Asa Hutchinson: “Mr. Speaker, the Local Government Law Enforcement Act of 2000 represents an important step by this Congress to assist…”

“Mr. Speaker, the Local Government Law Enforcement Act of 2000 represents an important step by this Congress to assist local governments throughout the country as they confront crime. In stark contrast to the 1994 Crime Act, it does so without prescribing the specific programs localities must implement in order to receive funding. This bill provides resources to localities to respond to their unique crime problems with their own unique solutions. The text of H.R. 4999 is nearly identical to the reauthorization passed by the House of Representatives in February of 1995. There are two differences between this bill and the previous reauthorization. First of all, the previous reauthorization as passed sought to repeal the COPS program. This bill does not do that. It authorizes the block grants without in any way affecting the COPS. That is one difference. The second difference is that under the previous reauthorization and this bill, both include a 10 percent local match requirement, whereby the Federal share may not exceed 90 percent of the cost of a program proposed funding under the act. However, only H.R. 4999 includes a waiver exception in cases of financial hardship.”