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Recruit and Retain Act

Public Law 118-64 · S. 546 · 118th Congress · began in the Senate

Signed by Joe Biden (D) on May 24, 2024 · Crime and Law Enforcement

Sponsor: Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE)

Cosponsors (11): Sen. Christopher Coons,

Passage votesYeaNay

  • HouseRecorded vote: 370 yea, 18 nay370–18
  • SenateVoice vote
Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

This act expands the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) grant program to support recruitment efforts by law enforcement agencies.

Specifically, the act expands the COPS program by

• allowing funds to be used for reducing application-related fees (e.g., fees for background checks, psychological evaluations, and testing); and

• directing the Department of Justice (DOJ) to award competitive grants to partnerships between law enforcement agencies and educational institutions (e.g., elementary and secondary schools and institutions of higher education) for recruiting activities, such as for career and job fairs.

The act requires DOJ to establish guidance for understaffed law enforcement agencies applying for COPS grants.

The Government Accountability Office must study and report on the effects of recruitment and attrition rates on federal, state, tribal, and local law enforcement agencies.

Who voted for it

Every House member of the 118th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 370 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.

370 yea18 nay42 present or did not vote

ProEstablishmentAnti
Economic left–right
More liberalMore conservative

Democrats who voted yea(189)

Republicans who voted yea(181)

Data notes

The House’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 914 in Voteview), matched to the vote the record cites and checked against its totals. Positions are each member’s DW-NOMINATE score for that Congress, as on the Ideology page; left to right is more liberal to more conservative. Paired and announced yea votes count as yea. Lists follow the compass, most liberal first. A name links to a profile only for members of the current Congress. A law passed by voice vote or unanimous consent has no member list, and neither does a vote Voteview has not yet recorded.

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Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

Data notes

A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.

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Related bills

1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.

  • H.R. 3325Identical bill

    Recruit and Retain Act of 2024

Data notes

Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 19 actions.

  1. May 24, 2024Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 118-64.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. May 20, 2024FloorFloor · Presented to President.
  4. May 14, 2024FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  5. FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 370 - 18 (Roll no. 196).House roll call 196
  6. FloorFloor · Considered as unfinished business.
  7. FloorFloor · At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
  8. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 546.
  9. FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
  10. FloorFloor · Mr. Hunt moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
  11. Jul 27, 2023FloorFloor · Held at the desk.
  12. FloorFloor · Received in the House.
  13. FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  14. Jul 26, 2023FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.
  15. Jun 8, 2023CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 86.
  16. CommitteeCommittee · Committee on the Judiciary. Reported by Senator Durbin with an amendment. Without written report.
  17. May 18, 2023CommitteeCommittee · Committee on the Judiciary. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
  18. Feb 28, 2023CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
  19. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
Data notes

Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.

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Amendments

No amendments to this bill are on record.

Data notes

Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.

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Official record

The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.