Law Enforcement Museum Support Act

Full Title:
National Law Enforcement Officers Remembrance, Support, and Community Outreach Act.

Summary#

This bill would let the Secretary of the Interior give a grant to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. The grant would pay for running and improving the National Law Enforcement Museum's public education, community outreach, and officer safety and wellness programs. The grant is for the first 7 fiscal years after the bill becomes law. The bill lists many program types the grant can support, such as memorial activities, collecting and sharing law enforcement history, digital and traveling exhibits, research and teacher training, and free admission times.

The bill requires the Memorial Fund to send yearly progress reports and a formal accounting of federal funds to the Secretary. The Secretary must send those reports to Congress and post them on the Interior Department website. The Secretary may also use the funds to continue activities the museum already runs on the date the bill becomes law.

What it means for you#

  • The National Law Enforcement Museum could get new federal grant money to expand exhibits, online resources, and outreach programs.
  • Active and retired law enforcement officers and family members of fallen officers would receive free admission to the museum. The museum must also offer at least one weekly period of free admission for the general public.
  • Local schools, teachers, and communities could get more educational materials, workshops, and traveling exhibitions about law enforcement history and officer safety.
  • The Memorial Fund must report each year on how it spent the funds and on program progress. Those reports will be public.

Expenses#

The bill authorizes $6,000,000 to be appropriated to the Secretary of the Interior for each of the first 7 fiscal years after enactment. That equals $6,000,000 per year for seven years. The Memorial Fund must provide annual accounting of federal funds spent.

Proponents' View#

The bill's findings say the museum and memorial honor officers who died in the line of duty, teach the public about the role of law enforcement, promote officer safety and wellness, and help build better relationships between officers and communities. Supporters in the bill argue that funding the museum's programs will improve public education, reduce line-of-duty deaths and injuries, and restore confidence and understanding in law enforcement.

Opponents' View#

No publicly available information.