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Washington, D.C.—Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28) helped secured funding and language for increased transparency, accountability, and oversight of local law enforcement in the fiscal year 2021 Appropriations bill. The Congressman also secured funding that will ensure safety interactions between police officers and people suffering mental health issues. This bill passed on the House floor last week and now moves to the Senate.

“The majority of our brave men and women in law enforcement do their jobs honorably and with integrity. We cannot paint all law enforcement with the same paintbrush.  However, bad practices by individual law enforcement officers create a significant danger not only to our communities, but also cause mistrust between law enforcement departments and to the people they serve,” said Congressman Cuellar. “For this reason, I worked hard to secure critical investments in oversight and accountability measures to ensure all law enforcement, at the local, state and federal level, uphold their duty to safely and effectively protect all Americans. I also helped include funding for mental health training, resources, and support for our law enforcement.

“As a senior Appropriator, I will continue to fund programs that support and strengthen our public safety and to rebuild confidence when it is eroded. “I want to thank Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Lowey as well as Subcommittee Chairman Serrano for their work on this bill and for including these important provisions.”

Strengthening Civil Rights Investigations

Pattern or practice investigations are civil, not criminal, investigations, and they aim at systemic problems, not individual officers. They allow the federal government to sue any law enforcement entity that engages in a pattern or practice of conduct that deprives people of rights, privileges, or immunities secured or protected by the Constitution or laws in the United States. Congressmen Cuellar helped secure $100,000,000 for the Department of Justice (DOJ) to assist states in conducting pattern-or-practice investigations to help reform law enforcement agencies.

Congressman Cuellar helped secure $165,998,000 for the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice, an increase of $17,759,000 above fiscal year 2020. Within this funding, at least $10,000,000 will be used for investigations and enforcement related to patterns and practices of police departments. Additionally, the Congressman also helped include $10,000,000 for United States Attorneys and $5,000,000 for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) are provided for this same purpose.

Congressman Cuellar secured $13,500,000 for Cold Case Investigations within the Civil Rights Unit in the FBI. These funds will be used to investigate and prosecute previously unresolved civil rights era ‘‘cold case’’ murders suspected of having been racially motivated.

Improving Police-Community Relations

The Community Relations Service (CRS), an office within the DOJ, works as a peacemaker for community conflicts and tensions arising from differences of race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion and disability. Congressmen Cuellar secured over $20,300,000 for CRS so it can continue to mediate community disputes.

Strengthening Data on Police-Misconduct

Congressman Cuellar helped secure $500,000 to develop the National Police Misconduct Registry, which will contain data of all Federal, State and local law enforcement officers, to be compiled and maintained by the Department of Justice. This database would provide a publicly available resource to help ensure accountability and transparency and help restore trust in the credibility of the Nation’s law enforcement agencies and improve relationships between them and the communities they serve.

The Congressman also helped include $5,000,000 for creation of the National Task Force on Law Enforcement Oversight. The Task Force will support the Attorney General and coordinate complaints regarding law enforcement misconduct with professional law enforcement associations, labor organizations, and community-based organizations.

Improving Police Responses for People with Mental Illness

It is critical that law enforcement agencies have the proper training and personnel to resolve situations involving individuals with mental health issues. That is why Congressman Cuellar helped secure $3,000,000 for training program to improve police-based responses to people with mental illness. The Congressman also helped secure $1,500,000 for collaborative mental health and anti-recidivism initiatives.

Congressman Cuellar also helped include $43,000,000 for mental health courts and adult and juvenile collaboration program grants. The grant program facilitates collaboration among the criminal justice, juvenile justice, and mental health and substance use treatment systems to better serve individuals with mental disorders and to increase public safety.

Many rural law enforcement agencies are understaffed and underfunded, and often have no access to local or regional mental health and drug treatment services. For this reason, Congressman Cuellar supported language for the Department of Justice to develop programs that will provide funding, resources, training, and support that rural law enforcement agencies need to address the consequences of drug abuse, drug-related crime and mental health crises in rural communities.

To see Congressman Cuellar speak in the Appropriations Committee about the funding for enhanced accountability and oversight of law enforcement, click here.

In June, Congressmen Henry Cuellar and Will Hurd sent a letter to the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations Subcommittee requesting funding for increased transparency, accountability, and oversight of local law enforcement. To read the letter, click here.