Rep. Nellie Pou (D-North Haledon), a member of the House for a little over three months, has notched her first concrete legislative achievement as a congresswoman.
A bill sponsored by Pou, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Basic Training Accreditation Improvement Act, was approved in the House Homeland Security Committee on a voice vote yesterday. That puts it on course to come before the full House for passage (though as many New Jersey House members have learned over the years, there’s never a guarantee that the House will take it up).
The bill, which is co-sponsored by Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-Dennis), mandates that the Homeland Security Department issue reports to Congress on the accreditation status of basic training programs within the department.
“American homeland security is built on a foundation of experienced, well-trained staff. And good training comes from rigorous training programs,” Pou, a member of the Homeland Security Committee, said in a statement. “While many law enforcement training programs are accredited, there are some that are not. My bill will change that and require prioritizing the accrediting of these vital training programs to create higher standards and more effective use of resources.”
“These outcomes are critical to maintaining preparedness and being able to respond to the threat of terrorism,” she continued. “Once signed into law, my legislation will ensure that the people in charge of protecting America are equipped with the best tools to succeed.”
The same bill had been introduced by California Rep. Lou Correa during the 118th Congress; it was approved by the Homeland Security Committee that session, but never ended up coming up for a full vote.