This legislation, titled the Educational and Career Opportunities for Public Safety Act of 2025 (EdCOPS Act), amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968. Its primary goal is to improve the recruitment and retention of public safety officers employed by State, local, tribal, and regional law enforcement agencies. It achieves this by establishing a new program to provide financial assistance for the pursuit of higher education. Under this program, an eligible public safety officer is defined as someone who has served for at least 8 years with a single employer and commits to serving an additional 4 years with that same employer. Financial assistance can be provided directly to the eligible officer or can be transferred to their child, with certain age limitations for children. The Attorney General is responsible for administering the program, including approving applications and potentially implementing a sliding scale based on financial need to prioritize funding. Benefits are capped at 45 months of full-time education, and the Attorney General may discontinue assistance for unsatisfactory academic progress.
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Crime and Law Enforcement
EdCOPS Act of 2025
USA119th CongressS-1752| Senate
| Updated: 5/14/2025
This legislation, titled the Educational and Career Opportunities for Public Safety Act of 2025 (EdCOPS Act), amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968. Its primary goal is to improve the recruitment and retention of public safety officers employed by State, local, tribal, and regional law enforcement agencies. It achieves this by establishing a new program to provide financial assistance for the pursuit of higher education. Under this program, an eligible public safety officer is defined as someone who has served for at least 8 years with a single employer and commits to serving an additional 4 years with that same employer. Financial assistance can be provided directly to the eligible officer or can be transferred to their child, with certain age limitations for children. The Attorney General is responsible for administering the program, including approving applications and potentially implementing a sliding scale based on financial need to prioritize funding. Benefits are capped at 45 months of full-time education, and the Attorney General may discontinue assistance for unsatisfactory academic progress.