Law enforcement agencies receive more funding in $1.1 trillion 2015 spending bill 

President Obama signed a federal spending bill Tuesday that will fund the government through 2015 and law enforcement agencies will largely benefit.

With the exception of the U.S. Marshal’s Service — which will receive a cut of $10 million — law enforcement agencies will receive significant increases in funding thanks to the appropriations act.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation will receive almost $8.4 billion, an increase of $81 million from last year, for counterterrorism and human trafficking investigations. Under the direction of the FBI, the National Gang Intelligence Center will receive up to about $217 million.

For its program goals, the Drug Enforcement Administration was budgeted for just over $2 billion, or $15.3 million more than in 2014, which it will use for salaries, drug education and training programs and other expenses.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for its training and the acquisition of canines for explosives and fire accelerant detection gets $1.2 billion through next year, up $22 million from last year.

Also in the bill is language prohibiting funding to “support or justify the use of torture by any official or contract employee of the United States Government.”

The bill also includes a provision to keep any of its appropriations from being spent on implementation of the Arms Trade Treaty until the Senate ratifies it. The Second Amendment Foundation recently expressed its fears that the president could take executive action to ratify the United Nations treaty on international gun trade, which goes into effect Christmas eve.

Some $3 million in competitive grants are also budgeted for the distribution of firearm safety materials and gun locks under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant program.

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