[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1391 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
107th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1391
To establish a grant program for Sexual Assault Forensic Examiners, and
for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
August 3, 2001
Mr. Schumer (for himself and Mr. DeWine) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish a grant program for Sexual Assault Forensic Examiners, 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 ``SAFE Grant Act of 2001''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) Over 300,000 women are sexually assaulted each year in
the United States. Unlike all other violent crimes, rape is not
declining in frequency.
(2) Most victims of sexual assault who seek treatment for
an attack report to hospital emergency rooms.
(3) Since most sexual assault victims do not require
immediate medical attention, many wait hours before receiving
treatment from nurses or other medical professionals. Some
sexual assault victims leave the hospital altogether rather
than endure extended waits, diminishing the likelihood that the
offense will ever be reported, investigated, or prosecuted.
(4) Most emergency room personnel who treat sexual assault
victims lack training in collecting critical forensic evidence
and providing the physical and psychological care particularly
required by sexual assault victims.
(5) Many hospitals lack the best and most recent forensic
tools, such as dye capable of revealing microscopic scratches,
and colposcopes, which detect and photograph otherwise
invisible pelvic injuries.
(6) Some emergency room personnel avoid treating sexual
assault victims for fear of having to participate in time-
consuming witness preparation and court appearances, or decline
to devote time and attention to cooperating with investigators
and prosecutors.
(7) By contrast, sexual assault victims treated by Sexual
Assault Forensic Examiners (referred to in this Act as
``SAFEs'') under the Sexual Assault Forensic Examiner program
(referred to in this Act as the ``SAFE program'')--
(A) rarely wait for treatment;
(B) are attended to by a single, specially trained
examiner rather than multiple doctors, nurses, lab
technicians, and administrative assistants; and
(C) receive sensitive care tailored specifically
for sexual assault victims and delivered in a private
setting.
(8) SAFEs are far better able to document sexual assault
than nonspecialized emergency room personnel because they are
primarily focused on collecting evidence of sexual assault from
victims, have extensive training in the latest forensic
techniques, and use the best and most recent equipment.
(9) SAFEs bolster the odds of prosecuting and convicting
sexual assailants by gathering invaluable evidence and ensuring
its proper preservation, and cooperating extensively with
police and prosecutors. Because of their specialized training
and experience, SAFEs make better witnesses than ordinary
emergency room personnel and can make the difference between
success or failure at trial.
(10) There are approximately 500 SAFE programs in the
United States, which treat less than 5 percent of all sexual
assault victims.
(11) Financial obstacles have slowed the growth of SAFE
programs which struggle to obtain the Federal, State, and
private funding necessary to establish and maintain service.
(12) Currently, SAFE programs are forced to compete against
a myriad of other law enforcement and victims' programs to
obtain limited Federal funding from existing sources.
(13) Establishing a specific and adequate source of Federal
funding for SAFE programs will contribute to their
proliferation and thereby aid in the successful prosecution of
offenders and the improvement of care provided to victims.
SEC. 3. GRANT PROGRAM.
(a) Establishment of Grant Program.--The Attorney General shall
establish a program to award and disburse annual grants to SAFE
programs.
(b) Compliance With National Protocol.--To receive a grant under
this section, a proposed or existing SAFE program shall be in
compliance with the standards and recommended national protocol
developed by the Attorney General pursuant to section 1405 of the
Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 (42 U.S.C.
3796gg note).
(c) Application.--
(1) In general.--Each proposed or existing SAFE program
that desires a grant under this section shall submit an
application to the Attorney General at such time, and in such
manner, as the Attorney General shall reasonably require.
(2) Contents.--Each application submitted pursuant to
paragraph (1) shall include information regarding--
(A) the size of the population or estimated
population to be served by the proposed or existing
SAFE program; and
(B) if the SAFE program exists at the time the
applicant submits its application, the effectiveness of
that SAFE program.
(d) Priority Given to Programs in Underserved Areas.--In awarding
grants under this section, the Attorney General shall give priority to
proposed or existing SAFE programs that are serving, or will serve,
populations currently underserved by existing SAFE programs.
(e) Nonexclusivity.--Nothing in this Act shall be construed to
limit or restrict the ability of proposed or existing SAFE programs to
apply for and obtain Federal funding from any other agency or
department, or under any other Federal grant program.
(f) Audits.--The Attorney General shall audit recipients of grants
awarded and disbursed under this section to ensure--
(1) compliance with the standards and recommended national
protocol developed by the Attorney General pursuant to section
1405 of the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act
of 2000 (42 U.S.C. 3796gg note);
(2) compliance with other applicable Federal laws; and
(3) overall program effectiveness.
(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to the Department of Justice $10,000,000 for each of
fiscal years 2002 through 2006 for grants under this section.
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