H.R. 5624: No Funding for Lawless Jurisdictions Act

This bill, titled the "No Funding for Lawless Jurisdictions Act," aims to amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, specifically regarding which entities are eligible for certain crime control grants. Here’s a breakdown of its key provisions:

Eligibility for Grants

The bill introduces two main criteria that could disqualify states or local governments from receiving specific federal grants:

1. Cash Bail Limitations: States or local governments will not be eligible for grants if they have policies that:
• Substantially limit cash bail as an option for individuals charged with particular serious offenses.
• Allow judges to release individuals who have previously been convicted of a felony on their own recognizance (without requiring bail).
2. Law Enforcement Budget Reductions: The bill also states that jurisdictions will not be eligible for grants if they have reduced their law enforcement budget in the previous fiscal year, except in cases where budget cuts are uniformly applied across all government departments due to an overall budget shortfall.

Definition of Covered Offenses

The bill defines “covered offenses” as those that pose a significant threat to public safety and order. These offenses include:

• Violent or sexual offenses such as murder, rape, sexual assault, carjacking, robbery, burglary, and assault.
• Public disorder offenses like looting, vandalism, property destruction, rioting or inciting riots, and fleeing from law enforcement.

Implementation Timeline

These provisions would take effect starting in the first fiscal year after the law is enacted, meaning jurisdictions would need to comply with these requirements to remain eligible for federal grants starting from that point forward.

Overall Purpose

The overall goal of this legislation is to ensure that federal funds are not allocated to regions that implement certain bail reforms or reduce police budgets in ways that might be perceived as compromising public safety.

Relevant Companies

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