Auto Theft Prevention Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 568
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Crime and Law Enforcement
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-01-20: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- Last Updated
- 2026-04-09T15:42:24Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose of the Legislation
The Auto Theft Prevention Act aims to fund state and local law enforcement efforts to reduce auto theft and the trafficking of stolen vehicles, enhancing community safety through targeted resources.
Key Provisions
- Establishment of Grant Program: The Director of the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) in the Department of Justice must create the program within 60 days of enactment. It provides grants to state Attorneys General, with amounts based on each state's auto theft rates from the previous year.
- Fund Distribution:
- At least 50% of funds must go to competitive subgrants for local law enforcement agencies, prioritizing areas with higher auto theft rates.
- At least 25% must support state law enforcement agencies.
- Remaining funds can be allocated flexibly to state or local agencies, following the same prioritization for locals.
- Eligible Uses of Funds: Grants can cover:
- Equipment like police vehicles and license plate readers (including related costs such as subscriptions and data storage).
- Hiring officers and support staff.
- Overtime pay and extra compensation for anti-theft work.
- Training for personnel.
- Support for joint task forces.
- Data collection, storage, and research on auto theft.
- Up to 5% for administrative costs of applying for and managing the grant.
- Funding Authorization: $30 million is authorized annually from fiscal years 2026 through 2030.
- Definitions: Clarifies terms like "local law enforcement agency" (city or county entities focused on crime prevention and enforcement), "locality" (subdivisions like cities or counties), "state" (includes U.S. states, D.C., and territories), and "state law enforcement agency" (state-level crime prevention entities).
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Amends Section 1701(b) of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (which governs COPS grants) by adding a new authorized use: combating auto theft through equipment purchases, hiring, overtime, training, task forces, and data activities. This expands the existing COPS program without altering its core structure.
Potential Impacts
- On Government Agencies: Provides dedicated funding to the Department of Justice's COPS office for grant administration; equips state and local agencies with resources to address rising auto theft, potentially improving efficiency in high-crime areas.
- On Citizens: May reduce auto theft incidents, lowering financial losses for vehicle owners and enhancing public safety in affected communities.
- On International Relations: No direct impacts mentioned, as the focus is domestic law enforcement.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- State Attorneys General (as primary grant recipients and distributors).
- State and local law enforcement agencies (direct beneficiaries of subgrants and funds).
- Department of Justice (COPS office responsible for program setup and oversight).
- Citizens in areas with high auto theft rates (indirectly benefit from increased policing).
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Strengthens existing federal support for local crime-fighting under the Commerce Clause (which allows Congress to regulate interstate activities like vehicle trafficking) without introducing new penalties or mandates.
- Constitutional: No apparent conflicts; it allocates funds voluntarily through grants, respecting state and local autonomy.
- Political: Bipartisan introduction (by Rep. Sherrill and Rep. Bacon) suggests broad support for bolstering law enforcement resources amid concerns over auto theft trends, potentially influencing future crime policy debates.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Rep. Sherrill, Mikie [D-NJ-11]
Cosponsors (2)
Rep. Bacon, Don [R-NE-2], Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1]
Recent Actions
- 2025-01-20: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- 2025-01-20: Introduced in House
- 2025-01-20: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Auto Theft Prevention Act — issued 2025-01-20 — PDF (6 pages)