Invest to Protect Act of 2025
The Invest to Protect Act of 2025 would create a new grant program within the Department of Justice (specifically the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, or COPS) to help small local law enforcement agencies. The goal is to improve officer safety and community outcomes by funding de-escalation and other training, mental health resources for officers, and recruitment/retention incentives. Eligible local governments are those below the state level employing fewer than 175 officers (including tribal governments with fewer than 175 officers). Grants can be used for a wide range of activities—from de-escalation and domestic-violence victim-centered training to evidence-based safety training, officer mental health services, signing and retention bonuses, and data collection. The bill also sets up streamlined grant applications, reporting, auditing, and accountability measures to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse, with annual funding authorization of up to $50 million for 2027–2031. In short, the bill aims to bolster resources for small local police departments to train officers, support their mental health, and improve recruitment and retention, all while strengthening oversight and reporting requirements for how the money is spent.
Key Points
- 1Establishes a grant program within the DOJ’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services to fund officer training, mental health resources, and recruitment/retention efforts for small local law enforcement agencies (fewer than 175 officers; includes tribal governments under 175).
- 2Eligible activities include:
- 3- De-escalation training and victim-centered training for handling domestic violence.
- 4- Evidence-based safety training for active shooter scenarios, drug handling, rescue, and ambush prevention.
- 5- Training and practices related to responses involving people with mental health needs, substance use disorders, veterans, disabilities, vulnerable youth, trafficking victims, homelessness, or poverty.
- 6- Overtime offsets for training, signing bonuses, retention bonuses (up to 20% of salary, with conditions), graduate education stipends (up to $10,000 or amount paid), and access to behavioral health services for officers.
- 7Reforms and best practices: funding to promote duty of care and duty to intervene, and data collection on police practices for officer and community safety.
- 8Streamlined grant process: Attorney General to determine barriers and propose a streamlined application that local governments can complete in about 2 hours, plus targeted technical assistance and dedicated liaisons.
- 9Accountability and oversight: mandatory DOJ Inspector General audits of grant recipients starting the first funded year; mandatory exclusions for unresolved audit findings for up to 3 fiscal years; potential reimbursement to the U.S. Treasury for improper grants; annual compliance certifications to Congress; and an annual program evaluation by the Attorney General.
- 10Duplicative grants: prior to awarding, the Attorney General must check for overlapping funding and report any multiple grants for similar purposes to Congress.
- 11Funding authorization: authorizes not more than $50 million per year for fiscal years 2027–2031.