H.R. 8849 — Promoting Police Leadership Act

This section defines command-level personnel as law enforcement officers who manage, direct, or oversee operations within a geographic subunit of a State, local, or Tribal agency. It requires the Attorney General to develop or identify curricula on leadership, critical incident response, risk management, officer wellness, data analysis, evidence-based decision making, and community trust within 180 days; establish a certification process for programs incorporating those curricula; and publish a list of agencies employing officers who complete the training within one year.

This section requires the Attorney General to submit a report to Congress not later than 2 years after enactment and annually thereafter through 3 years after enactment on activities resulting from the amendments in section 2. Each report must cover steps to develop or identify curricula under section 1701(q)(1) of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, assessments of their effectiveness and utilization, recommendations for updates, and barriers to training implementation.

This section directs the Comptroller General to review actions taken by the Attorney General under the Act and its amendments, and to submit a report to Congress within 3 years of enactment. The report must describe the process for developing curricula under the new section 1701(q)(1) of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, including the effectiveness of required consultations, and the process for certifying training programs under the new section 1701(q)(2), including its development and implementation.

This section preserves the authority of State and local governments, including Peace Officer Standards and Training entities, to set and enforce certification, training, or qualification standards for law enforcement officers.