§ 12171 — Grant Authority

(1) The Attorney General may make grants to qualified community organizations to assist in meeting the costs of qualified programs which are designed to recruit and retain applicants to police departments. (2) The Attorney General may consult with the Ounce of Prevention Council in making grants under paragraph (1). (b) An organization is a qualified community organization which is eligible to receive a grant under subsection (a) if the organization— (1) is a nonprofit organization; and (2) has training and experience in— (A) working with a police department and with teachers, counselors, and similar personnel, (B) providing services to the community in which the organization is located, (C) developing and managing services and techniques to recruit individuals to become members of a police department and to assist such individuals in meeting the membership requirements of police departments, (D) developing and managing services and techniques to assist in the retention of applicants to police departments, and (E) developing other programs that contribute to the community. (c) A program is a qualified program for which a grant may be made under subsection (a) if the program is designed to recruit and train individuals from underrepresented neighborhoods and localities and if— (1) the overall design of the program is to recruit and retain applicants to a police department; (2) the program provides recruiting services which include tutorial programs to enable individuals to meet police force academic requirements and to pass entrance examinations; (3) the program provides counseling to applicants to police departments who may encounter problems throughout the application process; and (4) the program provides retention services to assist in retaining individuals to stay in the application process of a police department. (d) To qualify for a grant under subsection (a), a qualified organization shall submit an application to the Attorney General in such form as the Attorney General may prescribe. Such application shall— (1) include documentation from the applicant showing— (A) the need for the grant; (B) the intended use of grant funds; (C) expected results from the use of grant funds; and (D) demographic characteristics of the population to be served, including age, disability, race, ethnicity, and languages used; and (2) contain assurances satisfactory to the Attorney General that the program for which a grant is made will meet the applicable requirements of the program guidelines prescribed by the Attorney General under subsection (i). (e) Not later than 60 days after the date that an application for a grant under subsection (a) is received, the Attorney General shall consult with the police department which will be involved with the applicant and shall— (1) approve the application and disburse the grant funds applied for; or (2) disapprove the application and inform the applicant that the application is not approved and provide the applicant with the reasons for the disapproval. (f) The Attorney General shall disburse funds under a grant under subsection (a) in accordance with regulations of the Attorney General which shall ensure— (1) priority is given to applications for areas and organizations with the greatest showing of need; (2) that grant funds are equitably distributed on a geographic basis; and (3) the needs of underserved populations are recognized and addressed. (g) A grant under subsection (a) shall be made for a period not longer than 3 years. (1) For each year of a grant period for a grant under subsection (a), the recipient of the grant shall file a performance report with the Attorney General explaining the activities carried out with the funds received and assessing the effectiveness of such activities in meeting the purpose of the recipient’s qualified program. (2) If there was more than one recipient of a grant, each recipient shall file such report. (3) The Attorney General shall suspend the funding of a grant, pending compliance, if the recipient of the grant does not file the report required by this subsection or uses the grant for a purpose not authorized by this section. (i) The Attorney General shall, by regulation, prescribe guidelines on content and results for programs receiving a grant under subsection (a). Such guidelines shall be designed to establish programs which will be effective in training individuals to enter instructional programs for police departments and shall include requirements for— (1) individuals providing recruiting services; (2) individuals providing tutorials and other academic assistance programs; (3) individuals providing retention services; and (4) the content and duration of recruitment, retention, and counseling programs and the means and devices used to publicize such programs.