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Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Chuck Grassley’s (R-Iowa) bipartisan legislation to support small law enforcement agencies passed the Senate, an important step towards passage into law. The bipartisan Invest to Protect Act would provide $250 million over the next five years to support small law enforcement agencies across the country so they can invest in training, mental health support, and recruitment and retention. The legislation now heads to the House of Representatives. “From my conversations with Nevada law enforcement officers, I know that our smaller police departments can struggle to access the resources they need to keep their communities safe,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “Every community needs funding to recruit and train officers, and my bipartisan bill will provide much-needed support for small police departments across the country. I’m proud that this bipartisan bill is now headed to the House for consideration, and I urge our representatives to send it to the President’s desk as quickly as possible.” “I continue to hear from law enforcement agencies around Iowa that recruiting and retaining officers is a major challenge, and they need our support. At a recent Judiciary Committee hearing, we heard about how recruitment issues are harmful not only to law enforcement agencies, but also the communities they serve – particularly small and rural communities. Our Invest to Protect Act ensures that our law enforcement agencies have the resources needed to recruit, train and retain police – especially as crime rates continue soaring across the country. I’m grateful that the Senate has advanced this bill, and I urge the House to swiftly pass it as well,” Senator Grassley said. As the former top law enforcement official in Nevada, Senator Cortez Masto has been a leading advocate in the Senate for our police officers and is part of the Senate Law Enforcement Caucus. She secured historic funding for the Byrne JAG grant program in the FY2022 omnibus. The program is the leading source of criminal justice funding for state, local, and tribal governments and provides support for a range of programs related to crime prevention, law enforcement, prosecution, corrections, and mental and behavioral health. Her bipartisan bills to combat the crisis of law enforcement suicide and provide mental health resources to police officers were both signed into law. ### |