Law Enforcement Scenario-Based Training for Safety and De-Escalation Act of 2025
The Law Enforcement Scenario-Based Training for Safety and De-Escalation Act of 2025 would require the federal Department of Justice, through the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), to develop a scenario-based training curriculum for law enforcement within one year of enactment. The curriculum would cover topics such as community-police relations, officer safety and resilience, situational awareness, stress responses, decision making, de-escalation, use of force, and crisis intervention. The Attorney General would also consult with professional law enforcement associations, community groups, and defense/national security entities, provide technical assistance to implement the curriculum, evaluate training methods, and establish a certification process for organizations that successfully adopt the curriculum. Additionally, the bill creates a grant program (starting one year after enactment) to fund states, units of local government, Indian Tribal governments, other public/private entities, and multi-jurisdictional groups to provide access to this training. Grantees must apply and later report on benefits, barriers, and recommendations for improving access. The program would require annual Congress reporting on recipients, reach, benefits, barriers, and curriculum improvements. The act does not authorize new funds; it would use unobligated Department of Justice funds. Definitions clarify terms like scenario-based training, community-based organizations, and professional law enforcement associations.
Key Points
- 1The Attorney General must develop a scenario-based training curriculum within 1 year that addresses de-escalation, use of force, crisis intervention, officer safety, resilience, stress management, and decision making, among other topics.
- 2The curriculum must be developed with input from law enforcement associations, community-based organizations, and defense/national security agencies, plus provide implementation support and establish a certification process.
- 3A new grant program will fund states, local governments, tribes, and other entities to provide access to training substantially similar to the developed curriculum, starting 1 year after enactment.
- 4Grant recipients must submit reports after 1 year on benefits, barriers, and improvement suggestions; the issuing agency must report annually to Congress on recipients, reach, and curriculum effectiveness and recommendations.
- 5No new funding is authorized; the Department of Justice must fund the program using unobligated funds already available to the DOJ.