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 Definitions
In this Act:
Director— The term Director means the Director of the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services of the Department of Justice.
Grant year— The term grant year means the year during which the applicable grant is to be disbursed under the Program.
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.
Program— The term Program means the auto theft prevention grant program established under section 3(a).
Recipient State— The term recipient State means a State that is awarded a grant under the Program.
State— The term State means any State of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the United States 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.
Sec. 3 Auto theft prevention grant program
Establishment— Not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall establish an auto theft prevention grant program to provide funding to State law enforcement agencies and local law enforcement agencies to combat auto theft and stolen vehicle trafficking.
Application— A State desiring a grant under the Program shall submit to the Director an application that includes—
evidentiary or other materials, including, as appropriate, State-specific police reports, budget documents, plans, or other documents, demonstrating that the State needs Federal assistance to combat auto theft;
documentation of the actions taken by the State during the year before the grant year, based on the information in such evidentiary or other materials, to reduce the instances of auto theft in the State; and
a plan indicating how the State will—
use amounts received under the Program to implement auto theft prevention activities in accordance with subsections (d) and (e); and
evaluate the success of the activities carried out using amounts received under the Program.
Awards—
In general— The Director may make a grant under the Program to the Attorney General of any State which has submitted an application that complies with the requirements under subsection (b).
Considerations— In determining whether to make a grant to a State under the Program and the amount of a grant under the Program, the Director shall—
consider the information provided in the application of the State; and
endeavor to prioritize States with a higher overall level of auto thefts during the year before the grant year.
Distribution of funds—
Local law enforcement agencies— The Attorney General of a recipient State shall make not less than 50 percent of the amount of a grant awarded under the Program available as competitive subgrants to local law enforcement agencies within the recipient State to combat auto theft, with the amount awarded determined by prioritizing localities with a higher overall level of auto thefts during the year before the grant year.
State law enforcement agencies— The Attorney General of a recipient State shall make not less than 25 percent of the amount of a grant awarded under the Program available to State law enforcement agencies of the recipient State to combat auto theft.
Other amounts—
In general— The Attorney General of a recipient State shall make any amounts received under a grant under the Program that are not allocated under paragraph (1) or (2) available as competitive subgrants to local law enforcement agencies or to State law enforcement agencies of the recipient State.
Prioritization for localities— The amount of any subgrant made under this paragraph to a local law enforcement agency shall follow the prioritization under paragraph (1).
Eligible activities— Amounts received under a grant 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;
funding costs associated with equipment described in paragraph (1), 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, or research activities related to combating auto theft; and
funding for the administrative costs of applying for and implementing the grant, which shall not exceed 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. 4 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 paragraphs (23) and (24) as paragraphs (24) and (25), respectively;
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, funding overtime and officer compensation costs, expanding access to training initiatives, funding joint task forces, and funding law enforcement data collection or research activities related to auto thefts;”
in paragraph (24), as so redesignated, by striking “(22)” and inserting “(23)”.