[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1976 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]

        S.1976

                       One Hundred Fifth Congress

                                 of the

                        United States of America


                          AT THE SECOND SESSION

          Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday,
the twenty-seventh day of January, one thousand nine hundred and ninety-
                                  eight


                                 An Act


 
  To increase public awareness of the plight of victims of crime with 
developmental disabilities, to collect data to measure the magnitude of 
the problem, and to develop strategies to address the safety and justice 
       needs of victims of crime with developmental disabilities.

    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 ``Crime Victims With Disabilities 
Awareness Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS; PURPOSES.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
        (1) although research conducted abroad demonstrates that 
    individuals with developmental disabilities are at a 4 to 10 times 
    higher risk of becoming crime victims than those without 
    disabilities, there have been no significant studies on this 
    subject conducted in the United States;
        (2) in fact, the National Crime Victim's Survey, conducted 
    annually by the Bureau of Justice Statistics of the Department of 
    Justice, does not specifically collect data relating to crimes 
    against individuals with developmental disabilities;
        (3) studies in Canada, Australia, and Great Britain 
    consistently show that victims with developmental disabilities 
    suffer repeated victimization because so few of the crimes against 
    them are reported, and even when they are, there is sometimes a 
    reluctance by police, prosecutors, and judges to rely on the 
    testimony of a disabled individual, making individuals with 
    developmental disabilities a target for criminal predators;
        (4) research in the United States needs to be done to--
            (A) understand the nature and extent of crimes against 
        individuals with developmental disabilities;
            (B) describe the manner in which the justice system 
        responds to crimes against individuals with developmental 
        disabilities; and
            (C) identify programs, policies, or laws that hold promises 
        for making the justice system more responsive to crimes against 
        individuals with developmental disabilities; and
        (5) the National Academy of Science Committee on Law and 
    Justice of the National Research Council is a premier research 
    institution with unique experience in developing seminal, 
    multidisciplinary studies to establish a strong research base from 
    which to make public policy.
    (b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are--
        (1) to increase public awareness of the plight of victims of 
    crime who are individuals with developmental disabilities;
        (2) to collect data to measure the extent of the problem of 
    crimes against individuals with developmental disabilities; and
        (3) to develop a basis to find new strategies to address the 
    safety and justice needs of victims of crime who are individuals 
    with developmental disabilities.

SEC. 3. DEFINITION OF DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITY.

    In this Act, the term ``developmental disability'' has the meaning 
given the term in section 102 of the Developmental Disabilities 
Assistance and Bill of Rights Act (42 U.S.C. 6001).

SEC. 4. STUDY.

    (a) In General.--The Attorney General shall conduct a study to 
increase knowledge and information about crimes against individuals 
with developmental disabilities that will be useful in developing new 
strategies to reduce the incidence of crimes against those individuals.
    (b) Issues Addressed.--The study conducted under this section shall 
address such issues as--
        (1) the nature and extent of crimes against individuals with 
    developmental disabilities;
        (2) the risk factors associated with victimization of 
    individuals with developmental disabilities;
        (3) the manner in which the justice system responds to crimes 
    against individuals with developmental disabilities; and
        (4) the means by which States may establish and maintain a 
    centralized computer database on the incidence of crimes against 
    individuals with disabilities within a State.
    (c) National Academy of Sciences.--In carrying out this section, 
the Attorney General shall consider contracting with the Committee on 
Law and Justice of the National Research Council of the National 
Academy of Sciences to provide research for the study conducted under 
this section.
    (d) Report.--Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Attorney General shall submit to the Committees on the 
Judiciary of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report 
describing the results of the study conducted under this section.

SEC. 5. NATIONAL CRIME VICTIM'S SURVEY.

    Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, as 
part of each National Crime Victim's Survey, the Attorney General shall 
include statistics relating to--
        (1) the nature of crimes against individuals with developmental 
    disabilities; and
        (2) the specific characteristics of the victims of those 
    crimes.

                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.

                            Vice President of the United States and    
                                               President of the Senate.