[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 764 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 764

   To reduce the incidence of child abuse and neglect, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 12, 1999

 Ms. Pryce of Ohio (for herself, Mr. Ewing, Mr. Greenwood, Mr. DeLay, 
   and Mrs. Jones  of Ohio) introduced the following bill; which was 
               referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To reduce the incidence of child abuse and neglect, and for other 
                               purposes.

    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 ``Child Abuse Prevention and 
Enforcement Act''.

SEC. 2. IMPROVEMENT OF ACCESS TO CERTAIN COURT AND LAW ENFORCEMENT 
              RECORDS TO PREVENT CHILD ABUSE.

    (a) Description of Grant Program.--Section 1402 of the Omnibus 
Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796aa-1) is 
amended by adding before the period at the end the following: ``or to 
provide child protective workers and child welfare workers (in public 
and private agencies, who, in the course of their official duties, are 
engaged in the assessment of risk and other actions related to the 
protection of children, including placement of children in foster care) 
access to criminal conviction information and orders of protection 
based on a claim of domestic or child abuse, or to improve law 
enforcement access to judicial custody orders, visitation orders, 
protection orders, guardianship orders, stay away orders, or other 
similar judicial orders''.
    (b) Application To Receive Grants.--Section 1403 of such Act (42 
U.S.C. 3796aa-2) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1), by inserting before the semicolon at 
        the end the following: ``or to provide child protective workers 
        and child welfare workers (in public and private agencies, who, 
        in the course of their official duties, are engaged in the 
        assessment of risk and other actions related to the protection 
        of children, including placement of children in foster care) 
        access to criminal conviction information and orders of 
        protection based on a claim of domestic or child abuse, or to 
        improve law enforcement access to judicial custody orders, 
        visitation orders, protection orders, guardianship orders, stay 
        away orders, or other similar judicial orders''; and
            (2) in paragraph (2), by inserting before the period at the 
        end the following: ``or to provide child protective workers and 
        child welfare workers (in public and private agencies, who, in 
        the course of their official duties, are engaged in the 
        assessment of risk and other actions related to the protection 
        of children, including placement of children in foster care) 
        access to criminal conviction information and orders of 
        protection based on a claim of domestic or child abuse, or to 
        improve law enforcement access to judicial custody orders, 
        visitation orders, protection orders, guardianship orders, stay 
        away orders, or other similar judicial orders''.
    (c) Review of Applications.--Section 1404(a) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
3796aa-3(a)) is amended in the matter preceding paragraph (1) by 
inserting after ``to receive a grant'' the following: ``for closed 
circuit televising of testimony of children who are victims of abuse''.
    (d) Definitions.--Section 1409(2) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 3796aa-
8(2)) is amended by inserting before the period at the end the 
following: ``or the taking of a child in violation of a court order''.
    (e) Conforming Amendment.--Part N of title I of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
3796aa) is amended in the heading to read as follows:

``PART N--GRANTS FOR CLOSED-CIRCUIT TELEVISING OF TESTIMONY OF CHILDREN 
  WHO ARE VICTIMS OF ABUSE AND FOR IMPROVING ACCESS TO COURT AND LAW 
    ENFORCEMENT RECORDS FOR THE PURPOSE OF PREVENTING CHILD ABUSE''.

SEC. 3. USE OF FUNDS UNDER BYRNE GRANT PROGRAM FOR CHILD PROTECTION.

    Section 501(b) of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe 
Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3751) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (25);
            (2) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (26) and 
        adding ``; and''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(27) enforcing child abuse and neglect laws and programs 
        designed to prevent child abuse and neglect.''.

SEC. 4. INCREASE IN SET ASIDE FOR CHILD ABUSE VICTIMS UNDER THE VICTIMS 
              OF CRIME ACT OF 1984.

    Section 1402(d)(2) of the Victims of Crime Act of 1984 is amended 
by striking ``$10,000,000'' and inserting ``$20,000,000''.
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