[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 66 (Tuesday, May 15, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4947-S4948]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. WELLSTONE:
  S. 886. A bill to establish the Katie Poirer Abduction Emergency 
Fund, and for other purposes; to the Committee on the Judiciary.
  Mr. WELLSTONE. Mr. President, last year in my home State, a talented, 
spirited young woman named Katie Poirier was abducted from the her job 
at a Carlton County convenience store. Within days of her 
disappearance, there was an enormous outpouring of community concern 
and support, with hundreds of volunteers helping local law enforcement 
search for Katie. Tragically, Katier's body was later recovered and a 
suspect arrested and tried for her murder.
  The Poirier, Holmquist and Swanson cases in Minnesota, all involving 
abductions and homicides, demonstrate that resources and good 
information are absolutely crucial to successful law enforcement, 
particularly in our small towns and rural communities which are too 
often overlooked.
  To that end, I am re-introducing legislation called ``Katie's Law,'' 
in honor of Katie Poirier, which will give rural law enforcement the 
assistance they need to deal with high profile, major crimes.
  This legislation will establish a Federal ``Katie Poirier Abduction 
Emergency Fund'' to assist local and rural law enforcement agencies 
with the unanticipated expenses of major crimes. Second, it will 
provide grants to local and rural law enforcement agencies to integrate 
their identification technologies, or to establish systems that

[[Page S4948]]

work with the FBI's Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification 
System, IAFIS. In many rural communities, this will cut down the time 
it takes to identify a violent suspect from two months to two hours.
  There are hundreds of thousands adult and child abductions and 
homicides each year in rural counties. When a high profile, major crime 
occurs, like the Wetterling or Poirier abduction, local and rural law 
enforcement with small budgets are frequently overwhelmed by the 
financial demands these large cases make. The overwhelming hours and 
investigative demand can wipe out small budgets with expenses, 
including overtime pay, transporting witnesses and suspects if there is 
a change of trial venue, as occurred in the Poirier case, and other 
unanticipated costs.
  As the sheriffs across my home State will tell you, the first 72 
hours in an abduction case are the most critical. After that, the 
chances of locating the victim alive drop dramatically. No matter how 
short staffed or small the budget, law enforcement must put its pedal 
to the metal 100 percent after an abduction or homicide. It is crucial 
that rural law enforcement agencies with limited resources handling 
major crimes get the support they need from the State and Federal 
governments.
  In Minnesota when a high profile case occurs, a joint task force is 
established between the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the FBI, and 
the local law enforcement agency. Sheriffs I have spoken with say the 
task force model is effective and extremely helpful. Yet, they still 
must cover many unanticipated expenses such as huge surges in overtime. 
Many of them just can't do it. As one sheriff said to my staff, ``I am 
running my agency on fumes, not gas. I've got nothing left.''

  My bill would establish a Federal Abduction Emergency Fund to help 
small law enforcement agencies with expenses from high-profile, major 
crimes, including kidnaping and homicides. The Attorney General would 
make grants available to state agencies to distribute to local and 
rural law enforcement agencies in need. The total amount would be $10 
million for each of three years.
  Second, my legislation will provide local law enforcement officers 
with the resources to use the latest identification system to solve and 
prevent crime. Access to quality, accurate information in a timely 
fashion is of vital importance in that effort.
  One of the best tools available is the FBI's IAFIS system. Since 
rural and local enforcement often do not have the funds to access the 
FBI's Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System, (IAFIS), 
they are at a disadvantage when trying to identify violent offenders.
  State and local law enforcement organizations need to develop and 
upgrade their criminal information and identification systems, as well 
as integrate those systems with other jurisdictions. The Federal 
Government has invested billions in information and identification 
systems whose benefits will go largely unrealized unless local law 
enforcement receive the resources to be able to participate in these 
systems.
  Unfortunately, there is a wide disparity between the criminal 
identification systems that are now available, and the ability of state 
and local law enforcement to use them. Many states, including 
Minnesota, have been developing systems which will allow, at a minimum, 
the most populous areas to link up to the FBI's IAFIS system. However, 
many small, rural localities are being left behind. This reduces the 
capacity of rural law enforcement to quickly verify the identity and 
criminal record of dangerous suspects in their custody.
  Right now, in many rural counties, a sheriff's office may have to 
wait as long as two months to have a suspect positively identified. 
Access to FBI's IAFIS system would allow sheriffs like Ray Hunt to 
determine under two hours a suspect's identity who has an existing file 
with the FBI.
  This legislation will be one step in bridging this gap. It will 
provide grants to states to assist local and rural law enforcement to 
intergrate information technologies or to establish systems that work 
with the FBI's. These funds may be used by local law enforcement 
agencies to integrate information systems with other jurisdictions, or 
for training, and maintenance and purchase of fingerprint 
identification technology. The total amount to be authorized is $20 
million for each of three years.
  ``Katie's Law'' will be instrumental in ensuring that rural law 
enforcement is not left behind. I can never know how the Poirier and 
the other families really feel, the depth of their pain and the 
tremendous losses they have suffered. But, I do know how I feel--we 
must and can do more to safeguard our children and to support rural law 
enforcement prevent and solve violent crimes. I believe ``Katie's Law'' 
is an important step forward in that direction.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                 S. 886

       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 ``Katie's Law''.

     SEC. 2. KATIE POIRIER ABDUCTION EMERGENCY FUND.

       (a) Establishment of Abduction Emergency Fund.--Not later 
     than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
     Attorney General shall establish the Katie Poirier Abduction 
     Emergency Fund (referred to in this section as the ``fund'') 
     to assist local and rural law enforcement agencies with 
     expenses resulting from a crime, including an abduction or 
     homicide, that results in extraordinary unanticipated costs 
     to the agency because of the magnitude of the crime and the 
     need to adequately respond with personnel and support.
       (b) Emergency Grants.--The Attorney General shall make 
     grants to States to be distributed to local and rural law 
     enforcement agencies as determined by the State.
       (c) Criteria for Grants.--The Attorney General shall 
     establish criteria for awarding grants under this section.
       (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized 
     to be appropriated to carry out this section $10,000,000 for 
     each of the fiscal years 2002 through 2004.

     SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF GRANT PROGRAM TO ASSIST LOCAL AND 
                   RURAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES IN ESTABLISHING 
                   OR UPGRADING AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO DEVELOP 
                   IDENTIFICATION TECHNOLOGIES AND SYSTEMS TO 
                   IMPROVE CRIMINAL IDENTIFICATION.

       (a) In General.--The Attorney General, through the Bureau 
     of Justice Statistics of the Department of Justice, shall 
     make grants to States which shall be used to assist local and 
     rural law enforcement agencies in establishing or upgrading 
     an integrated approach to develop identification technologies 
     and systems to improve criminal identification.
       (b) Criteria for Grants.--The Attorney General shall 
     establish criteria for awarding grants under this section.
       (c) Use of Grants.--Grants under this section may be used 
     by local and rural law enforcement agencies to integrate 
     information technologies or to establish, develop, or upgrade 
     automated fingerprint identification systems, including live 
     scan and other automated systems to digitize fingerprints and 
     communicate prints, that are compatible with standards 
     established by the National Institute of Standards and 
     Technology and interoperable with systems operated by States 
     and the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification 
     System of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
       (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized 
     to be appropriated to carry out this section $20,000,000 for 
     each of the fiscal years 2002 through 2004.
                                 ______