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S5546FEDERALIN_COMMITTEE

The SMART Community Policing Act

Original title: SMART Community Policing Act

December 17, 2024

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Where This Stands

Introduced
Committee
Floor Vote
Passed
Signed

Currently IN_COMMITTEE. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

View official text →

The Frame

What this does

If passed, this bill would change how local law enforcement agencies allocate federal grant money, shifting resources toward hiring non-police personnel like clinicians and case managers to handle mental health-related emergency calls.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Local law enforcement agencies

These agencies gain new eligibility to use federal COPS grant funds for hiring non-police personnel and training officers in co-responder models.

Mental health professionals and paramedics

These professionals may be hired by local agencies to serve on mobile crisis teams and co-responder units.

What changed

Current stage: IN_COMMITTEE.

What's next

Floor Vote.

Summary

This bill would allow local police departments to use federal COPS grant funding to hire mental health professionals and paramedics for s and s. These teams would be tasked with de-escalating non-violent 911 calls involving mental health, homelessness, or substance use crises.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Why It Matters

If passed, this bill would change how local law enforcement agencies allocate federal grant money, shifting resources toward hiring non-police personnel like clinicians and case managers to handle mental health-related emergency calls.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this bill require police to stop responding to mental health calls?
No. The bill authorizes the use of funds to hire mental health professionals and paramedics to assist or respond alongside law enforcement, rather than replacing them.
What kind of personnel can be hired with these funds?
The bill allows for the hiring of mental health professionals, paramedics, behavioral health clinicians, case managers, and additional law enforcement officers.

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Sponsors

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift95% confidence

Integration of Clinical Staff into Policing Grants

The bill explicitly expands the definition of 'community policing' to include the hiring of non-law enforcement clinical staff, marking a shift in the scope of the COPS grant program.

Connected Entities

bill_number34 U.S.C. 10381(b)Section of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968Map →
bill_numberOmnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968The bill amends this actMap →
organizationCommittee on the JudiciaryThe bill was referred to this committeeMap →
organizationU.S. Government Publishing OfficeSource of the documentMap →
organizationSenateIntroduced by Senator BennetMap →

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance65
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy40
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment10
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz25
    Current news / social attention level

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