The Administration of Justice function includes funding for federal law enforcement, litigation and judicial activities, correctional operations, and state and local justice assistance. Agencies that administer programs within these categories include the following: the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS); the U. S. Customs Service; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF); the United States Secret Service; the United States Attorneys; the U.S. Marshals Service; legal divisions within the Department of Justice; the Legal Services Corporation; the Federal Judiciary; and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. President Clinton's budget provides $26.9 billion for the Administration of Justice function, the same level enacted in 1999.

The following list outlines highlights in the President's Administration of Justice budget for 2000.

· Violent Crime Reduction Trust Fund (VCRTF) Congress created the Violent Crime Reduction Trust Fund (VCRTF) in 1994 to dedicate funds to state, local, and federal programs that focus on crime prevention and law enforcement. For 1995 through 1999, Congress appropriated a total of $22.6 billion to programs from the fund. The budget provides $4.5 billion for VCRTF programs for 2000. These programs include grants to states and localities and law enforcement programs administered by the Immigration and Naturalization Service, the Customs Service, the Drug Enforcement Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the United States Marshals Service. The VCRTF expires after 2000 under current law.

· Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) The VCRTF also funds the President's Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) initiative, a program designed to put 100,000 new police officers on the street by 2000. For 1995 through 1999, Congress appropriated a total of $6.9 billion from the VCRTF to the COPS program, nearly one-third of the total VCRTF funds. COPS will achieve its goal of putting 100,000 police officers on the street in 1999. Beginning in 2000, the President's budget continues efforts begun under COPS by merging the program into its 21st Century Policing Initiative described below.

· 21st Century Policing Initiative The President's budget establishes a new program the 21st Century Policing Initiative to continue law enforcement efforts begun under the COPS program. The 21st Century Policing Initiative builds on the COPS program by providing $600 million for 2000 to help state and local law enforcement agencies hire and retain police officers. In addition, the initiative provides $350 million for 2000 to help states and localities improve crime-fighting technology. The initiative also provides $325 million for 2000 for new community-based prosecutors and other programs and organizations that focus on community crime prevention. Most of the funding for the 21st Century Policing Initiative comes from the VCRTF for 2000. Funding for the 21st Century Policing Initiative totals $6.4 billion over the next five years.

· Civil Rights Enforcement The President's budget increases funding for civil rights enforcement over 1999 enacted levels. The budget provides $312 million for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), a 12 percent increase over the $259 million enacted last year, to help reduce the backlog of private sector complaints from 57,000 to 28,000 by the end of 2000. The budget provides $82 million for the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division, a 19 percent increase over the $69 million appropriated for 1999, to aid the division's efforts to investigate and prosecute hate crimes, police misconduct, fair housing and lending cases, and violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The President's budget provides $47 million to aid the Department of Housing and Urban Development's efforts to reduce housing discrimination. This represents a 17 percent increase over the $40 million appropriated last year. The President's budget also provides $73 million for the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights, an 11 percent increase over the $66 million appropriated for 1999.

· Immigration Services The President's budget provides $4.3 billion for the Department of Justice's Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) for 2000, $400 million over the 1999 level. The increased INS budget includes $50 million for "force-multiplying" border enforcement to enable the agency to monitor borders with high resolution color and infrared cameras and state-of-the-art command centers. The INS budget includes $71 million to expand and construct border and detention facilities. The INS budget also includes $124 million for naturalization processing assistance to help reduce the waiting time for naturalization from nine to six months in 2000.

· Drug Enforcement The President's budget provides $7.9 billion to address illegal drug trafficking and use for 2000, a $133 million (2.5 percent) increase above the 1999 level. The President's budget provides $1.5 billion for the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), which includes $23 million for program enhancement within the agency. The President's budget also includes a $215 million "Zero Tolerance" drug supervision program to monitor and treat drug use among criminal offenders. In addition, the budget provides $20 million for drug prevention within the Juvenile Justice Program.

· State and Local Grant Reductions The President's budget, while increasing funding for federal law enforcement programs and adding several justice initiatives, reduces state and local justice assistance by $1.3 billion in 2000. These reductions in the budget stem from the elimination of the Local Law Enforcement Block Grant, the state prison construction program, and the Juvenile Accountability block grant program. The President's budget for 2000 reduces the Byrne Law Enforcement program to $460 million ($92 million below the 1999 level) and the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program to $500 million ($85 million below the 1999 level).

· Legal Services Corporation The Legal Services Corporation distributes funds to non-profit legal organizations that offer legal assistance to people living in poverty. The President's budget includes $340 million for the Legal Services Corporation for 2000, $40 million above last year's level.

· Customs Service Fee Increases The President's budget includes proposals to collect new and added Customs Service fees. The budget increases fees for commercial travelers entering the United States and removes certain exemptions from this fee. Proceeds from this increased fee help offset passenger processing costs. The budget also establishes a fee for users of Customs' automated systems. Proceeds from this fee help offset automation modernization. Both fees are contingent upon the enactment of authorizing legislation.