Law Enforcement Museum Support Act

Summary#

This bill lets the Secretary of the Interior give grants to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund to support the National Law Enforcement Museum. The grants would be available during the first seven fiscal years after the bill becomes law. Funds would pay for operating and improving the museum's community outreach, public education, and officer safety and wellness programs. The bill lists many specific activities the grants can support, including memorializing officers who die in the line of duty, creating digital and print resources, traveling exhibitions, expanding and digitizing the museum collection, professional development and teacher training, research and curricula, and free admission for active and retired officers and families and at least one weekly public free hour. The museum must send yearly progress reports and an accounting of federal funds to the Secretary of the Interior; the Secretary will share those reports with Congress and post them on the Department of the Interior website.

What it means for you#

• The museum may expand online resources, traveling exhibits, and teacher engagement that the public and schools can use.
• Active and retired law enforcement officers and family members of fallen officers would get free admission; the public would have at least one weekly free admission hour.
• Local law enforcement agencies could see more officer safety and wellness training materials and outreach programs available through the museum.
• The bill does not state any direct change to individual taxes or benefits.

Expenses#

• The bill authorizes $6,000,000 to be appropriated to the Secretary of the Interior for each of the first seven fiscal years after enactment (a total authorization of $42,000,000 across seven years if fully funded as authorized).
• If the full amount is not appropriated in a fiscal year, the Secretary may transfer up to that amount from the National Park Service.
• The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund must provide yearly reports documenting how the funds were used.

Proponents' View#

Supporters argue the museum honors officers who died in the line of duty, teaches the public about the role of law enforcement, promotes officer safety and wellness, helps reduce line-of-duty deaths and injuries, and improves relations between police and the communities they serve. The bill's findings also say the museum's programs help schools, local agencies, and the public by providing education, research, exhibitions, and training.

Opponents' View#

No publicly available information.