Auto Theft Prevention Act

This bill, titled the "Auto Theft Prevention Act," establishes a new grant program to provide federal funding to State and local law enforcement agencies specifically for combating auto theft and stolen vehicle trafficking. The Director of the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services within the Department of Justice will administer this program, awarding grants to the Attorney General of each State. The amount awarded to each State will be proportional to its overall level of auto thefts in the preceding year, ensuring resources are directed where they are most needed. State Attorneys General are required to make at least 50 percent of their grant funds available as competitive subgrants to local law enforcement agencies, prioritizing localities with higher auto theft rates. An additional 25 percent must be allocated to State law enforcement agencies, with remaining funds distributed competitively to either. Eligible activities for these funds include purchasing equipment like license plate readers, hiring additional officers and support staff , covering overtime costs, providing specialized training, funding joint task forces, and supporting data collection and research. The bill authorizes an appropriation of $30,000,000 annually for fiscal years 2026 through 2030 to carry out this program. Furthermore, it expands the authorized uses of existing COPS grant program funds to explicitly include combating auto thefts and stolen automobile trafficking, allowing for similar expenditures on equipment, personnel, and training.