Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Protect Local Law Enforcement Act of 2024”.
Protect Local Law Enforcement Act of 2024
A BILL
To amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to authorize the use of Byrne-JAG grants for the purchase of disaster response and tactical vehicles.
Sec. 2 Authorization to purchase disaster response and tactical vehicles
Section 501 of the title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10152) is amended—
in subsection (a)(1), in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by inserting after “equipment” the following “(including armored, disaster response, command and control, and tactical vehicles)”;
in subsection (d)(2)(A), by striking “(excluding police cruisers),” and inserting the following: “(excluding police cruisers and armored, disaster response, command and control, and tactical vehicles),”; and
by adding at the end the following:
“(i) Definitions—In this section:
“(1) The term “tactical vehicle” means a vehicle purpose-built to operate on and off-road in support of military operations such as a HMMWV (“Humvee”), 2.5 ton truck, or 5 ton truck, or a vehicle with a breaching or entry apparatus attached, and which may be used by law enforcement in rough terrain or inclement weather for search and rescue operations as well as other law enforcement functions.
“(2) The term “command and control vehicles” means any wheeled vehicle either purpose-built or modified to facilitate the operational control and direction of public safety units responding to an incident, that can accommodate multiple people at multiple workstations in the command center, and which may provide a variety of capabilities including the provision for enhanced communications and other situational awareness capabilities.
“(3) The term “armored vehicle” means any vehicle that provides ballistic protection to its occupants.”
Sec. 3 Ineffectiveness of certain rules and policies
No regulation, rule, guidance, policy, or recommendations issued on or after May 15, 2015, that limits the ability of State, local or Tribal law enforcement agencies to purchase disaster response or tactical vehicles through the Byrne JAG Program under subpart 1 of part E of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 shall have any force or effect after the date of the enactment of this Act.