Justice Assistance Act of 1981

Justice Assistance Act of 1981 - Title I: Amendments to Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 - Amends title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (Justice System Improvement) to eliminate the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration and the Office of Justice Assistance, Research and Statistics. Retains the Bureau of Justice Statistics and the National Institute of Justice. Establishes a new Office of Justice Assistance.

Revises the formula grant program to make the following changes. Decreases from 23 to 12 the purposes for which formula grants may be made. Requires States to provide a 50 percent match to receive Federal funding. Eliminates the current requirement that States and localities establish criminal justice councils and local criminal justice advisory boards.

Requires the formula grant application to be submitted for approval to the State legislature or designated body which shall act on the application as it would for State budget requests. Requires a State to distribute formula grants among local governments in the same proportion that such governments expend State funds for law enforcement purposes.

Increases from 80 to 90 percent the proportion of total funding to be allocated for formula grants.

Eliminates the national priority grant and the training and manpower development programs.

Retains the discretionary grant program. Requires that private nonprofit organizations be the primary recipients of such grants.

Permits "construction" under such Act to include renovation, repairs, or remodeling.

Decreases from $750,000,000 to $170,000,000 the amount authorized to be appropriated for each of fiscal years 1980 through 1983. Authorizes additional appropriations as are necessary to provide emergency law enforcement assistance to States.

Eliminates the current authorization of appropriations for the Office of Community Anti-Crime Programs and the requirement that at least 19.15 percent of total appropriations be maintained for juvenile delinquency programs.

Title II: Emergency Federal Law Enforcement Assistance - Authorizes a State or local government to apply for emergency Federal law enforcement assistance in the event that a crime problem of serious and epidemic proportions exists.

Requires the Attorney General, in approving or disapproving such application, to consider: (1) the nature and extent of the crime problem; (2) the emergency or extraordinary circumstances; (3) the availability of State and local resources; (4) the cost of increased Federal presence; and (5) the need to avoid unnecessary Federal involvement in local concerns.

Authorizes appropriations for such purpose.