through specific line-item appropriations (i.e., tribal assistance under the S&LLEA account, the Tribal Youth Program under the Juvenile Justice Programs account, and tribal law enforcement assistance under the COPS account).

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

$415.5

Improving Police Response to People with Mental Illness

(2.5)

(2.5)

(2.5)

VALOR Initiative

(7.5)

(15.0)

(10.0)

(7.5)

(10.0)

Evidence-Based Policing Initiative

(5.0)

(5.0)

(5.0)

(5.0)

Prosecutorial Decision-making Initiative

(2.5)

(4.0)

(2.5)

(5.0)

Domestic Radicalization Research

(4.0)

(4.0)

National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUS)

(2.4)

(2.4)

(2.4)

(2.4)

Violent Gang and Gun Crime Reduction (Project Safe Neighborhoods)

(6.5)

(20.0)

(6.5)

(20.0)

John R. Justice Grant Program

(2.0)

(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)

(15.5)

Pre-inauguration Presidential Security

(27.0)

Juvenile Indigent Defense

(2.0)

White Collar Crime Prevention

(10.0)

Emergency Federal Law Enforcement Assistance

(16.0)

State Criminal Alien Assistance Program

210.0

230.0

100.0

240.0

Victims of Trafficking Grants

45.0

45.0

45.0

77.0

Tribal Assistance

35.0

Economic, High-Tech and, Cybercrime Prevention

13.0

11.0

14.0

14.0

Intellectual Property Enforcement

(2.5)

(2.5)

(2.5)

Cybercrime Prosecutor Pilot Program

(1.0)

(1.0)

(1.0)

Digital Investigation Education Program

(1.0)

(1.0)

CASA-Special Advocates

9.0

9.0

9.0

9.0

12.0

Second Chance Act

68.0

48.0

70.0

85.0

Smart Probation

(6.0)

(6.0)

(6.0)

(6.0)

Children of Incarcerated Parents Demonstration Grants

(5.0)

(5.0)

(5.0)

(5.0)

Pay for Success

(7.5)

(7.5)

(7.5)

(7.5)

Supportive Housing Model

(5.0)

Project HOPE

(4.0)

(4.0)

(4.0)

(4.0)

Violent Gang and Gun Crime Reduction (Project Safe Neighborhoods)

70.0

National Criminal History Improvement

73.0

68.0

73.0

73.0

75.0

NICS Improvements Act

(25.0)

(15.0)

(25.0)

(25.0)

Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Grants

13.0

13.0

13.5

30.0

Implementation of the Adam Walsh Act

20.0

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

1.0

Bulletproof Vests Grant Program

22.5

22.5

22.5

22.5

Residential Substance Abuse Treatment

12.0

Mentally Ill Offenders Act

10.0

Drug Courts

40.0

Veterans' Treatment Courts

6.0

Prescription Drug Monitoring

12.0

Capital Litigation/ Wrongful Conviction Review

2.5

2.5

3.0

Prison Rape Prevention and Prosecution

15.5

DNA Initiatives

125.0

105.0

135.0

125.0

130.0

DNA Analysis and Capacity Enhancement

(117.0)

(97.0)

(127.0)

(117.0)

(120.0)

Post-conviction DNA Testing Grants

(4.0)

(4.0)

(4.0)

(4.0)

(6.0)

Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners

(4.0)

(4.0)

(4.0)

(4.0)

(4.0)

Grants for Community Teams to Reduce the Sexual Assault Kit Backlog

45.0

45.0

45.0

47.5

Comprehensive School Safety Initiative

50.0

20.0

45.0

50.0

75.0

Justice Reinvestment Initiative

22.0

National Crime Reduction Assistance Network

5.0

Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Grant Program

20.0

Community Trust Initiative

65.0

65.0

65.0

Body Worn Camera Partnership Initiative

(22.5)

(22.5)

(22.5)

Justice Reinvestment Initiative

(25.0)

(25.0)

(25.0)

Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation Program

(17.5)

(17.5)

(17.5)

Opioids Initiative

103.0

128.0

111.0

330.0

Residential Substance Abuse Treatment

(14.0)

(12.0)

(14.0)

(30.0)

Mentally Ill Offenders Act

(12.0)

(14.0)

(12.0)

(30.0)

Drug Courts

(43.0)

(43.0)

(43.0)

(75.0)

Veterans' Treatment Courts

(7.0)

(10.0)

(7.0)

(20.0)

Prescription Drug Monitoring

(14.0)

(14.0)

(14.0)

(30.0)

Other Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act Activities

(13.0)

(35.0)

(21.0)

(145.0)

Emergency Federal Law Enforcement Assistance

15.0

10.0

Keep Young Athletes Safe

2.5

Total: State and Local Law Enforcement

1,280.5

940.5b

1,188.5

1,171.0

1,680.0

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 amounts for the Administration's FY2018 budget request were taken from the report to accompany H.R. 3267 (H.Rept. 115-231). The House-passed amounts were taken from the text of H.R. 3354 and H.Rept. 115-231. House-passed amounts were then adjusted for the budgetary effects of floor amendments. The Senate committee-reported amounts were taken from the report to accompany S. 1662 (S.Rept. 115-139). The FY2018 enacted amounts were taken from the joint explanatory statement to accompany P.L. 115-141, printed in the March 22, 2018, Congressional Record (pp. H2084-H2115).

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 million that was appropriated for the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) program to reimburse overtime costs associated with providing security for President-elect Donald Trump. This appropriation was initially provided by the Further Continuing and Security Assistance Appropriations Act, 2017 (P.L. 114-254) and extended until the end of FY2017 by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 (P.L. 115-31). This amount also includes $15 million that was appropriated for the Emergency Federal Law Enforcement Assistance program pursuant to Section 542 of Division B of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 (P.L. 115-31).

b. This amount included 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 was $17.5 million less than FY2017 funding. The $229.5 million the Trump Administration requested for this account included a transfer of $92.0 million from the Crime Victims Fund. The overall proposed reduction in funding for this account relative to FY2017 funding was almost solely attributable to a $22.0 million reduction in funding for youth mentoring grants. The Administration's budget request included increases, relative to FY2017 funding, 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 included $175.5 million for the Juvenile Justice Programs account. The House bill would have 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 have been funded at the FY2017 level. The House did not adopt the Administration's proposal to supplement funding for this account with a transfer from the Crime Victims Fund.

The bill reported by the Senate Committee on Appropriations included a $13.0 million increase for the Juvenile Justice Programs account ($260.0 million). The committee-reported bill included 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 funding for this account with a transfer from the Crime Victims Fund.

FY2018 enacted funding for the Juvenile Justice Programs account is $282.5 million, which is $35.5 million greater than FY2017 funding and $53.0 million greater than the Administration's request. Congress declined to supplement appropriations from the General Fund of the Treasury for this account with a transfer from the Crime Victims Fund. Every program was funded at or above the FY2017 level. Congress and the Administration provided increases, relative to FY2017 funding, for youth mentoring grants (+$14.0 million), Title V delinquency prevention grants (+$13.0 million), Part B formula grants (+$5.0 million), and missing and exploited children programs (+$3.5 million). The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 also reestablished funding for the Tribal Youth program, which was eliminated in FY2017, and includes funding for a new opioid affected youth initiative.

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

$60.0

Emergency Planning—Juvenile Detention Facilities

(0.5)

(0.5)

(0.5)

(0.5)

Youth Mentoring Grants

80.0

58.0

80.0

80.0

94.0

Title V—Delinquency Prevention Grants

14.5

17.0

19.0

27.5

Tribal Youth

(5.0)

Gang Prevention

(4.0)

(5.0)

(4.0)

(4.0)

Children of Incarcerated Parents Web Portal

(0.5)

(0.5)

(0.5)

(0.5)

Girls in the Juvenile Justice System

(2.0)

(2.0)

(2.0)

(2.0)

Community-Based Violence Prevention Initiative

(8.0)

(8.0)

(8.0)

Opioid Affected Youth Initiative

(8.0)

Investigation and Prosecution of Child Abuse Programs

21.0

20.0

21.0

21.0

21.0

Child Abuse Training for Judicial Personnel

2.0

2.0

2.0

2.0

2.0

Missing and Exploited Children Programs

72.5

72.0

72.5

76.0

76.0

Improving Juvenile Indigent Defense Program

2.0

2.5

2.0

2.0

Total: Juvenile Justice Programs

247.0

229.5a

175.5

260.0

282.5

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 amounts for the Administration's FY2018 budget request were taken from the report to accompany H.R. 3267 (H.Rept. 115-231). The House-passed amounts were taken from the text of H.R. 3354 and H.Rept. 115-231. House-passed amounts were then adjusted for the budgetary effects of floor amendments. The Senate committee-reported amounts were taken from the report to accompany S. 1662 (S.Rept. 115-139). The FY2018 enacted amounts were taken from the joint explanatory statement to accompany P.L. 115-141, printed in the March 22, 2018, Congressional Record (pp. H2084-H2115).

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 amount included 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 requested $218.0 million for COPS for FY2018, which was $3.5 million less than FY2017 funding. The budget request would have increased funding for the COPS Hiring Program, and within this amount reestablished a set-aside for assistance to tribal law enforcement. However, the budget request would have eliminated funding for antimethamphetamine and antiheroin task forces.

The House-passed bill included $240.5 million for the COPS account, but it would have eliminated funding for many programs that are traditionally administered by the COPS Office. Most of the programs in the House bill that would have been funded under the COPS account have traditionally received funding under the S&LLEA account.

The Senate committee-reported bill included $226.5 million for the COPS account. The committee-reported bill included a $13.0 million increase for the COPS hiring program and a $2.0 million increase for antiheroin task forces relative to FY2017 funding.

Congress and the Administration funded the COPS account at $275.5 million for FY2018. This amount is $54.0 million greater than FY2017 funding and $57.5 million greater than the Administration's request. Congress and the Administration increased funding for the COPS hiring program by $31.0 million relative to FY2017 funding, and within that amount, reestablished a set-aside for tribal law enforcement assistance ($30.0 million). There is also a $22.0 million increase for antiheroin task forces relative to FY2017 funding. In the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018, funding for the POLICE Act—which allows COPS funds to be used to provide active shooter training—is its own line item in the COPS account rather than being funded as a set-aside from the hiring program, and funding for program increased by $2.5 million for FY2018.

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

$225.5

Community Policing Development

(5.0)

(10.0)

(5.0)

(10.0)

Tribal Law Enforcement Assistance

(30.0)

(30.0)

Training and Technical Assistance on the Collaborative Reform Model

(10.0)

(10.0)

(10.0)

Regional Information Sharing System

(35.0)

(36.0)

(36.0)

The POLICE Acta

(7.5)

(7.5)

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

10.0

11.0

11.0

Antimethamphetamine Task Forces

7.0

7.0

8.0

Antiheroin Task Forces

10.0

12.0

32.0

The POLICE Act

10.0

10.0

Community Trust Initiative

67.5b

Body Worn Camera Partnership Initiative

(22.5c)

Justice Reinvestment Initiative

(25.0d)

Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation Program

(10.0e)

Research and Statistics on Community Trust

(7.5f)

Second Chance Act

68.0g

Children of Incarcerated Parents Demonstration Grants

(5.0h)

Girls in the Juvenile Justice System

(2.0i)

Grants for Community Teams to Reduce the Sexual Assault Kit Backlog

49.0j

Regional Information Sharing System

35.0

Total: Community Oriented Policing Services

221.5

218.0

240.5

226.5

275.5

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 amounts for the Administration's FY2018 budget request were taken from the report to accompany H.R. 3267 (H.Rept. 115-231). The House-passed amounts were taken from the text of H.R. 3354 and H.Rept. 115-231. House-passed amounts were then adjusted for the budgetary effects of floor amendments. The Senate committee-reported amounts were taken from the report to accompany S. 1662 (S.Rept. 115-139). The FY2018 enacted amounts were taken from the joint explanatory statement to accompany P.L. 115-141, printed in the March 22, 2018, Congressional Record (pp. H2084-H2115).

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

b. 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.

c. The House-passed bill would have provided funding for the Body Worn Camera Partnership Initiative under the COPS account. For FY2018, funding for this program is provided under the State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance account. See Table 3.

d. The House-passed bill would have provided funding for the Justice Reinvestment Initiative under the COPS account. For FY2018, funding for this program is provided under the State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance account. See Table 3.

e. The House-passed bill would have provided funding for the Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation program under the COPS account. For FY2018, funding for this program is provided under the State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance account. See Table 3.

f. The House-passed bill would have provided funding for the research and statistics on community trust under the COPS account. This program did not receive funding for FY2018.

g. The House-passed bill would have provided funding for the Second Chance Act under the COPS account. For FY2018, funding for this program is provided under the State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance account. See Table 3.

h. The House-passed bill would have provided funding for children of incarcerated parents grants under the COPS account. For FY2018, funding for this program is provided under the State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance account as a set-aside from funding for the Second Chance Act. See Table 3.

i. The House-passed bill would have provided funding for girls in the juvenile justice system grant under the COPS account. For FY2018, funding for this program is provided under the Juvenile Justice Programs account as a set-aside from funding for Title V—Delinquency Prevention Grants. See Table 4.

j. The House-passed bill would have provided funding grants for community teams to reduce the sexual assault kit backlog under the COPS account. For FY2018, funding for this program is provided under the State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance account. See Table 3.

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.

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.

2.

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.

3.

Under the STOP School Violence Act, grants under the Secure Our Schools program can be used for

training school personnel and students to prevent student violence against others and self;

developing and operating anonymous reporting systems for threats of school violence, including mobile telephone applications, hotlines, and Internet websites;

developing and operating school threat assessment and intervention teams that may include coordination with law enforcement agencies and school personnel and specialized training for school officials in responding to mental health crises;

coordination with local law enforcement;

training for local law enforcement officers to prevent student violence against others and self;

placement and use of metal detectors, locks, lighting, and other deterrent measures;

acquisition and installation of technology for expedited notification of local law enforcement during an emergency; and

any other measure that, in the determination of the Bureau of Justice Assistance or the COPS Office, may provide a significant improvement in training, threat assessments and reporting, violence prevention, and security.

4.

Per Section 213 of the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2017 (Division B of P.L. 115-31), DOJ was not authorized to set aside funding from JAG, SCAAP, the Opioids Initiative, and Missing and Exploited Children programs for tribal assistance.