Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) is introducing a rare bipartisan bill co-sponsored by Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) that attempts to stem the outflow and aid recruitment of local law enforcement officers across the country. The Kelly-Hawley proposal — called the Educational and Career Opportunities for Public Safety (EdCOPS) Act of 2024 — focuses on educational opportunities for public safety officials, giving financial assistance to cops to pursue higher education.
Kelly, the famous astronaut and Navy veteran who won his Senate seat in 2020, is the son of two police officers. Hawley, a Yale Law grad who entered the Senate in 2019, is the son of a banker and a schoolteacher. His law and order background includes post-law school work as a clerk for Chief Justice John Roberts at the Supreme Court and two years as the Attorney General of Missouri.
A key element of the bill, which aims to increase retention among current law enforcement personnel and make careers in public safety more attractive to recruits, allows the education credits to be transferred from the officer to a dependent. This transfer ability creates a strong incentive — even for officers who don’t pursue higher education themselves — to remain on the job to fund the higher education of their children, who are eligible up to the age of 27.
Today, Senator Hawley and I introduced bipartisan legislation to support local law enforcement with greater academic and career opportunities.
This will help our officers reach their full potential and improve recruitment and retention efforts.https://t.co/iJtvD29kDs
— Senator Mark Kelly (@SenMarkKelly) June 4, 2024
The program’s targets are wide ranging, including public safety officers “employed by State, local, tribal, and regional law enforcement agencies.”
Tucson, Arizona Police Chief Chad Kasmar said the “initiative not only enhances the professional development of officers but also boosts morale and loyalty, ensuring the department maintains a dedicated, competent, and skilled workforce.”