Collapse to view only § 20986. Children’s safety online awareness campaigns
- § 20981. Pilot program for monitoring sexual offenders
- § 20982. Assistance for prosecution of cases cleared through use of DNA backlog clearance funds
- § 20983. Grants to combat sexual abuse of children
- § 20984. Grants for fingerprinting programs for children
- § 20985. Grants for Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network
- § 20986. Children’s safety online awareness campaigns
- § 20987. Grants for online child safety programs
- § 20988. Jessica Lunsford Address Verification Grant Program
- § 20989. Fugitive Safe Surrender
- § 20990. National registry of substantiated cases of child abuse
- § 20991. Annual report on enforcement of registration requirements
§ 20981. Pilot program for monitoring sexual offenders
(a) Sex offender monitoring program
(1) Grants authorized
(A) In general
The Attorney General is authorized to award grants (referred to as “Jessica Lunsford and Sarah Lunde Grants”) to States, local governments, and Indian tribal governments to assist in—
(i) carrying out programs to outfit sex offenders with electronic monitoring units; and
(ii) the employment of law enforcement officials necessary to carry out such programs.
(B) Duration
(C) Minimum standards
The electronic monitoring units used in the pilot program shall at a minimum—
(i) provide a tracking device for each offender that contains a central processing unit with global positioning system; and
(ii) permit continuous monitoring of offenders 24 hours a day.
(2) Application
(A) In general
(B) Contents
Each application submitted pursuant to subparagraph (A) shall—
(i) describe the activities for which assistance under this section is sought; and
(ii) provide such additional assurances as the Attorney General determines to be essential to ensure compliance with the requirements of this section.
(b) Innovation
(c) Authorization of appropriations
(1) In general
(2) Report
Not later than September 1, 2010, the Attorney General shall report to Congress—
(A) assessing the effectiveness and value of this section;
(B) comparing the cost effectiveness of the electronic monitoring to reduce sex offenses compared to other alternatives; and
(C) making recommendations for continuing funding and the appropriate levels for such funding.
(Pub. L. 109–248, title VI, § 621, July 27, 2006, 120 Stat. 633; Pub. L. 110–400, § 4(a), Oct. 13, 2008, 122 Stat. 4227.)
§ 20982. Assistance for prosecution of cases cleared through use of DNA backlog clearance funds
(a) In general
(b) Authorization
(Pub. L. 109–248, title VI, § 624, July 27, 2006, 120 Stat. 636.)
§ 20983. Grants to combat sexual abuse of children
(a) In general
The Bureau of Justice Assistance is authorized to make grants under this section—
(1) to any law enforcement agency that serves a jurisdiction with 50,000 or more residents; and
(2) to any law enforcement agency that serves a jurisdiction with fewer than 50,000 residents, upon a showing of need.
(b) Use of grant amounts
Grants under this section may be used by the law enforcement agency to—
(1) hire additional law enforcement personnel or train existing staff to combat the sexual abuse of children through community education and outreach, investigation of complaints, enforcement of laws relating to sex offender registries, and management of released sex offenders;
(2) investigate the use of the Internet to facilitate the sexual abuse of children; and
(3) purchase computer hardware and software necessary to investigate sexual abuse of children over the Internet, access local, State, and Federal databases needed to apprehend sex offenders, and facilitate the creation and enforcement of sex offender registries.
(c) Criteria
(d) Authorization of appropriations
(Pub. L. 109–248, title VI, § 625, July 27, 2006, 120 Stat. 636.)
§ 20984. Grants for fingerprinting programs for children
(a) In general
(b) Use of grant amounts
A grant made to a State, unit of local government, or Indian tribal government under subsection (a) shall be distributed to law enforcement agencies within the jurisdiction of such State, unit, or tribal government to be used for any of the following activities:
(1) To establish a voluntary fingerprinting program for children, which may include the taking of palm prints of children.
(2) To hire additional law enforcement personnel, or train existing law enforcement personnel, to take fingerprints of children.
(3) To provide information within the community involved about the existence of such a fingerprinting program.
(4) To provide for computer hardware, computer software, or other materials necessary to carry out such a fingerprinting program.
(c) Limitation
Fingerprints of a child derived from a program funded under this section—
(1) may be released only to a parent or guardian of the child; and
(2) may not be copied or retained by any Federal, State, local, or tribal law enforcement officer unless written permission is given by the parent or guardian.
(d) Criminal penalty
(e) Authorization of appropriations
(Pub. L. 109–248, title VI, § 627, July 27, 2006, 120 Stat. 637.)
§ 20985. Grants for Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network
(a) Findings
Congress finds as follows:
(1) More than 200,000 Americans each year are victims of sexual assault, according to the Department of Justice.
(2) In 2004, 1 American was sexually assaulted every 2.5 minutes.
(3) One of every 6 women, and 1 of every 133 men, in America has been the victim of a completed or attempted rape, according to the Department of Justice.
(4) The Federal Bureau of Investigation ranks rape second in the hierarchy of violent crimes for its Uniform Crime Reports, trailing only murder.
(5) The Federal Government, through the Victims of Crime Act [34 U.S.C. 20101 et seq.], Violence Against Women Act, and other laws, has long played a role in providing services to sexual assault victims and in seeking policies to increase the number of rapists brought to justice.
(6) Research suggests that sexual assault victims who receive counseling support are more likely to report their attack to the police and to participate in the prosecution of the offender.
(7) Due in part to the combined efforts of law enforcement officials at the local, State, and Federal level, as well as the efforts of the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) and its affiliated rape crisis centers across the United States, sexual violence in America has fallen by more than half since 1994.
(8) RAINN, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation headquartered in the District of Columbia, has since 1994 provided help to victims of sexual assault and educated the public about sexual assault prevention, prosecution, and recovery.
(9) RAINN established and continues to operate the National Sexual Assault Hotline, a free, confidential telephone hotline that provides help, 24 hours a day, to victims nationally.
(10) More than 1,100 local rape crisis centers in the 50 States and the District of Columbia partner with RAINN and are members of the National Sexual Assault Hotline network (which has helped more than 970,000 people since its inception in 1994).
(11) To better serve victims of sexual assault, 80 percent of whom are under age 30 and 44 percent of whom are under age 18, RAINN will soon launch the National Sexual Assault Online Hotline, the web’s first secure hotline service offering live help 24 hours a day.
(12) Congress and the Department of Justice have given RAINN funding to conduct its crucial work.
(13) RAINN is a national model of public/private partnership, raising private sector funds to match congressional appropriations and receiving extensive private in-kind support, including advanced technology provided by the communications and technology industries to launch the National Sexual Assault Hotline and the National Sexual Assault Online Hotline.
(14) Worth magazine selected RAINN as one of “America’s 100 Best Charities”, in recognition of the organization’s “efficiency and effectiveness.”.1
1 So in original. The second period probably should not appear.
(15) In fiscal year 2005, RAINN spent more than 91 cents of every dollar received directly on program services.
(16) The demand for RAINN’s services is growing dramatically, as evidenced by the fact that, in 2005, the National Sexual Assault Hotline helped 137,039 people, an all-time record.
(17) The programs sponsored by RAINN and its local affiliates have contributed to the increase in the percentage of victims who report their rape to law enforcement.
(18) According to a recent poll, 92 percent of American women said that fighting sexual and domestic violence should be a top public policy priority (a higher percentage than chose health care, child care, or any other issue).
(19) Authorizing Federal funds for RAINN’s national programs would promote continued progress with this interstate problem and would make a significant difference in the prosecution of rapists and the overall incidence of sexual violence.
(b) Duties and functions of the Administrator
(1) Description of activities
The Administrator shall—
(A) issue such rules as the Administrator considers necessary or appropriate to carry out this section;
(B) make such arrangements as may be necessary and appropriate to facilitate effective coordination among all Federally funded programs relating to victims of sexual assault; and
(C) provide adequate staff and agency resources which are necessary to properly carry out the responsibilities pursuant to this section.
(2) Annual grant to Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network
The Administrator shall annually make a grant to RAINN, which shall be used for the performance of the organization’s national programs, which may include—
(A) operation of the National Sexual Assault Hotline, a 24-hour toll-free telephone line by which individuals may receive help and information from trained volunteers;
(B) operation of the National Sexual Assault Online Hotline, a 24-hour free online service by which individuals may receive help and information from trained volunteers;
(C) education of the media, the general public, and populations at risk of sexual assault about the incidence of sexual violence and sexual violence prevention, prosecution, and recovery;
(D) dissemination, on a national basis, of information relating to innovative and model programs, services, laws, legislation, and policies that benefit victims of sexual assault; and
(E) provision of technical assistance to law enforcement agencies, State and local governments, the criminal justice system, public and private nonprofit agencies, and individuals in the investigation and prosecution of cases involving victims of sexual assault.
(c) Definitions
For the purposes of this section:
(1) Administrator
(2) RAINN
(d) Authorization of appropriations
(Pub. L. 109–248, title VI, § 628, July 27, 2006, 120 Stat. 638; Pub. L. 117–347, title I, § 105(e), Jan. 5, 2023, 136 Stat. 6204.)
§ 20986. Children’s safety online awareness campaigns
(a) Awareness campaign for children’s safety online
(1) In general
(2) Required components
(b) Awareness campaign regarding the accessibility and utilization of sex offender registries
(c) Authorization of appropriations
(Pub. L. 109–248, title VI, § 629, July 27, 2006, 120 Stat. 640.)
§ 20987. Grants for online child safety programs
(a) In general
(b) Definition of State
(c) Authorization of appropriations
(Pub. L. 109–248, title VI, § 630, July 27, 2006, 120 Stat. 640.)
§ 20988. Jessica Lunsford Address Verification Grant Program
(a) Establishment
(b) Grants authorized
(c) Application
(1) In general
(2) Contents
Each application submitted pursuant to paragraph (1) shall—
(A) describe the activities for which assistance under this section is sought; and
(B) provide such additional assurances as the Attorney General determines to be essential to ensure compliance with the requirements of this section.
(d) Innovation
(e) Authorization of appropriations
(1) In general
(2) Report
Not later than April 1, 2009, the Attorney General shall report to Congress—
(A) assessing the effectiveness and value of this section;
(B) comparing the cost effectiveness of address verification to reduce sex offenses compared to other alternatives; and
(C) making recommendations for continuing funding and the appropriate levels for such funding.
(Pub. L. 109–248, title VI, § 631, July 27, 2006, 120 Stat. 641.)
§ 20989. Fugitive Safe Surrender
(a) Findings
Congress finds the following:
(1) Fugitive Safe Surrender is a program of the United States Marshals Service, in partnership with public, private, and faith-based organizations, which temporarily transforms a church into a courthouse, so fugitives can turn themselves in, in an atmosphere where they feel more comfortable to do so, and have nonviolent cases adjudicated immediately.
(2) In the 4-day pilot program in Cleveland, Ohio, over 800 fugitives turned themselves in. By contrast, a successful Fugitive Task Force sweep, conducted for 3 days after Fugitive Safe Surrender, resulted in the arrest of 65 individuals.
(3) Fugitive Safe Surrender is safer for defendants, law enforcement, and innocent bystanders than needing to conduct a sweep.
(4) Based upon the success of the pilot program, Fugitive Safe Surrender should be expanded to other cities throughout the United States.
(b) Establishment
(c) Authorization of appropriations
There are authorized to be appropriated to the United States Marshals Service to carry out this section—
(1) $3,000,000 for fiscal year 2007;
(2) $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2008; and
(3) $8,000,000 for fiscal year 2009.
(d) Other existing applicable law
(Pub. L. 109–248, title VI, § 632, July 27, 2006, 120 Stat. 641.)
§ 20990. National registry of substantiated cases of child abuse
(a) In general
(b) Information
(1) Collection
(2) Type of information
(c) Scope of information
(1) In general
(A) Treatment of reports
(B) Exception
(2) Form
Information provided to the Secretary of Health and Human Services under this section—
(A) shall be in a standardized electronic form determined by the Secretary of Health and Human Services; and
(B) shall contain case-specific identifying information that is limited to the name of the perpetrator and the nature of the substantiated case of child abuse or neglect, and that complies with clauses (viii) and (ix) of section 5106a(b)(2)(A) 1
1 See References in Text note below.
of title 42.(d) Construction
This section shall not be construed to require a State, Indian tribe, or political subdivision of a State to modify—
(1) an equivalent register of cases of child abuse or neglect that it maintains pursuant to a requirement or authorization under any other provision of law; or
(2) any other record relating to child abuse or neglect, regardless of whether the report of abuse or neglect was substantiated, unsubstantiated, or determined to be unfounded.
(e) Accessibility
(f) Dissemination
(g) Study
(1) In general
The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall conduct a study on the feasibility of establishing data collection standards for a national child abuse and neglect registry with recommendations and findings concerning—
(A) costs and benefits of such data collection standards;
(B) data collection standards currently employed by each State, Indian tribe, or political subdivision of a State;
(C) data collection standards that should be considered to establish a model of promising practices; and
(D) a due process procedure for a national registry.
(2) Report
(3) Authorization of appropriations
(Pub. L. 109–248, title VI, § 633, July 27, 2006, 120 Stat. 642.)
§ 20991. Annual report on enforcement of registration requirements
Not later than July 1 of each year, the Attorney General shall submit a report to Congress describing—
(1) the use by the Department of Justice of the United States Marshals Service to assist jurisdictions in locating and apprehending sex offenders who fail to comply with sex offender registration requirements, as authorized by this chapter;
(2) the use of section 2250 of title 18 to punish offenders for failure to register;
(3) a detailed explanation of each jurisdiction’s compliance with subchapter I of this chapter;
(4) a detailed description of Justice Department efforts to ensure compliance and any funding reductions, the basis for any decision to reduce funding or not to reduce funding under section 20927 of this title; and
(5) the denial or grant of any extensions to comply with subchapter I of this chapter, and the reasons for such denial or grant.
(Pub. L. 109–248, title VI, § 635, July 27, 2006, 120 Stat. 644.)