H.R. 1139: COPS Improvements Act of 2009

111th Congress · introduced 2009-02-23 · Crime and Law Enforcement · Latest: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2009-02-23 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Weiner, Anthony D. [D-NY-9] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: 1 recorded vote in our records. Latest: House roll call 206 (2009): On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended, HR1139 (2009-04-23), Passed. See all
Where it stands now: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

COPS Improvements Act of 2009

Plain summary

(This measure has not been amended since it was reported to the House on April 21, 2009. The summary of that version is repeated here.) COPS Improvements Act of 2009 - (Sec. 2) Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to expand the authority of the Attorney General to make competitive grants under the public safety and community policing grant program (COPS grant program) to states, local and Indian tribal governments, other public and private entities, multi-jurisdictional or regional consortia, and individuals to: (1) train officers hired to perform intelligence, anti-terror, or homeland security duties; (2) hire school resource officers and establish local partnerships to combat crime, gangs, drug activities, and other problems in elementary and secondary schools; (3) establish and implement innovative programs to reduce and prevent illegal drug activities, including the manufacturing, distribution, and use of methamphetamine; (4) hire and rehire civilian forensic analysts and laboratory personnel; (5) establish criminal gang enforcement task forces; and (6) meet emerging law enforcement needs. Authorizes the use of COPS grants to hire honorably discharged members of the Armed Forces to serve as career law enforcement officers. Authorizes the Attorney General to make grants for: (1) assigning prosecutors to handle cases from specific geographic areas and to address counter-terrorism problems and violent crime in local communities; and (2) developing new technologies to assist state and local law enforcement agencies in crime prevention and training. Grants the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services exclusive authority to perform functions and activities under the COPS grant program. Authorizes the Attorney General to extend grant periods and to renew grants if the grant recipient can demonstrate significant progress in achieving the objectives of the initial grant application. Directs the Attorney General to provide for a scientific study of the effectiveness of the programs, projects, and activities under the grant program in reducing crime. Increases and extends the authorization of appropriations for the COPS grant program for FY2009-FY2014. (Sec. 3) Requires the Inspector General of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to report to Congress on the effect of the COPS grant program on the rate of violent crime, drug offenses, and other crimes, the degree to which state and local government grant recipients contribute funds for law enforcement programs and activities, and any waste, fraud, or abuse within the program. Requires the Inspector General, in making such report, to audit and review a random sampling of state and local law enforcement agencies.

Congressional Research Service summary (Passed House amended), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

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PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

COPS Improvements Act of 2009

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Passed House amended)

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The strongest published arguments

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Weiner, Anthony D. [D-NY-9] · 45 cosponsors

Cost estimate: CBO cost estimate: H.R. 1139, COPS Improvements Act of 2009 (2009-04-15); CBO cost estimate: H.R. 1139, COPS Improvements Act of 2009 (2009-04-15)

Cosponsors on this site

Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (D-GA), Steve Cohen (D-TN), Joe Courtney (D-CT), Diana DeGette (D-CO), Rosa L. DeLauro (D-CT), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Betty McCollum (D-MN), James P. McGovern (D-MA), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (D-VA), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Peter Welch (D-VT)

Recorded votes

House roll call 206 (2009): On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended, HR1139 (2009-04-23): Passed

Words on this page, explained (3)

Appropriation: Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
Authorization: A law that creates or continues a government program and says what it may do, often with a suggested spending ceiling. An authorization alone does not provide money; a separate appropriation does.
Securities: Financial investments that can be bought and sold, such as stocks and bonds.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Passed House amended)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-111hr1139.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/111/hr>

Record fed-us-cong111-hr1139 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong111 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong111