[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4860 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4860

To amend the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 to establish a national 
             domestic violence victim notification system.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 20, 1998

 Mr. Baesler introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                       Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 to establish a national 
             domestic violence victim notification system.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``National Domestic Violence Victim 
Notification Act''.

SEC. 2. VICTIM NOTIFICATION SYSTEM.

    (a) Amendment.--Subtitle A of the Violence Against Women Act of 
1994 is amended by adding at the end the following:

                ``CHAPTER 6--VICTIM NOTIFICATION SYSTEM

``SEC. 40161. ESTABLISHMENT AND OPERATION.

    ``(a) In General.--The Attorney General may make a grant to a 
private non-profit entity to create and operate a national victim 
notification system (referred to in this section as a `VINE system'). A 
VINE system shall be a comprehensive community and individual awareness 
program that connects communities and victims of domestic violence with 
vital criminal justice information about individuals who have been 
charged with a domestic violence crime and prison inmates.
    ``(c) Notification.--
            ``(1) In general.--The VINE system shall have a system 
        whereby information about such individuals and inmates, 
        including the status of the prosecution of such individuals, 
        the correctional status of such inmates, the availability of 
        assistance from local law enforcement agencies and civil 
        restraining orders upon the release of such inmates, the 
        location of the nearest domestic violence center, and any 
        information obtained in the course of a sexual offender 
        registration, shall be available to individuals who contact the 
        system.
            ``(2) Specific components.-- Such a system shall include--
                    ``(A) information on the trail date for an 
                individual charged with a domestic violence crime, the 
                release date of a prison inmate, the location of the 
                prison, if the inmate has not been released, the parole 
                eligibility dates of the inmate, the date the 
                imprisonment sentence expires, and any other relevant 
                data respecting such inmate as may be developed under 
                databases under State sexual offender registration 
                programs under section 170101 of the Violent Crime 
                Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994;
                    ``(B) referrals of victims to appropriate law 
                enforcement or victim service organizations;
                    ``(C) a toll free number which operates 24 hours a 
                day, 365 days a year which a victim of domestic 
                violence may use to receive the information described 
                in subparagraphs (A) and (B);
                    ``(D) a procedure under which a victim may register 
                with the system to receive automatic telephone 
                notification when the inmate involved has a change in 
                custody or other change, including court appointments, 
                which may involve or threaten the victim; and
                    ``(E) the safeguards of the system to protect the 
                confidentiality of victims calling the toll free number 
                or receiving inmate information.''.
    ``(d) Other Activities.--In establishing and operating a VINE 
system, the entity involved shall--
            ``(1) establish a procedure whereby the VINE system is to 
        receive on a regular basis information from the courts, 
        corrections institutions, and law enforcement agencies, 
        including law enforcement agencies which have information from 
        a State program for the registration of sexual offenders, about 
        individuals charged with domestic violence crimes and prison 
        inmates;
            ``(2) work collaboratively with the National Domestic 
        Violence Hotline authorized under section 40211 of the Violence 
        Against Women Act of 1994 (42 U.S.C. 10416) to create a system 
        of automatic referral to the National Domestic Violence Hotline 
        for information on the availability of shelters and services 
        that support battered women in the caller's area ; and
            ``(3) in connection with the National Domestic Violence 
        Hotline, employ, train, and supervise personnel to answer 
        incoming calls and provide counseling and referral services to 
        callers on a 24 hour-a-day basis;
            ``(4) publicize the National Domestic Violence Hotline to 
        potential users throughout the area the system is to serve.
    ``(e) Grants.--To be approved for a grant under subsection (a), an 
application for such grant shall--
            (1) contain such agreements, assurances, and information, 
        be in such form and be submitted in such manner as the Attorney 
        General shall prescribe through notice in the Federal Register;
            (2) include a complete description of the applicant's plan 
        for its operation in connection with the National Domestic 
        Violence Hotline, including descriptions of--
                    ``(A) the training program for hotline personnel;
                    ``(B) the hiring criteria for hotline personnel;
                    ``(C) the methods for the creation, maintenance, 
                and updating of a resource database;
                    ``(D) a plan for publicizing the availability of 
                the hotline;
                    ``(E) a plan for providing service to non-English 
                speaking callers; and
                    ``(F) a plan for facilitating access to the hotline 
                by persons with hearing impairments;
            ``(3) demonstrate that the applicant has nationally 
        recognized expertise in the area of domestic violence and a 
        record of high quality service to victims of domestic violence;
            ``(4) demonstrate that the applicant has a commitment to 
        the provision of services to ethnic, racial, and non-English 
        speaking minorities, older individuals, and individuals with 
        disabilities; and
            ``(5) contain such other information as the Attorney 
        General may require.
    ``(f) Definition.--For purposes of this chapter, the term `prison 
inmate' means a person who has been imprisoned for conviction of a 
crime involving domestic violence.''.

SEC. 3. STUDY.

    The Attorney General shall conduct a study about the integration of 
a national victim notification system with the National Domestic 
Violence Hotline, databases developed under State sexual offender 
registration programs under section 170101 of the Violent Crime Control 
and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, and the National Crime Information 
Center. The Attorney General shall report the result of such study to 
Congress along with any recommendation for legislation arising from 
such study.
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