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This bill would require states receiving federal funds from specific grant programs to mandate that state law enforcement officers or cadets receive sensitivity training each fiscal year or risk losing federal assistance. States that fail to comply with these requirements could face a 20 percent reduction in the grant funding that otherwise would’ve been awarded. The sensitivity training must include instruction on ethnic and racial bias, cultural diversity, and police interaction with the disabled, mentally ill, and new immigrants.

The state must must certify to the Attorney General that these training sessions have been completed, although these requirements could be waived if compliance with this legislation would violate a state’s constitution.

The Attorney General would be also be directed to reduce federal funding by 20 percent to state or local governments that failed to enact or put into effect a requirement that an independent prosecutor be appointed under the following circumstances:

One or more of the possible defendants is a law enforcement officer;
One or more of the alleged offenses involves the law enforcement officer’s use of deadly force in the course of carrying out their duty;
The law enforcement officer’s use of deadly force resulted in death or injury.

The federal grant programs that would be affected by this legislation are the Edward Byrne Memorial State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance Program, the Local Government Law Enforcement Block Grants Program, and the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program.

","official_title":"To provide for grants for States that require sensitivity training for law enforcement officers of that State and to incentivize States to enact laws requiring the independent investigation and prosecution of the use of deadly force by law enforcement officers, and for other purposes.","short_title":"Police Training and Independent Review Act of 2019","popular_title":null,"short_summary":"","summarized":true,"cost":null,"cost_commentary":"A CBO cost estimate is unavailable.","impact":"Law enforcement officers and cadets who would undergo the sensitivity training and the members of the community who they would interact with; district attorneys and independent prosecutors; and the Attorney General.","argument_for":"The federal government has an obligation to ensure that state law enforcement agencies put their officers and cadets through sensitivity training, and that special prosecutors are appointed to investigate police officers. 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Should the Feds Incentivize Sensitivity Training for State Police Departments?