Project Safe Neighborhoods Reauthorization Act of 2025
- Bill Number
- H.R. 1726
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Crime and Law Enforcement
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-02-27: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- Last Updated
- 2026-06-24T08:07:47Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose of the Legislation
The Project Safe Neighborhoods Reauthorization Act of 2025 aims to extend and enhance the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Grant Program, a nationwide initiative started in 2001 to reduce violent crime. It renews funding authorization for the program, expands how grant money can be used, and adds requirements for transparency and support for law enforcement task forces. The program focuses on collaborative efforts among federal, state, local, and tribal officials, prosecutors, community leaders, and others to tackle community-specific crime issues through engagement, prevention, enforcement, and accountability.
Key Provisions
- Reauthorization and Definitions: Renews the PSN Grant Program Authorization Act of 2018 for fiscal years 2026 through 2030. Adds new definitions for "crime analyst" (a person who analyzes crime data to help develop strategies against threats) and "law enforcement assistant" (a person who supports officers with investigative or administrative tasks).
- Expanded Use of Funds: Allows grants to cover:
- Hiring crime analysts for violent crime reduction.
- Overtime pay for law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and assistants involved in the program.
- Purchasing and using technology to fight violent crime.
- Support for multi-jurisdictional task forces (teams spanning multiple areas or agencies), named the Officer Ella Grace French and Sergeant Jim Smith Task Force Support Act of 2025.
- Transparency Requirements: The U.S. Attorney General must submit an annual report to the Senate and House Judiciary Committees detailing, for each PSN area:
- How funds were spent.
- Community outreach activities.
- Numbers and descriptions of violent crimes (e.g., murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) in the prior year.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Extends funding authorization from fiscal years 2019–2021 to 2026–2030, ensuring continued support beyond the previous expiration.
- Broadens allowable grant uses by adding three new categories (hiring analysts, overtime costs, and technology) and one more (task force support), building on prior options like training and community programs.
- Introduces new definitions for key roles to clarify and expand program participation.
- Adds mandatory annual reporting for accountability, which was not required before, focusing on spending, outreach, and crime data across all 94 federal judicial districts.
Potential Impacts
- On Government Agencies: Provides sustained federal funding (up to $110 million annually, based on prior authorizations) to the Department of Justice for grants, enabling better coordination among federal, state, local, and tribal agencies. Increases administrative duties for the Attorney General due to reporting requirements, potentially improving oversight and resource allocation for violent crime reduction.
- On Citizens: Enhances community safety by supporting targeted efforts against violent crimes in all 50 states and territories, including prevention programs and outreach that involve local leaders. Could lead to fewer violent incidents through better data analysis, technology, and task forces, benefiting residents in high-crime areas.
- On International Relations: No direct impacts, as the program is domestic-focused on U.S. communities and law enforcement.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Law Enforcement and Prosecutors: Federal, state, local, and tribal agencies gain access to expanded funding for personnel, overtime, technology, and task forces to address violent crime.
- Community Leaders and Residents: Involved in outreach and prevention efforts; communities in the 94 federal districts may see improved safety and collaborative problem-solving.
- U.S. Department of Justice and Congress: The Attorney General handles grant distribution and reporting; Judiciary Committees receive oversight reports to monitor effectiveness.
- Crime Analysts and Assistants: Newly defined roles that can now be directly funded, supporting investigative work.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Strengthens existing federal grant authority under Title 34 of the U.S. Code without creating new mandates, but the added reporting promotes fiscal accountability and data-driven policing. No challenges to due process or civil rights are evident, as the program emphasizes community collaboration.
- Constitutional: Aligns with Congress's spending power to fund crime prevention, potentially supporting the general welfare by reducing violence. It avoids federal overreach by relying on voluntary state and local participation in grants.
- Political: Bipartisan sponsorship (introduced by members from both parties) signals broad support for law enforcement funding. The naming of the task force support after fallen officers highlights a focus on honoring public safety personnel, which could influence public and political discourse on crime policy. Annual reports may increase scrutiny and debates on program effectiveness amid ongoing national discussions on violent crime and policing reforms.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (16)
Rep. Rutherford, John H. [R-FL-5], Rep. Correa, J. Luis [D-CA-46], Rep. Bacon, Don [R-NE-2], Rep. McBath, Lucy [D-GA-6], Rep. Fry, Russell [R-SC-7], Rep. Williams, Nikema [D-GA-5], Rep. Lee, Laurel M. [R-FL-15], Rep. Ivey, Glenn [D-MD-4], Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1], Rep. Kiley, Kevin [R-CA-3], Rep. Malliotakis, Nicole [R-NY-11], Rep. Magaziner, Seth [D-RI-2], Rep. Garcia, Robert [D-CA-42], Rep. Gottheimer, Josh [D-NJ-5], Rep. Mackenzie, Ryan [R-PA-7], Rep. Vasquez, Gabe [D-NM-2]
Recent Actions
- 2025-02-27: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- 2025-02-27: Introduced in House
- 2025-02-27: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Project Safe Neighborhoods Reauthorization Act of 2025 — issued 2025-02-27 — PDF (5 pages)