President signs bipartisan Recruit and Retain Act into law

Congressman Wesley Hunt's legislation, The Recruit and Retain Act, has been signed into law by the President of the United States. It was the only bill during Police Week that received President Biden's signature.

This accomplishment underscores Congressman Hunt's leadership as a legislator. He expressed pride in achieving a bipartisan solution to support the law enforcement community despite a divided government. The bipartisan legislation was co-led in the House of Representatives by Congressmen Wesley Hunt (R-TX) and Glenn Ivey (D-MD).

The Justice Department provides grants to state, local, and tribal governments to hire law enforcement officers under the COPS Hiring Program (CHP). First authorized in the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, funded at $224.5 million for FY 2023, CHP remains a central federal resource for hiring new officers.

The new law will leverage CHP to address current hiring challenges faced by federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies nationwide. Specifically, it aims to reduce costs associated with onboarding new officers, such as fees for background checks, psychological evaluations, and testing. Additionally, it seeks to alleviate administrative burdens and clarify application guidance to ensure accessibility of CHP grants to all law enforcement agencies. It also creates opportunities for building trust and interest in law enforcement careers among local youth.

Recruit and Retain will research data on recruitment and retention trends across the country.

"When our police departments are well-funded and maintained, our communities are safer," said Congressman Hunt. "I am proud that this important piece of pro-law enforcement legislation has become law, and I want to thank U.S. Senators Deb Fischer (R-NE) and Chris Coons (D-DE), along with my colleague Congressman Ivey (D-MD) for making this a reality."

###