By Ed Somers
August 5, 2002

The full Senate Appropriations Committee approved its FY 2003 funding bill for the Departments of Commerce, Justice and State on July 18. Included in the bill is $25.7 billion for the Department of Justice, an increase of $2 billion above the FY02 appropriations and an increase of $2.9 billion above the FY03 budget request from the Administration.

COPS

The bill would provide a total of $737 million for programs administered by the COPS Office, as compared to the $738 million in FY 2002, and $144 million proposed by the Administration.

Within this total is:

• $330 million for hiring (with up to $180 million available for school resource officers)
• $100 million for COPS Interoperable Communications Technology Program (new)
• $10 million for school resource officer training
• $21 million for Regional Community Policing Institutes
• $40 million for Indian Country
• $45 million for Methamphetamine Enforcement and Clean-Up (earmarks)
• $118.6 million for Law Enforcement Technology Program (earmarks)
• $17 million for Police Integrity Program
• $20 million for Safe Schools (earmarks)
• $35 million for management

LLEBG

The bill provides $400 million for the Local Law Enforcement Block Grant. This is the same amount as provided in FY 2002, with the Administration proposing to eliminate the program and merge it with the state-based Byrne program. However, there would be a slight funding decrease because the earmark within the program for the Boys and Girls Clubs would increase from $70 million to $80 million under the Senate bill.

The letter sent to the Appropriations subcommittee prior to action by Conference President Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino had requested that the LLEBG be funded at $522 million, which would have restored the 23 percent cut from last year.

Homeland Security

The bill provides $2.03 billion for Office of Domestic Preparedness within the Department of Justice, which is $1.3 billion above the FY02 appropriated level. According to the Committee, "The significant increase over FY02 is in response to the September 11, 2001 attacks, and will allow ODP to provide more money for state equipment grants, as well as increase the number of trainings and exercises carried out through the program." In the past several years, funding under this DOJ program has been provided through the states, not directly to cities.

The Administration is proposing to move all of this funding and the office into FEMA, in the form of the new $3.5 billion first responders initiative. The Senate Commerce, Justice and State Appropriations Subcommittee has expressed serious reservations with this proposed move.

Other Programs

The bill also provides funding for the following program under the COPS category which are actually administered by the Bureau of Justice Assistance:

• $15 million for Offender Reentry Program
• $15 million for Project Sentry
• $15 million for Police Corps
• $26 million for Bulletproof Vests Grant Program
• $45 million for Crime ID Tech Assistance Act (CITA)
• $35 million for Criminal Records Upgrades
• $35 million for Crime Lab Improvement Program
• $40 million for DNA Backlog Elimination
• $50 million for Southwest Border Prosecutions
• $50 million for Gun Violence Reduction Program

The bill provides no funding for the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program as proposed by the Administration. This program received $565 million in FY 2002.

The bill also provides $594 million for the Byrne Grant Program, $391 million for Violence Against Women Act programs, $298 million for Juvenile Justice programs, both similar to FY 2002 levels.