U.S. Rep. Stephanie Bice (R-OK) recently unveiled a bipartisan bill that aims to provide more federal financial support to help train police officers working in smaller and rural departments across the nation.
“I was proud to lead this legislation to help ensure small and rural law enforcement departments have access to the high-quality training and resources they need to safely and effectively serve their communities,” Rep. Bice said on May 14. “Far too often, smaller departments face limited resources and fewer opportunities for specialized training, and this bill helps ensure officers in every community have access to the tools they need.”
The congresswoman on May 7 sponsored the Training Rural Law Enforcement Officers Act of 2026, H.R. 8675, alongside U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) to authorize the U.S. Department of Justice to provide better access to needed training for law enforcement officers at no cost to police departments with fewer than 50 sworn officers, according to the text of the bill.
The National Tactical Officers Association and the Small and Rural Law Enforcement Executive’s Association endorsed the bill, which has been referred for consideration to the U.S. House Judiciary Committee.
“Honored to lead this bipartisan legislation alongside my House Appropriations colleague Stephanie Bice,” said Rep. Kaptur. “Extending funding opportunities to trusted nonprofits who help train and support our rural law enforcement is crucial to ensure that federal funds make it to these smaller agencies.”