Thursday, July 14, 2016
WASHINGTON – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley issued the following statement after the House of Representatives passed legislation to help law enforcement and first responders train for active shooter scenarios.
“Recent terrorist attacks and assaults on police officers underscore the need to ensure our public safety officers are fully trained and equipped to respond to dangerous situations to keep themselves and our communities safe. The POLICE Act, which I cosponsored, will help boost active shooter training for law enforcement and first responders. Now that Congress has passed this bipartisan bill, the President should sign it right away to help protect the brave individuals who put their lives on the line every day to keep us safe,” Grassley said.
The Protecting Our Lives by Initiating COPS Expansion (POLICE) Act, which Grassley led out the Judiciary Committee in May, allows law enforcement and medical personnel across the country to use existing federal grant funds for active shooter response training. Under the bill, the grant funds can also be used for training civilians on the appropriate response when confronted with an active shooter.
The bill, which the Senate passed in May, was approved by the House of Representatives on Tuesday.
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