Washington Watch: Legislative Update
For the Week of 26 May 2014
I. Legislative News and Activity
II. This Week in Congress
III. Update on Top Legislative Priorities
IV. Follow the FOP National Legislative Office on Twitter
I. LEGISLATIVE NEWS AND ACTIVITY
Executive Director Jim Pasco spoke with Brian de Vallance, Acting Assistant Secretary of the Office of Legislative Affairs, with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security regarding the House oversight hearing held this week.
Executive Director Pasco spoke with spoke with officials at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and other outside groups of all persuasions regarding undetectable firearms.
Executive Director Pasco, Senior Legislative Liaison Tim Richardson and Legislative Liaison Marie Carchedi met with Jason Daniel and Willie Marks, Chairman and 1st Vice Chairman of the Labor Council for the Bureau of Engraving and Printing Police to discuss problems facing the officers in that agency.
Senior Legislative Liaison Richardson and Legislative Liaison Carchedi participated in a conference call with staff in the offices of Senators Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD), Mary L. Landrieu (D-LA), and Lisa A. Murkowski (R-AK) to support efforts to include the "National Blue Alert Act" into the spending bill for the U.S. Department of Justice.
II. THIS WEEK IN CONGRESS
The House was in session this week, while the Senate was in recess.
Action in the House
The House considered, passed and amended H.R. 4660, the "Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2015," on a 321-87 vote. Among the amendments that were considered and passed by voice vote were:
H. Amdt. 692(Reichert, R-WA), increases by $110 million the funding for the hiring program administered by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services;
H. Amdt. 726(Gosar, R-AZ), increases by $4.25 million the funding for the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (Byrne-JAG) program; and
H. Amdt. 727 (Cicilline, D-RI), increases by $8.5 million the funding for the Project Safe Neighborhoods program.
These amendments also passed by recorded vote:
H. Amdt. 698 (McNerney, D-CA), increases by $3 million the technology grant program administered by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (RCV# 244, 306-16);
H. Amdt. 704 (Thompson, D-CA), increases by $19.5 million funding for the National Instant Criminal Background Check system (RCV# 249, 260-145); and
H. Amdt. 748 (Rohrabacher, R-CA), blocks the U.S. Department of Justice from prosecuting medical marijuana users and providers who are abiding by State laws that have legalized the substance (RCV# 258, 219-189).
Action in House Committees
The Committee on the Judiciary held an oversight hearing of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security at which Secretary Jeh C. Johnson testified.
The Committee on the Judiciary's Over-Criminalization Task Force held a hearing today on criminal penalties.
III. UPDATE ON TOP LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES
For the complete list of cosponsors for all of our top legislative priorities, or to find out if your Representative and Senators are cosponsors of specific bills, check out .
A. Support H.R. 1362/S. 1172, the "Law Enforcement Officers' Equity Act"
We added one cosponsor to H.R. 1362, bringing our current total to 25.
The Senate companion bill, S. 1172, has no cosponsors at this time.
B. Support H.R. 1795/S. 896, the "Social Security Fairness Act"
We added one cosponsor to H.R. 1795, bringing our current total to 118.
We have 18 cosponsors on S. 896.
C. Support Legislation to Grant Statutory Arrest Authority to Civilian DoD Law Enforcement
The FOP is engaged in an effort to incorporate language into the Defense reauthorization bills.
IV. Follow the FOP National Legislative Office on Twitter!
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