# What the DHS Basic Training Accreditation Improvement Act Does

This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security to keep Congress informed about whether its basic law enforcement training programs are properly accredited. Think of accreditation like a quality seal—it means an independent board has verified that a training program meets professional standards and is teaching officers what they need to know. Right now, DHS runs several entry-level training programs for future federal law enforcement officers, but Congress doesn't have clear visibility into which ones are accredited and which ones aren't.

Starting within 90 days of the bill passing, DHS must file annual reports listing every basic training program and its accreditation status. For programs that don't have accreditation, the department has to explain why, what they're doing to fix it, and when they expect to get accredited. The reports also need to identify who's responsible for managing accreditation for each program. These annual reports continue until every DHS basic training program is accredited. Additionally, if any program loses its accreditation, DHS must notify Congress within 30 days, explain what went wrong, and describe their plan to regain it.

The bill also directs DHS to invest in research and technology to help state, local, tribal, and territorial police departments access federal law enforcement training, with a special focus on rural and remote areas. This is meant to strengthen how communities across the country can prepare for and respond to terrorism and other homeland security threats by giving local law enforcement better access to quality federal training resources.