Improving Police CARE Act

This Act may be cited as the “Improving Police Critical Aid for Responding to Emergencies Act” or the “Improving Police CARE Act”.

Section 521 of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10202) is amended by adding at the end the following:

“(d) Trauma kits.—

(1) Definition.— In this subsection, the term trauma kit means a first aid response kit, which includes a bleeding control kit that can be used for controlling a life-threatening hemorrhage.

(2) Requirement for trauma kits.—

(A) In general.— Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a grantee may only purchase a trauma kit using funds made available under this part if the trauma kit meets the performance standards established by the Director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance under paragraph (3)(A).

(B) Authority to separately acquire.— Nothing in subparagraph (A) shall prohibit a grantee from separately acquiring the components of a trauma kit and assembling complete trauma kits that meet the performance standards.

(3) Performance standards and optional agency best practices.— Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this subsection, the Director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance, in consultation with organizations representing trauma surgeons, emergency medical response professionals, emergency physicians, other medical professionals, relevant law enforcement agencies of States and units of local government, professional law enforcement organizations, local law enforcement labor or representative organizations, and law enforcement trade associations, shall—

(A) develop and publish performance standards for trauma kits that are eligible for purchase using funds made available under this part that, at a minimum, require the components described in paragraph (4) to be included in a trauma kit; and

(B) develop and publish optional best practices for law enforcement agencies regarding—

(i) training law enforcement officers in the use of trauma kits;

(ii) the deployment and maintenance of trauma kits in law enforcement vehicles; and

(iii) the deployment, location, and maintenance of trauma kits in law enforcement agency or other government facilities.

(4) Components.— The components of a trauma kit described in this paragraph are—

(A) a tourniquet recommended by the Committee on Tactical Combat Casualty Care;

(B) a bleeding control bandage;

(C) a pair of nonlatex protective gloves and a pen-type marker;

(D) a pair of blunt-ended scissors;

(E) instructional documents developed—

(i) under the “Stop the Bleed” national awareness campaign of the Department of Homeland Security, or any successor thereto;

(ii) by the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma;

(iii) by the American Red Cross; or

(iv) by any partner of the Department of Defense;

(F) a bag or other container adequately designed to hold the contents of the kit; and

(G) any additional trauma kit supplies that—

(i) are approved by a State, local, or Tribal law enforcement agency or first responders;

(ii) can adequately treat a traumatic injury; and

(iii) can be stored in a readily available kit.”.