Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Auto Theft Prevention Act”.
Auto Theft Prevention Act
A BILL
To provide funding to State and local law enforcement agencies to combat auto theft and stolen automobile trafficking, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Auto theft prevention grant program
Establishment— Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Director of the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services of the Department of Justice shall establish an auto theft prevention grant program (in this Act referred to as the “Program”) to provide funding to State law enforcement agencies and local law enforcement agencies to combat auto theft and stolen vehicle trafficking.
Eligible recipient— The Director shall make grants under the Program to the Attorney General of each State, with the amount awarded proportional to the overall level of auto thefts within each State in the year prior to the date of the disbursement of the grant.
Distribution of funds—
Local law enforcement agencies— The Attorney General of a State shall make at least 50 percent of a grant awarded under the Program available as competitive subgrants to local law enforcement agencies to combat auto theft, with the amount awarded determined by prioritizing localities with a higher overall level of auto thefts in the year prior to the date of the disbursement of the grant.
State law enforcement agencies— The Attorney General of a State shall make at least 25 percent of a grant awarded under the Program available to State law enforcement agencies to combat auto theft.
Other amounts— The Attorney General of a State shall make any proportion of the grant awarded under the Program not allocated under paragraph (1) or (2) available as competitive subgrants to local law enforcement agencies or to State law enforcement agencies. Any subgrant made under this paragraph to a local law enforcement agency shall follow the prioritization under paragraph (1).
Eligible activities— Amounts from a grant awarded under the Program may only be used for the purpose of combating auto theft and combating stolen automobile trafficking, including—
purchasing equipment used to combat auto theft, such as law enforcement vehicles and license plate readers, and funding costs associated with that equipment, such as subscription fees and data storage fees for license plate readers;
hiring additional law enforcement officers and support staff to combat auto theft;
funding overtime costs and additional compensation for law enforcement officers and support staff involved in combating auto theft;
providing training for law enforcement officers and support staff to combat auto theft;
providing resources for joint task forces established to combat auto theft;
funding law enforcement data collection, data storage, and research activities related to combating auto theft; and
funding for the administrative costs of applying for and implementing the grant, up to a maximum of 5 percent of the grant amount.
Authorization of appropriations— There is authorized to be appropriated $30,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030 to carry out the Program.
Sec. 3 Additional authorized uses of cops grant program funds
Section 1701(b) of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10381(b)) is amended—
by redesignating paragraph (24) as paragraph (25);
in paragraph (23)—
by striking “(22)” and inserting “(23)”; and
by redesignating paragraph (23) as paragraph (24); and
by inserting after paragraph (22), the following:
“(23) to combat auto thefts and stolen automobile trafficking by purchasing equipment, hiring law enforcement officers and support staff, covering overtime and officer compensation costs, expanding access to training initiatives, funding joint task forces, and funding law enforcement data collection and research activities related to auto thefts;”
Sec. 4 Definitions
In this Act:
Local law enforcement agency— The term local law enforcement agency means any entity administered by a locality that exists primarily to prevent and detect crime and enforce criminal laws.
Locality— The term locality means any city, county, township, town, borough, parish, village, or other general purpose political subdivision of a State.
State— The term State means any State of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
State law enforcement agency— The term State law enforcement agency means any State entity that exists primarily to prevent and detect crime and enforce criminal laws.