The Indiana House Veterans Affairs and Public Safety Committee passed a bill 12-1 to encourage local law enforcement to join ICE’s 287(g) program, which trains officers to handle ICE duties in prisons.

State Representative Chris Jeter (R-Fishers) said the program would benefit both law enforcement and communities.

While a previous bill requiring all county agencies to join failed, this bill directs the Indiana Department of Homeland Security to offer grants for participation.

The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office announced its plan to join the program in January, making it the only Indiana law enforcement agency to do so since its launch in the late ’90s.