What changed between these versions
A complete substitute amendment. v2 fundamentally restructures the bill, removing the extensive findings section from v1 and integrating authorization and reporting provisions into a single section. Key changes include formalizing the grant application process and adding a new requirement for annual federal audits of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund as a condition for receiving grants.
Overview
Extensive changes throughout the bill, resulting from a complete substitute amendment. · V2 restructures the bill, streamlines the operative sections, and adds new accountability and procedural requirements for grant funding.
v2 is a complete substitute amendment, fundamentally reorganizing the bill's structure and content. The most significant change is the removal of the extensive "Findings" section from v1, which provided detailed context and justification for the bill. Additionally, v2 introduces new procedural requirements for grant applications and adds a crucial condition for grant receipt: mandatory annual federal audits of the recipient fund.
Major additions
This new section defines "Fund" as the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund and "Secretary" as the Secretary of the Interior, providing clarity for terms used throughout the bill.
This addition standardizes terminology, making the bill's language more precise and easier to interpret by explicitly defining key entities involved in the grant program.
This new subsection explicitly states that each grant awarded under the Act shall be for $6,000,000.
While the amount was authorized in v1's appropriations section, placing it here makes the specific grant amount a direct component of the "Support for National Law Enforcement Museum" section, clarifying the per-grant value.
This new subsection requires the Fund to submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require to be considered for a grant.
This formalizes the grant application process, introducing a procedural step that was not explicitly detailed in v1, ensuring a structured approach to grant requests.
This new subsection mandates that the Secretary, after reviewing the application, shall award the grant to the Fund within 90 days of receipt of a completed application if the Fund satisfies the established requirements.
This sets a clear timeline and obligation for the Secretary to process and award grants, adding a layer of administrative efficiency and predictability to the program.
This new subsection imposes two conditions for receiving a grant: (1) providing free admission to the Museum for active/retired law enforcement officers and fallen officers' families, and dedicated free admission hours for the general public at least once a week; and (2) allowing for annual Federal audits of the Fund's financial statements, including revenues and expenditures, which shall be reviewed by the Secretary and made publicly available.
The free admission condition was implicitly part of the grant purpose in v1 but is now a strict condition. The annual Federal audit requirement is a significant new accountability measure, increasing transparency and oversight of how federal funds are managed by the Fund.
This new subsection explicitly states that no additional funds are authorized to carry out the requirements of this section, and activities are subject to the availability of appropriations made in advance for such purposes.
This clarifies the funding mechanism, emphasizing that the program relies solely on direct, advance appropriations and prevents any interpretation of implied funding authority beyond the specified amounts.
Deletions
This section contained 15 detailed findings outlining the critical national mission of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial and Museum, their history, private funding, and the current challenges faced by law enforcement, such as increased resignations and the need for public understanding.
The deletion removes the extensive contextual and justificatory narrative for the bill. While the core purpose of supporting the Museum remains, the detailed legislative rationale and background provided in v1 are no longer present in the text of v2.
This section authorized $6,000,000 for each of the first 7 fiscal years and included an exception allowing the Secretary to transfer necessary sums from the National Park Service if the full amount was not appropriated.
The specific authorization of appropriations is now integrated into Section 3(a) and 3(c) of v2, but crucially, the provision allowing for fund transfers from the National Park Service is removed. This narrows the potential funding sources, making the program solely reliant on direct appropriations for this specific purpose.
This section stated that the Secretary could use appropriated funds to continue activities the National Law Enforcement Museum was engaged in on the date of enactment.
The removal of this section means there is no explicit provision allowing funds to be used for pre-existing activities, although the broad grant purposes in Section 3(b) of v2 would likely cover many ongoing programs. Its deletion simplifies the bill by removing a potentially redundant clause.
Modifications
This change is purely stylistic and has no operative impact on the bill's function or scope.
Before
"National Law Enforcement Officers Remembrance, Support and Community Outreach Act."
After
"National Law Enforcement Officers Remembrance, Support, and Community Outreach Act".
This modification formalizes the dependency on prior appropriations and integrates the new procedural steps for grant awards, making the funding mechanism more explicitly conditional and structured.
Before
Authorized the Secretary to award a grant to the Fund for the first seven fiscal years after enactment, for specific purposes.
After
Authorizes the Secretary to award a grant for 6 fiscal years following the first fiscal year after enactment, "Subject to the availability of appropriations made in advance for such purpose," and explicitly references the grant amount in subsection (c) and the application/review process in subsections (d) and (e).
While the stated purposes for the grant remain consistent, the elevation of free admission to a strict condition in Section 3(f) ensures its mandatory implementation rather than being an optional use of funds.
Before
Listed 13 specific programs and expenses for which the grant funding could be used, such as memorializing officers, public education, officer safety, and free admission.
After
Lists the same 13 purposes, with minor grammatical adjustments (e.g., "expand, and disseminate" vs "expand and disseminate"). Notably, the free admission provision (v1 Sec 3(12)) is now also a condition for receiving the grant in v2 Sec 3(f).
This change increases direct Congressional oversight by requiring the Fund to report directly to relevant committees, enhancing accountability and transparency of the grant program to the legislative branch.
Before
Required the Fund to submit an annual report to the Secretary of the Interior for the first seven fiscal years, documenting progress and accounting for federal funds. The Secretary would then share this report with Congress and make it public.
After
Requires the Fund to submit a report to the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate (in addition to the Secretary's implicit review) within 90 days after the end of each fiscal year. The report must include information on obligated/expended funds, purposes, progress, and any other information the Secretary may require.
Scope
Fundamental restructuring — Changes are scattered throughout the bill, affecting its overall structure, the introduction, and the operative provisions related to grant administration and accountability. — While the core policy of providing funding for the National Law Enforcement Museum's programs remains, v2 introduces a meaningful shift towards increased procedural formality and enhanced financial accountability for the grant recipient. — The changes fundamentally restructure the bill, integrating what were separate sections in v1 (like authorization and reporting) into a single, comprehensive section in v2, and adding new procedural and accountability requirements that affect the entire grant mechanism.
Impact analysis
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (the grant recipient)
Procedural change and increased obligations.
In v2, the Fund is now subject to a formalized application and review process for grants, and critically, must agree to annual Federal audits of its financial statements as a condition of receiving funds.
Congress (specifically the House Committee on Natural Resources and Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources)
Increased oversight and information access.
In v2, these committees will directly receive annual reports from the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund regarding grant expenditures and program progress.
The public and active/retired law enforcement officers and families of fallen officers
Increased benefit (guaranteed free admission) and increased transparency.
The provision for free admission to the National Law Enforcement Museum for these groups, which was a listed purpose in v1, is now a mandatory condition for the Fund to receive grants in v2. Additionally, the new audit requirement in v2 mandates that the Fund's financial statements be made available to the public.
Secretary of the Interior
Increased procedural obligations and oversight authority, but reduced funding flexibility.
The Secretary is now explicitly required to review grant applications and award grants within 90 days if conditions are met. The Secretary also has the authority to require additional information in the annual reports. The option to transfer funds from the National Park Service (present in v1) is removed.