[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 329 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 329

  To assist the Neighborhood Watch program to empower communities and 
citizens to enhance awareness about threats from terrorism and weapons 
of mass destruction, and encourage local communities to better prepare 
                    to respond to terrorist attacks.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            February 6, 2003

  Mr. Edwards introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
               referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To assist the Neighborhood Watch program to empower communities and 
citizens to enhance awareness about threats from terrorism and weapons 
of mass destruction, and encourage local communities to better prepare 
                    to respond to terrorist attacks.

    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 ``Neighborhood Security Act of 2003''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

    (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) National Neighborhood Watch was created by the National 
        Sheriffs Association in 1972 through funding provided by the 
        Law Enforcement Assistance Administration.
            (2) Neighborhood Watch is a voluntary program that supports 
        local efforts to safeguard communities.
            (3) A national registry of Neighborhood Watch units does 
        not exist.
            (4) On January 30, 2002, President Bush announced the 
        creation of Citizen Corps. Beginning in September 2002, in 
        cooperation of the National Sheriffs Association, Citizen Corps 
        has aimed to encourage citizens to form Neighborhood Watch 
        groups in their local communities to bolster homeland security.
            (5) Citizens in local communities should be encouraged and 
        empowered to engage in homeland security activities to reduce 
        the threat to homeland security from terrorism.
            (6) The Nation's homeland security system should do as much 
        as possible to--
                    (A) encourage the creation of, and participation 
                in, high-quality Neighborhood Watch programs in local 
                communities;
                    (B) disseminate information about homeland security 
                efforts; and
                    (C) educate citizens on how to prevent, and respond 
                to, possible terrorist attacks.
    (b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are as follows:
            (1) To provide each community in each city, suburb, and 
        small town within the United States with the opportunity to 
        establish an effective Neighborhood Watch in which all 
        community members have the opportunity to participate.
            (2) To create 50,000 new Neighborhood Watches by the end of 
        2007.
            (3) To enhance the quality of existing Neighborhood 
        Watches.

SEC. 3. NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH GRANTS.

    (a) Grants Authorized.--
            (1) In general.--The Attorney General, through the Office 
        of Justice Programs, is authorized to award 1 or more grants to 
        eligible entities to develop and improve Neighborhood Watches 
        throughout the Nation.
            (2) Eligible entities.--Nonprofit organizations and 
        professional associations are eligible to receive grants under 
        this section.
    (b) Use of Funds.--Grants awarded pursuant to subsection (a) shall 
be used to--
            (1) complete a survey of Neighborhood Watches that 
        identifies such programs by ZIP code;
            (2) establish a national registry of Neighborhood Watch 
        leaders, with appropriate contact information;
            (3) through the survey under paragraph (1), identify best 
        practices and model programs among Neighborhood Watches for--
                    (A) educating community members with respect to the 
                prevention of terrorism and crime;
                    (B) preventing or assisting with the prevention of 
                terrorism and crime;
                    (C) appropriately responding to terrorism and 
                crime; and
                    (D) achieving broad community involvement in 
                activities under subparagraphs (A) through (C);
            (4) using the best practices identified in paragraph (3), 
        create a manual for communities seeking to--
                    (A) establish a new Neighborhood Watch; or
                    (B) improve an existing Neighborhood Watch; and
            (5) engage in outreach and respond to inquiries in order to 
        disseminate information about--
                    (A) the benefits of effective Neighborhood Watches;
                    (B) the means to establish new Neighborhood 
                Watches; and
                    (C) the means to improve existing Neighborhood 
                Watches.
            (6) In response to an appropriate request to create a 
        Neighborhood Watch, the grantee shall provide a Neighborhood 
        Watch start-up kit which includes material useful for a 
        Neighborhood Watch that is identified by the grantee.
    (c) Application.--
            (1) In general.--Each eligible entity desiring a grant 
        under this section shall submit an application to the Attorney 
        General at such time, in such manner, and accompanied by such 
        information as the Attorney General may reasonably require.
            (2) Criteria.--Applicants for grants under this section 
        shall be selected based on--
                    (A) the applicant's ability to carry out the 
                activities described in subsection (b);
                    (B) the applicant's experience coordinating 
                Neighborhood Watches;
                    (C) adequate consultation with state and local law 
                enforcement; and
                    (D) and other criteria, as determined by the 
                Attorney General.

SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated $10,000,000 for fiscal year 
2004 and such sums as are necessary for fiscal years 2005 through 2008 
to carry out this Act and the amendments made by this Act.
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