Federal Update, May, 2012

This report provides an update on appropriations for the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program, the Public Safety Officers Benefits Program and other programs.    

Overview of the House and Senate Appropriation bills for the U.S. Department of Justice
The House Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Justice, introduced its appropriation bill for Fiscal Year 2013 on April 18, 2012.  This bill would make appropriations for the Departments of Commerce and Justice, and Science, and Related Agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2013.   

Senator Barbara Mikulski introduced the Senate version, S.2323, on April 19, 2012. This bill was reported to the Senate and placed on the Senate Legislative Calendar.

Both bills will need to pass by majority votes in their respective Chambers.  The House and Senate passed bills will then need to be reconciled in Conference and signed into law by the President. 

State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP)
The State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP) provides partial reimbursement to states and counties for the costs incurred for incarcerating undocumented criminal aliens.  It costs California approximately $1 billion each year to incarcerate individuals who are in the country illegally and sentenced for committing crimes, including murder and rape.

The president requests $70 million for the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP), which is a 71 percent reduction from the FY 2012 level of $240 million.  The Senate bill provides $255 million and the House bill provides $165 million.  These amounts clearly fall well short of the cost of incarcerating criminal aliens and we are working to get this number significantly increased. 

Public Safety Officer Benefits (PSOB)
The PSOB program provides a one time financial benefit to the survivors of public safety officers who die in the line of duty. This benefit is also available to officers permanently and totally disabled by catastrophic injuries sustained in the line of duty. The current death benefit for officers is $315,746.  Both the Senate and the House bills contain such sums as necessary to fund the Public Safety Officer Benefits program.

The Public Safety Officers’ Educational Assistance (PSOEA) provides financial assistance for higher education to spouses and children of officers killed in the line of duty after November 13, 1998. These benefits are also available to eligible spouses and children of officers permanently and totally disabled by catastrophic injuries sustained in the line of duty. Both the House and the Senate bills provide $16,300,000 for educational assistance.  If the Attorney General determines that more funding is needed, money may be transferred from available appropriations.

Bulletproof Vest Program
The Bulletproof and Puncture Resistant Vest program provides local and state governments with half the cost of purchasing protective vests for law enforcement officers.  The House bill contains $20 million for this program.  The Senate bill contains $24 million.

Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Hiring Grants
The Community Oriented Policing Service (COPS) program provides funding to state and local law enforcement agencies for the hiring and re‐hiring of full‐time officers. Last year the program was funded at $166 million.  The House bill contains $40 million and the Senate bill contains $215 million.

Byrne Justice Assistance Grants (JAG)
The Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) program provides states, local governments, and tribes with funding to support a wide range of program areas, including law enforcement, prosecution and courts, crime prevention and education, corrections, drug treatment and enforcement, planning, evaluation, technology improvement, and crime victim and witness initiatives.  Last year the program was funded $370 million.  The House bill maintains that that level of funding while the Senate bill includes $392,418,000 for this program.

Residential Substance Abuse Treatment (RSAT)
The Residential Substance Abuse Treatment (RSAT) program assists states and units of local government in developing and implementing substance abuse treatment programs in state and local correctional and detention facilities and to create and maintain community‐based aftercare services for offenders.  Last year the program was funded at $10 million.  The House bill contains $15 million and the Senate bill contains $10 million.