Promoting Police Leadership Act
Sponsored By: Representative Fry, Russell [R-SC-7]
Introduced
Summary
Creates a government-wide, standardized training program for command-level police leaders. It would strengthen the COPS program by directing the Attorney General to develop, certify, and monitor in-person, peer-based leadership training focused on strategy, critical-incident response, officer wellness, data-driven tactics, and community trust.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
Federal training for police leaders
This bill would require the Attorney General to create or identify training for command-level police leaders within 180 days of enactment. The curricula would cover leadership, critical-incident response, risk management, officer wellness, data analysis, evidence-based decision making, and building community trust. Training would be mainly in-person with peer learning, a practical problem-solving project with feedback, and pre-course and post-course assessments. The bill would define command-level personnel as officers who manage or oversee operations in a geographic subunit. Within 180 days after the curricula exist, the Attorney General would set up a certification process, and within one year after those steps the Attorney General would publish a list of agencies and how many officers completed the course.
Reports to Congress and GAO review
This bill would require the Attorney General to report to Congress not later than two years after enactment, and then once each year until three years after enactment. Each report would describe steps taken to develop or identify curricula, assessments of effectiveness and use, recommendations for updates, and barriers to training. The bill would also require the Government Accountability Office to review the Attorney General's actions and send Congress a report not later than three years after enactment. The GAO report would describe how curricula were developed, how consultation worked, and how certification was implemented.
States keep police certification power
This bill would make clear that nothing in the Act would replace or preempt State or local authority to set and enforce police certification, training, or qualification standards. States and local certifying bodies would keep their existing power to set and enforce those standards. This protection would take effect upon enactment.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Fry, Russell [R-SC-7]
SC • R
Cosponsors
Rep. Gottheimer, Josh [D-NJ-5]
NJ • D
Sponsored 5/15/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov