Hatch and Coons Introduce Bill to Grant US Marshals Service Excepted Service Appointment Authority
Wahington, D.C. – Today Senators Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Chris Coons (D-DE) introduced the Patrick T. Carothers US Marshals Service Hiring Improvement Act of 2017, a bill that will give the US Marshals Service a better method to appoint criminal investigators. The legislation is named in honor of Deputy Commander Carothers, a long-time veteran of the US Marshals who died on November 18, 2016 in the line of duty in Long County, Georgia. The legislation will grant the Director of the US Marshals Service authority to appoint criminal investigators using excepted service hiring. Excepted service employees are those whom have already undergone the US Office of Personnel Management’s competitive hiring evaluation and have the ability to move freely from one government position to another. The bill is co-sponsored by Senators Cornyn and Klobuchar.
“We need to give the US Marshals Service all the tools necessary to do their job efficiently,” Hatch said. “The lack of authority to hire excepted service is hurting the Marshals Service as they struggle to replace deputies leaving or retiring with qualified personnel. This bill will provide Marshals with a diverse recruiting pool of specialized and skilled applicants in a way that is more efficient and less costly than having to conduct a giant 30,000 plus-person vetting exercise every several years. It is a bill that can honorably carry the name of Deputy Commander Carothers, who was a selfless leader that sacrificed his life for the safety of others.”
“The U.S. Marshals Service is a premier law enforcement agency, with a broad range of responsibilities including the capture of felony fugitives, investigation of threats against judges, protection of critical witnesses, and security of our federal courthouses,” Senator Coons said. “I am proud to partner with Sen. Hatch on the Patrick T. Carothers U.S. Marshals Service Hiring Improvement Act of 2017, which would both increase the efficiency of the USMS’s hiring process and enhance the continued development of the diverse, multi-skilled workforce needed to carry out the agency’s important responsibilities.”
Currently, the US Marshals Service is the only Department of Justice law enforcement component with criminal investigation responsibilities that does not have entry-level excepted service appointment authority.
A letter of support from the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association can be found here.
Patrick T. Carothers’ Officer Down Memorial Page can be found here.
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Hatch Introduces Bipartisan College Transparency Act to Improve Reporting of Student Outcomes
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), today introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to modernize the college reporting system for postsecondary data in order to provide greater transparency for students, families, institutions, and policymakers.
The College Transparency Act of 2017 will provide actionable and customizable information for students and families as they consider higher education opportunities by accurately reporting on student outcomes such as enrollment, completion, and post-college success across colleges and majors, while ensuring the privacy of individual students is securely protected. Most importantly, this information will tell students how others with their backgrounds have succeeded at an institution, and help point them towards schools best suited to their unique needs and desired outcomes.
The current college reporting system is overly burdensome on institutions, yet provides little practical information for students and families due to significant gaps in college data reporting. Under the updated system, institutions would securely report privacy-protected, student-level data to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). NCES would be responsible for securely storing student information, working with relevant federal agencies to generate post-college outcomes reports, and presenting the summary information on a user-friendly website for students and families.
"When students are deciding which college to attend, they need access to the most reliable information," Senator Hatch said. "Unfortunately, the current college reporting system does not reflect the realities of today's students, and it leaves many critical questions unanswered. My bill will resolve the shortcomings of the current reporting system so that students can make the most informed decisions about their future education."
Fact Sheet (PDF)
Bill Text (PDF)
Section-by-Section (PDF)
Statements of Support:
Noelle Cockett, President, Utah State University:
“Utah State University supports the need for better data and information for current and future higher education students. This legislation, with bi-partisan support, will aid students and their families with better and more complete data regarding education outcomes at each institution. USU has worked with state policymakers to provide greater transparently in higher education and now also supports Senator Hatch’s leadership on this legislation. It is important that higher education is transparent on our outcomes and focused on data-driven results. This legislation supports that direction.”
Deneece G. Huftalin, President, Salt Lake Community College:
“We strongly support the College Transparency Act, which would generate the information that students and families need to make optimal decisions about the postsecondary institution and program that is right for them. The law would enable students to know the likelihood of transferring to other colleges after completing their SLCC programs, as well as the what they might expect to earn in the job market. Combined with Senator Hatch’s legislation to reform graduation rate measures (S.351), this legislation represents a long-overdue and absolutely necessary improvement in public information about the performance of our nation’s colleges.”
Wes Bush, Chair, Education and Workforce Committee, Business Roundtable
On behalf of the CEO members of Business Roundtable, whose companies employ nearly 15 million Americans, I write to express our strong support for the College Transparency Act. The federal government spends nearly $150 billion annually to support students pursuing a postsecondary education. Despite this investment, we know very little about the actual educational outcomes for many of these students. Your legislation would take critical steps toward ensuring that the data which are collected better reflect the outcomes of all students in institutions participating in federal student assistance programs. We look forward to working with you and other members of Congress to ensure this important legislation becomes law.
Peter McPherson, President, Association of Public and Land-grant Universities:
"Public universities commend Senators Hatch, Warren, Cassidy, and Whitehouse for championing students and families' need for better information on higher education. As a result of a ban on student-level data in the Higher Education Act, the federal government has presented students and their families with grossly incomplete information about graduation rates, employment outcomes, and other key information on how students fare at individual institutions. This legislation would finally lift the federally-imposed curtain on comprehensive higher education outcomes data and enable students to make better informed decisions.”
Mamie Voight, Vice President of Policy Research, Institute for Higher Education Policy:
"The College Transparency Act announced today seeks to lift the veil on postsecondary student outcomes and will empower students, college leaders and policymakers with the information they need to make better-informed decisions. IHEP applauds Sens. Hatch, Warren, Cassidy and Whitehouse for presenting a bipartisan framework that will help paint a clear picture of the postsecondary landscape in our country.”
J. Noah Brown , President and CEO, Association of Community College Trustees:
"Repealing the federal student unit record ban is extremely important to community colleges. Presently, the measures around student success are antiquated and do not reflect the actual enrollment behavior of current college students. Establishing a student unit record will reduce the burden of data collection for institutions and facilitate an accurate picture of student outcomes and earnings for all community college students. We commend Senators Hatch, Warren, Cassidy, and Whitehouse for the introduction of The College Transparency Act of 2017."
Mark MacCarthy, Senior Vice President for Public Policy, Software & Information Industry Association:
"A student centric education system requires informed decision making by students. Today's data provides only a partial picture of the higher education system by counting only first-time, full-time students and those receiving federal aid - leaving the majority of students in the shadows. A student unit record system is necessary to provide an accurate portrayal of all students and to better understand student learning and employment outcomes.”
Dr. Chris Cate, Vice President of Research at Student Veterans of America
"Based on recent research, the value of the Post-9/11 GI Bill is clear, as student veterans across the country succeed at rates higher than traditional students. Yet, determining these outcomes is currently a significant effort and not easily accomplished without abundant resources. Basing policy on research and data is imperative, and it shouldn't take as much effort as it does today, as we have the answer to this challenge staring us in the face."
This legislation is also supported by, the Association of Community Colleges (AACC), The United States Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA), Rebuilding America's Middle Class (RAMC) a Coalition of Community Colleges, The Institute for College Access and Success (TICAS), Third Way, Veterans Education Success (VES), Workforce Data Quality Campaign and Young Invincibles.
The College Transparency Act joins other bipartisan proposals in the United States Senate to address weaknesses in higher education data, including the Student Right to Know Before You Go Act of 2015, led by Senators Wyden, Rubio, and Warner.
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Video: Hatch Honors Utahns in National Police Week Speech
Washington, D.C.—As the United States celebrates National Police Week, Senator Orrin Hatch, R-UT, the senior Republican in the United States Senate, honored three Utah law enforcement officers who were killed in the line of duty this past year: West Valley City Police Officer Cody Brotherson, Salt Lake Unified Police Officer Douglas Barney, and Utah Highway Patrol Trooper Eric Ellsworth.
Hatch also paid tribute to Salt Lake City Police Officer Ben Hone for his heroics in rescuing Bre and Kayli Lasley, two women who were attacked in their Salt Lake home in 2015. Hatch also spoke about legislation he has introduced to help law enforcement officers, including the Rapid DNA Act, legislation that will speed the process of analyzing DNA evidence. That bill passed in the Senate today.
[Video Via YouTube] [FULL SPEECH]
On the rescue of Bri and Kayli Lasley:
Today, I wish to express my gratitude for our men and women in uniform by sharing stories of their heroism. You see, we hear all about police mistakes. We hear wall-to-wall coverage of the controversies. But we seldom hear about the acts of bravery and professionalism that distinguish our police officers as the finest in the world. In particular, I would like to relate the account of Utahns Bre and Kayli Lasley—two sisters whose lives were saved by an on-duty police officer.
In September 2015, a man armed with a knife climbed through a bedroom window in the Salt Lake City apartment of Bre and Kayli. Once inside, he brutally beat both sisters before pulling out a knife and repeatedly stabbing Bre. Just as the attacker raised his knife to Bre’s throat, Salt Lake City Police Officer Ben Hone charged into the room. He told the intruder to drop his knife. In that critical moment, with lives literally hanging in the balance, Bre remembers, “That’s when I saw the officer, and he was our angel…I looked at the officer in his eyes, and he was so professional and calm.”
When the attacker refused to surrender his weapon, Officer Hone raised his service pistol and fired, killing the armed intruder and saving Bre’s life. In that moment Officer Hone was truly Bre’s guardian angel. As she remembers, “When [we] made eye contact, I knew I was safe. It’s a miracle that he had so much composure and was able to take that shot.”
In recognition of his heroism, Officer Ben Hone was honored by the National Associations of Chiefs of Police and the American Police Hall of Fame as the 2015 Law Enforcement Officer of the Year. It was an honor richly deserved.
On Utah Highway Patrol Trooper Eric Ellsworth, West Valley City Police officer Cody Brotherson, and Salt Lake Unified Police Officer Douglas Barney
The sad reality is, many lose their lives in the line of duty. And so today, I wish to honor those men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice and paid the highest price that society can ask. Our debt to them will not—indeed, cannot—be repaid.
Among the fallen is Utah Highway Patrol Trooper Eric Ellsworth, who died only a few days after being struck by a car while on duty in Box Elder County. We also mourn the passing of West Valley City Police Officer Cody Brotherson and Salt Lake Unified Police Officer Douglas Barney, who were both killed in the line of duty this past year in Utah. I express my deepest condolences to the family and friends of these brave heroes, and the countless others who have experienced similar tragedies.
Although we cannot bring these officers back, we can honor their legacy by committing ourselves to supporting their brothers and sisters in uniform.
Hatch also had the opportunity to meet with Trooper Ellsworth’s family, who are visiting Washington for National Police Week.
The full speech, as prepared for delivery, is below:
Mr. President, peace and order are the indispensable pillars of a stable society. They grant us security in our daily lives, trust in our communities, and faith in our democratic institutions. Where peace and order reign, so, too, does society thrive and prosper.
But none of that is possible without our nation’s 700,000 men and women in blue. Each and every day, these brave souls stand up for us. Each and every day, they stand guard, ready to do justice or risk harm, all on our behalf. So today, I rise alongside a grateful nation to recognize them. Their performance is exceptional, and their sacrifice is immense.
Far too often, Mr. President, we take our police officers for granted. Far too often, we forget how hard it is to win, and how easy it is to lose, the peace and order we all enjoy. But our police officers never forget. They are always at the ready. As we honor them this week, we remember that the question is not what causes violence or what causes crime? The question, rather, is what causes peace and what causes security? The answer is our men and women in blue.
In celebration of National Police Week, I wish to express my profound appreciation for our nation’s law enforcement community—the courageous men and women who, each day, put the safety of others before their own. Their success is impossible to fully measure. It can’t be counted in crime statistics, nor etched into medals. It can only be seen in the peace and order that their sacrifice makes possible.
Therefore, Mr. President, allow me, for a moment, to speak directly to our police officers: Trust that your selflessness does not go unseen, that your service does not go unfelt, and that your sacrifice does not go unknown. We appreciate you, we support you, and we honor you.
Law enforcement is among the most noble of professions. You are the brave guardians among us who fight for peace and protect the vulnerable from harm. On behalf of a grateful country, I wish to thank you and your families for bearing the burden, shouldering the sacrifice, and making us all proud. Mr. President, let it be known that I proudly back the blue.
This is a critical moment to show cops our support. We live in a time when law enforcement officials are not only underappreciated, but often maligned and openly disparaged. Day in and day out, they suffer criticism and pressure. This week, we let them know our respect and admiration.
Today, I wish to express my gratitude for our men and women in uniform by sharing stories of their heroism. You see, we hear all about police mistakes. We hear wall-to-wall coverage of the controversies. But we seldom hear about the acts of bravery and professionalism that distinguish our police officers as the finest in the world. In particular, I would like to relate the account of Utahns Bre and Kayli Lasley—two sisters whose lives were saved by an on-duty police officer.
In September 2015, a man armed with a knife climbed through a bedroom window in the Salt Lake City apartment of Bre and Kayli. Once inside, he brutally beat both sisters before pulling out a knife and repeatedly stabbing Bre. Just as the attacker raised his knife to Bre’s throat, Salt Lake City Police Officer Ben Hone charged into the room. He told the intruder to drop his knife. In that critical moment, with lives literally hanging in the balance, Bre remembers, “That’s when I saw the officer, and he was our angel…I looked at the officer in his eyes, and he was so professional and calm.”
When the attacker refused to surrender his weapon, Officer Hone raised his service pistol and fired, killing the armed intruder and saving Bre’s life. In that moment Officer Hone was truly Bre’s guardian angel. As she remembers, “When [we] made eye contact, I knew I was safe. It’s a miracle that he had so much composure and was able to take that shot.”
In recognition of his heroism, Officer Ben Hone was honored by the National Associations of Chiefs of Police and the American Police Hall of Fame as the 2015 Law Enforcement Officer of the Year. It was an honor richly deserved.
Officer Hone survived that day. For that we give thanks. But the sad reality is, many lose their lives in the line of duty. And so today, I wish to honor those men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice and paid the highest price that society can ask. Our debt to them will not—indeed, cannot—be repaid.
Among the fallen is Utah Highway Patrol Trooper Eric Ellsworth, who died only a few days after being struck by a car while on duty in Box Elder County. We also mourn the passing of West Valley City Police Officer Cody Brotherson and Salt Lake Unified Police Officer Douglas Barney, who were both killed in the line of duty this past year in Utah. I express my deepest condolences to the family and friends of these brave heroes, and the countless others who have experienced similar tragedies.
Although we cannot bring these officers back, we can honor their legacy by committing ourselves to supporting their brothers and sisters in uniform. To that end, I have introduced and cosponsored a number of bills this Congress meant to assist law enforcement as they serve our communities. These bills include the Rapid DNA Act, the Probation Officer Protection Act, and the Child Protection Improvement Act. Just yesterday, I joined Senator Coons in introducing the US Marshals Service Hiring Improvement Act, which was named in honor of US Marshal Deputy Patrick T. Carothers—a 26-year veteran of the US Marshals Service who died in the line of duty in Georgia in November 2016.
Last week, I was grateful to see the Senate Judiciary Committee favorably report my bipartisan bill, the Rapid DNA Act of 2017. This critical legislation—which has garnered support from the National Association of Police Organizations, the Fraternal Order of Police, and the National District Attorney’s Association—updates the law and leverages advancements in rapid DNA technology to expedite analysis in the FBI’s Combined DNA Index System. If enacted, this commonsense proposal will enable law enforcement to analyze DNA in record time, reducing backlogs in rape kits and keeping violent criminals off our streets. By facilitating the use of rapid DNA technology, this bill will also help to exonerate those wrongly accused of crime.
The Rapid DNA Act has received strong support from US Attorney General Sessions. During his confirmation hearing, Attorney General Sessions said, “Rapid DNA analysis is a hugely important issue for the whole American criminal justice system. It presents tremendous opportunities to solve crimes in an effective way and produce justice because it's the kind of thing that you can't fake or mislead. So I am very strongly in favor of [it].”
And in remarks before the Senate Judiciary Committee, former FBI Director James Comey said the Rapid DNA Act “will help us change the world in a very exciting way. [It] will materially advance the safety of the people of the United States.”
Mr. President, each time I talk to a police officer, I always hear nearly the same thing: they have no need for fanfare or fame; all they need is the public’s support, and the tools necessary to do the job. In commemoration of National Police Week, let’s make sure to give them both. I encourage my colleagues to join me in passing these bills, and showing our heroes in blue the gratitude and admiration they deserve.
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Hatch Rapid DNA Bill Passes in the Senate
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the bipartisan, bicameral Rapid DNA Act—which was authored and introduced by Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) unanimously passed in the Senate.
This bill would establish a system to enable law enforcement officials to use Rapid DNA instruments to help reduce DNA backlogs. Unlike traditional DNA analysis, which can take weeks or even months, Rapid DNA analysis can process DNA results in approximately 90 minutes or less. Law enforcement experts believe that this technology has the potential to revolutionize the way in which individuals arrested for crimes are enrolled in the criminal justice system by expediting the exoneration of innocent suspects and dramatically reducing the time required for suspects’ DNA to be linked to unsolved crimes. The Rapid DNA Act will give law enforcement officials a new system that meets FBI quality assurance standards to compare DNA samples collected at the time of an arrest to profiles in the FBI’s Combined DNA Index System (CODIS.)
Senator Hatch spoke about the bill in his floor speech today honoring law enforcement for National Police Week.
“This critical legislation—which has garnered support from the National Association of Police Organizations, the Fraternal Order of Police, and the National District Attorney’s Association—updates the law and leverages advancements in rapid DNA technology to expedite analysis in the FBI’s Combined DNA Index System,” Hatch said. “If enacted, this commonsense proposal will enable law enforcement to analyze DNA in record time, reducing backlogs in rape kits and keeping violent criminals off our streets. By facilitating the use of rapid DNA technology, this bill will also help to exonerate those wrongly accused of crime. The Rapid DNA Act has received strong support from US Attorney General Sessions. During his confirmation hearing, Attorney General Sessions said, “Rapid DNA analysis is a hugely important issue for the whole American criminal justice system. It presents tremendous opportunities to solve crimes in an effective way and produce justice because it's the kind of thing that you can't fake or mislead. So I am very strongly in favor of [it].”
When then-Director James Comey appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee just last week, he said Hatch’s Rapid DNA bill would “materially advance the safety of the American people.” He added, “it will save lives, protect all kinds of people from pain, and I think it’s a great thing.”
This bill—which was also approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee and passed by the Senate in the previous Congress—has strong backing from the law enforcement community, prosecutors, and forensic scientists, as well as from victims’ rights groups.
The following organizations have sent letters of support for Hatch’s Rapid DNA Act of 2015 and Rapid DNA Act of 2017:
· Peace Officers Research Association of California
· National District Attorneys Association
· National Association of Police Organizations
· Major Cities Chiefs Association
· International Association of Chiefs of Police
· National Fraternal Order of Police
· Consortium of Forensic Science Organizations
· Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association
Senator Hatch’s full floor speech can be found here.
