Senate unanimously passes Fischer Legislation to boost law enforcement hiring and retention

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KEVN) - The Senate unanimously passed U.S. Senator Deb Fischer’s (R-Neb.) bipartisan Recruit and Retain Act on June 26, which will support law enforcement agencies grappling with recruitment issues. The bill now heads to the U.S. House of Representatives.

The Recruit and Retain Act would primarily boost the U.S. Department of Justice’s Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) grants to make them more responsive to onboarding costs and hiring challenges. This would help law enforcement agencies across the country hire new officers more easily, as many continue to face staffing shortages and struggle to attract new applicants. This includes the creation of a new program to encourage voluntary partnerships between schools and police departments to foster a stronger local pipeline for law enforcement careers.

The legislation also has received state support from the Nebraska Sheriffs Association, Police Chiefs Association of Nebraska, Kearney Police Department, Omaha Police Department, and Scottsbluff Police Department.

Click here to read the text of the bill.

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