Letter to the Hon. Robert Goodlatte, Chairman House Judiciary Committee and the Hon. Jerold Nadler, Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee - Rep. Lujan Grisham Urges Judiciary Committee to Hold Hearing on Crime Bill

Letter

Dear Chairman Goodlatte and Ranking Member Nadler,

I respectfully request that you hold a hearing on the Start Allocating Funds Efficiently to States (SAFE States) Act (H.R. 6656), which would prioritize Byrne Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program funding to states that have higher crime rates. As you know, the Byrne JAG Program is the leading source of federal funding to tribal, state, and local law enforcement agencies that helps reduce and prevent violent and drug-related crimes.

The current formula that the Byrne JAG Program uses to distribute funding to states is based half on a state's population and half on its number of violent crimes. This structure shortchanges states like New Mexico that have lower populations but higher violent crime rates. For example, in Fiscal Year 2016, New Mexico was allocated $93 per violent crime, which was one of the lowest allocations in the country. H.R. 6656 would modify the formula so that 70% of funding is based on number of violent crimes while 30% is based on population.

This bill would ensure that states with high violent crime rates receive their fair share of federal funding to not only train law enforcement and combat crime, but also make investments in drug treatment, mental health, education, and reentry programs. Families and businesses can only thrive if we make targeted, evidence-based public safety investments in the areas that need it most.

I respectfully request that you hold a hearing on H.R. 6656 in order to better prioritize Byrne JAG funding and help fight violent crime across the country.

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