Washington, Nov 9, 2005 -

Today the House of Representatives passed the Science, State, Justice, and Commerce Appropriations Conference Report, H.R. 1751. The bill included a request by U.S. Representative John R. Carter (TX-31, Round Rock ) for $200,000 for the Advance Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT) program administered by Texas State University in San Marcos.

            “As a judge for 20 years, I know first hand the how crucial appropriate training is for our law enforcement.” Carter continued by saying, “This funding will make sure our officers have the training to save the lives of Texans and Americans.”

            The ALERRT program trains primarily Texas law enforcement officers to act quickly in an effort to save lives and prevent injuries.  This funding is requested to build capacity for a nationwide effort to standardize a level of preparedness for some of the more than 650,000 law enforcement officers employed across the U.S., with a focus on small to mid-size jurisdictions

            The bill will now await President George W. Bush’s signature before becoming law.