[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3630 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3630

 To promote crime awareness and cybercrime prevention initiatives, and 
                          for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 23, 2009

 Ms. Wasserman Schultz (for herself and Mr. Culberson) introduced the 
  following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To promote crime awareness and cybercrime prevention initiatives, 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 ``Adolescent Web Awareness Requires 
Education Act'' or the ``AWARE Act''.

SEC. 2. GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) Authority To Make Grants.--
            (1) In general.--Subject to subsection (e)(1), the Attorney 
        General shall make grants to eligible entities to carry out an 
        Internet crime awareness and cybercrime prevention program.
            (2) Period.--A grant under this section shall be for a 2-
        year period.
    (b) Application.--An eligible entity desiring a grant under this 
section shall submit an application to the Attorney General, which 
shall include--
            (1) a description of the partnership arrangements, if any, 
        of the eligible entity relating to the activities to be carried 
        out with the grant;
            (2) a description of the measurable goals of the eligible 
        entity relating to the activities to be carried out with the 
        grant;
            (3) a description of how the Internet crime awareness and 
        cybercrime prevention program of the eligible entity shall 
        achieve the measurable goals described in paragraph (2);
            (4) a description of the plan of the eligible entity to 
        continue to implement the Internet crime awareness and 
        cybercrime prevention program after the grant under this 
        section ends;
            (5) a description of how funds under the grant may be used 
        and coordinated with Internet crime awareness and cybercrime 
        prevention programs being carried out on the date of enactment 
        of this Act or other Internet crime awareness and cybercrime 
        prevention programs established with grants under this section;
            (6) a description of the target audience under the proposed 
        Internet crime awareness and cybercrime prevention program;
            (7) a certification that the eligible entity enforces the 
        operation of measures which prevent the Internet from being 
        used to victimize children if the eligible entity provides 
        Internet access to minors; and
            (8) any other information or assurances required by the 
        Attorney General.
    (c) Prioritization.--In making grants under this section, the 
Attorney General shall give priority to an eligible entity that--
            (1) identifies and targets children at-risk of engaging in 
        cybercrimes or becoming crime victims;
            (2) works in partnership with the private sector, law 
        enforcement, the philanthropic community, the media, 
        researchers, social services organizations, or other community-
        based groups;
            (3) provides Internet crime awareness and cybercrime 
        prevention programs at no cost to students or schools;
            (4) accommodates different languages and language 
        proficiencies;
            (5) accommodates differing levels of technological 
        sophistication; or
            (6) has a viable plan to sustain the Internet crime 
        awareness and cybercrime prevention program after the grant 
        program ends.
    (d) Use of Funds.--An eligible entity may use a grant under this 
section to--
            (1) identify, develop, and implement Internet crime 
        awareness and cybercrime prevention programs, including 
        educational technology, multimedia and interactive 
        applications, online resources, and lesson plans;
            (2) provide professional training to elementary and 
        secondary school teachers, administrators, and other staff on 
        crime awareness and cybercrime prevention;
            (3) educate parents about teaching their children how to 
        protect themselves from becoming victims of Internet crime;
            (4) develop Internet crime awareness and cybercrime 
        prevention programs for children;
            (5) train and support peer-driven Internet crime awareness 
        and cybercrime prevention initiatives;
            (6) coordinate and fund research initiatives that 
        investigate online risks to children and Internet crime 
        awareness and cybercrime prevention; or
            (7) develop and implement public education campaigns to 
        promote awareness of crimes against children on the Internet 
        and the prevention of such crimes.
    (e) Grant Guidance.--
            (1) In general.--Before making grants under this section, 
        and not later than 1 month after the date on which the study 
        under paragraph (3)(A) is completed, the Attorney General, in 
        consultation with education groups, Internet crime awareness 
        and cybercrime prevention groups, and other relevant experts in 
        the field of new media and child safety, shall issue detailed 
        guidance for the grant program under this section.
            (2) Contents of guidance.--The grant guidance shall be 
        implemented by the Attorney General in accordance with best 
        practices relating to Internet crime awareness and cybercrime 
        prevention and the research-based recommendations derived from 
        the study conducted under paragraph (3)(A).
            (3) Internet crime awareness and cybercrime prevention 
        research.--
                    (A) Initial research.--The Attorney General shall 
                enter into contracts with 1 or more private companies, 
                government agencies, or nonprofit organizations to 
                complete a study, not later than 6 months after the 
                date of enactment of this Act, regarding--
                            (i) the nature, prevalence, and quality of 
                        Internet crime awareness and cybercrime 
                        prevention programs and any evidence-based 
                        research conducted relating to the programs;
                            (ii) findings regarding which children are 
                        most at risk of becoming crime victims;
                            (iii) gaps in Internet crime awareness and 
                        cybercrime prevention and youth online risk 
                        research; and
                            (iv) any other area determined appropriate 
                        by the Attorney General.
                    (B) Additional research.--Subject to the 
                availability of appropriations, the Attorney General 
                shall enter into contracts with private companies, 
                government agencies, or nonprofit organizations to 
                conduct additional research regarding the issues 
                described in subparagraph (A). Any research conducted 
                under this subparagraph shall be included in the 
                reports under subsection (g)(3).
    (f) Technical Assistance.--The Attorney General shall provide 
technical assistance to eligible entities that receive a grant under 
this section, which may include maintaining a Web site to facilitate 
outreach and communication among the eligible entities that receive a 
grant under this section.
    (g) Reports.--
            (1) Eligible entities.--An eligible entity that receives a 
        grant under this section shall submit to the Attorney General 
        and make public an annual report regarding the activities 
        carried out using funds made available under the grant, which 
        shall include--
                    (A) a description of how the eligible entity 
                implemented the Internet crime awareness and cybercrime 
                prevention program carried out with the grant;
                    (B) a detailed description of the audience reached;
                    (C) an analysis of whether and to what degree the 
                goals for the Internet crime awareness and cybercrime 
                prevention program were met;
                    (D) an analysis of the challenges, if any, that 
                interfered with achieving the goals described in 
                subparagraph (C);
                    (E) plans for future Internet crime awareness and 
                cybercrime prevention programs; and
                    (F) an accounting of the funds used.
            (2) Compilation of annual reports for revised grant 
        guidance.--The Attorney General shall--
                    (A) review the report under paragraph (1) submitted 
                by each eligible entity that receives a grant under 
                this section during the first fiscal year for which 
                grants under this section are made; and
                    (B) not later than 6 months after the date on which 
                all reports described in subparagraph (A) are 
                submitted, modify, as appropriate, the grant guidance 
                based on the reports.
            (3) Reports to congress.--Not later than 27 months after 
        the date on which the Attorney General makes the first grant 
        under this section, and annually thereafter, the Attorney 
        General shall submit to Congress a report regarding the grant 
        program under this section, which shall include--
                    (A) a compilation of the information and findings 
                of the annual reports submitted under paragraph (1);
                    (B) the findings and conclusions of the Attorney 
                General, including findings and conclusions relating to 
                the effectiveness of Internet crime awareness and 
                cybercrime prevention programs carried out using a 
                grant under this section; and
                    (C) best practices identified by the Attorney 
                General relating to Internet crime awareness and 
                cybercrime prevention.
    (h) Authorization of Appropriations.--
            (1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated to 
        the Attorney General to carry out this section $25,000,000 for 
        each of fiscal years 2010 through 2014.
            (2) Limitation.--Of amounts made available to carry out 
        this section, not more than 5 percent shall be available to 
        carry out subsections (e), (f), and (g)(2).

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act, the following definitions apply:
            (1) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means--
                    (A) a partnership between a State educational 
                agency and 1 or more local educational agencies (as 
                those terms are defined in section 9101 of the 
                Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 
                U.S.C. 7801)) of the State;
                    (B) a local educational agency;
                    (C) a nonprofit organization; or
                    (D) a consortium of elementary schools or secondary 
                schools (as those terms are defined in section 9101 of 
                the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 
                U.S.C. 7801)) collaborating with an entity described in 
                subparagraph (A), (B), or (C).
            (2) Grant guidance.--The term ``grant guidance'' means the 
        grant guidance issued under section 2(e)(1).
            (3) Internet crime awareness and cybercrime prevention 
        program.--The term ``Internet crime awareness and cybercrime 
        prevention program'' means an age-appropriate, research-based 
        program that prevents children from becoming the victims of 
        Internet crime by encouraging safe and responsible use of the 
        Internet, promoting an informed, critical understanding of 
        Internet dangers, and educating children, parents, and 
        communities about how to prevent or respond to problems or 
        dangers related to the Internet or new media.
            (4) New media.--The term ``new media''--
                    (A) means emerging digital, computerized, or 
                networked information and communication technologies 
                that often have interactive capabilities; and
                    (B) includes email, instant messaging, text 
                messaging, Web sites, blogs, interactive gaming, social 
                media, cell phones, and mobile devices.
            (5) Nonprofit.--The term ``nonprofit'' means an 
        organization that is described in section 501(c) of the 
        Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from tax under section 
        501(a) of that Code.
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