[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 8 (Wednesday, January 23, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Pages S215-S217]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
By Mr. CORNYN (for himself, Mr. Bennet, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Burr,
and Mr. Kirk):
S. 80. A bill to amend the DNA Analysis Backlog Elimination Act of
2000 to provide for Debbie Smith grants for auditing sexual assault
evidence backlogs and to establish a Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence
Reporting System, and for other purposes; to the Committee on the
Judiciary.
Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of
the bill be printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be
printed in the Record as follows:
S. 80
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 ``Sexual Assault Forensic
Evidence Reporting Act of 2013'' or the ``SAFER Act of
2013''.
SEC. 2. DEBBIE SMITH GRANTS FOR AUDITING SEXUAL ASSAULT
EVIDENCE BACKLOGS.
Section 2 of the DNA Analysis Backlog Elimination Act of
2000 (42 U.S.C. 14135) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a), by adding at the end the following
new paragraphs:
``(7) To conduct an audit consistent with subsection (n) of
the samples of sexual assault evidence that are in the
possession of the State or unit of local government and are
awaiting testing.
``(8) To ensure that the collection and processing of DNA
evidence by law enforcement agencies from crimes, including
sexual assault and other violent crimes against persons, is
carried out in an appropriate and timely manner and in
accordance with the protocols and practices developed under
subsection (o)(1).'';
(2) in subsection (c), by adding at the end the following
new paragraph:
``(4) Allocation of grant awards for audits.--For each of
fiscal years 2014 through 2017, not less than 5 percent, but
not more than 7 percent, of the grant amounts distributed
under paragraph (1) shall, if sufficient applications to
justify such amounts are received by the Attorney General, be
awarded for purposes described in subsection (a)(7), provided
that none of the funds required to be distributed under this
paragraph shall decrease or otherwise limit the availability
of funds required to be awarded to States or units of local
government under paragraph (3).''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following new subsections:
``(n) Use of Funds for Auditing Sexual Assault Evidence
Backlogs.--
``(1) Eligibility.--The Attorney General may award a grant
under this section to a State or unit of local government for
the purpose described in subsection (a)(7) only if the State
or unit of local government--
``(A) submits a plan for performing the audit of samples
described in such subsection; and
``(B) includes in such plan a good-faith estimate of the
number of such samples.
``(2) Grant conditions.--A State or unit of local
government receiving a grant for the purpose described in
subsection (a)(7)--
``(A) may not enter into any contract or agreement with any
non-governmental vendor laboratory to conduct an audit
described in subsection (a)(7); and
``(B) shall--
``(i) not later than 1 year after receiving the grant,
complete the audit referred to in paragraph (1)(A) in
accordance with the plan submitted under such paragraph;
``(ii) not later than 60 days after receiving possession of
a sample of sexual assault evidence that was not in the
possession of the State or unit of local government at the
time of the initiation of an audit under paragraph (1)(A),
subject to paragraph (4)(F), include in any required reports
under clause (v), the information listed under paragraph
(4)(B);
``(iii) for each sample of sexual assault evidence that is
identified as awaiting testing as part of the audit referred
to in paragraph (1)(A)--
``(I) assign a unique numeric or alphanumeric identifier to
each sample of sexual assault evidence that is in the
possession of the State or unit of local government and is
awaiting testing; and
``(II) identify the date or dates after which the State or
unit of local government would be barred by any applicable
statutes of limitations from prosecuting a perpetrator of the
sexual assault to which the sample relates;
``(iv) provide that--
``(I) the chief law enforcement officer of the State or
unit of local government, respectively, is the individual
responsible for the compliance of the State or unit of local
government, respectively, with the reporting requirements
described in clause (v); or
``(II) the designee of such officer may fulfill the
responsibility described in subclause (I) so long as such
designee is an employee of the State or unit of local
government, respectively, and is not an employee of any
governmental laboratory or non-governmental vendor
laboratory; and
``(v) comply with all grantee reporting requirements
described in paragraph (4).
``(3) Extension of initial deadline.--The Attorney General
may grant an extension of the deadline under paragraph
(2)(B)(i) to a State or unit of local government that
demonstrates that more time is required for compliance with
such paragraph.
``(4) Sexual assault forensic evidence reports.--
``(A) In general.--For not less than 12 months after the
completion of an initial count of sexual assault evidence
that is awaiting testing during an audit referred to in
paragraph (1)(A), a State or unit of local government that
receives a grant award under subsection (a)(7) shall, not
less than every 60 days, submit a report to the Department of
Justice, on a form prescribed by the Attorney General, which
shall contain the
[[Page S216]]
information required under subparagraph (B).
``(B) Contents of reports.--A report under this paragraph
shall contain the following information--
``(i) the name of the State or unit of local government
filing the report;
``(ii) the period of dates covered by the report;
``(iii) the cumulative total number of samples of sexual
assault evidence that, at the end of the reporting period--
``(I) are in the possession of the State or unit of local
government at the reporting period;
``(II) are awaiting testing; and
``(III) the State or unit of local government has
determined should undergo DNA or other appropriate forensic
analyses;
``(iv) the cumulative total number of samples of sexual
assault evidence in the possession of the State or unit of
local government that, at the end of the reporting period,
the State or unit of local government has determined should
not undergo DNA or other appropriate forensic analyses,
provided that the reporting form shall allow for the State or
unit of local government, at its sole discretion, to explain
the reasoning for this determination in some or all cases;
``(v) the cumulative total number of samples of sexual
assault evidence in a total under clause (iii) that have been
submitted to a laboratory for DNA or other appropriate
forensic analyses;
``(vi) the cumulative total number of samples of sexual
assault evidence identified by an audit referred to in
paragraph (1)(A) or under paragraph (2)(B)(ii) for which DNA
or other appropriate forensic analysis has been completed at
the end of the reporting period;
``(vii) the total number of samples of sexual assault
evidence identified by the State or unit of local government
under paragraph (2)(B)(ii), since the previous reporting
period; and
``(viii) the cumulative total number of samples of sexual
assault evidence described under clause (iii) for which the
State or unit of local government will be barred within 12
months by any applicable statute of limitations from
prosecuting a perpetrator of the sexual assault to which the
sample relates.
``(C) Publication of reports.--Not later than 7 days after
the submission of a report under this paragraph by a State or
unit of local government, the Attorney General shall, subject
to subparagraph (D), publish and disseminate a facsimile of
the full contents of such report on an appropriate internet
website.
``(D) Personally identifiable information.--The Attorney
General shall ensure that any information published and
disseminated as part of a report under this paragraph, which
reports information under this subsection, does not include
personally identifiable information or details about a sexual
assault that might lead to the identification of the
individuals involved.
``(E) Optional reporting.--The Attorney General shall--
``(i) at the discretion of a State or unit of local
government required to file a report under subparagraph (A),
allow such State or unit of local government, at their sole
discretion, to submit such reports on a more frequent basis;
and
``(ii) make available to all States and units of local
government the reporting form created pursuant to
subparagraph (A), whether or not they are required to submit
such reports, and allow such States or units of local
government, at their sole discretion, to submit such reports
for publication.
``(F) Samples exempt from reporting requirement.--The
reporting requirements described in paragraph (2) shall not
apply to a sample of sexual assault evidence that--
``(i) is not considered criminal evidence (such as a sample
collected anonymously from a victim who is unwilling to make
a criminal complaint); or
``(ii) relates to a sexual assault for which the
prosecution of each perpetrator is barred by a statute of
limitations.
``(5) Definitions.--In this subsection:
``(A) Awaiting testing.--The term `awaiting testing' means,
with respect to a sample of sexual assault evidence, that--
``(i) the sample has been collected and is in the
possession of a State or unit of local government;
``(ii) DNA and other appropriate forensic analyses have not
been performed on such sample; and
``(iii) the sample is related to a criminal case or
investigation in which final disposition has not yet been
reached.
``(B) Final disposition.--The term `final disposition'
means, with respect to a criminal case or investigation to
which a sample of sexual assault evidence relates--
``(i) the conviction or acquittal of all suspected
perpetrators of the crime involved;
``(ii) a determination by the State or unit of local
government in possession of the sample that the case is
unfounded; or
``(iii) a declaration by the victim of the crime involved
that the act constituting the basis of the crime was not
committed.
``(C) Possession.--
``(i) In general.--The term `possession', used with respect
to possession of a sample of sexual assault evidence by a
State or unit of local government, includes possession by an
individual who is acting as an agent of the State or unit of
local government for the collection of the sample.
``(ii) Rule of construction.--Nothing in clause (i) shall
be construed to create or amend any Federal rights or
privileges for non-governmental vendor laboratories described
in regulations promulgated under section 210303 of the DNA
Identification Act of 1994 (42 U.S.C. 14131).
``(o) Establishment of Protocols, Technical Assistance, and
Definitions.--
``(1) Protocols and practices.--Not later than 18 months
after the date of enactment of the SAFER Act of 2013, the
Director, in consultation with Federal, State, and local law
enforcement agencies and government laboratories, shall
develop and publish a description of protocols and practices
the Director considers appropriate for the accurate, timely,
and effective collection and processing of DNA evidence,
including protocols and practices specific to sexual assault
cases, which shall address appropriate steps in the
investigation of cases that might involve DNA evidence,
including--
``(A) how to determine--
``(i) which evidence is to be collected by law enforcement
personnel and forwarded for testing;
``(ii) the preferred order in which evidence from the same
case is to be tested; and
``(iii) what information to take into account when
establishing the order in which evidence from different cases
is to be tested;
``(B) the establishment of a reasonable period of time in
which evidence is to be forwarded by emergency response
providers, law enforcement personnel, and prosecutors to a
laboratory for testing;
``(C) the establishment of reasonable periods of time in
which each stage of analytical laboratory testing is to be
completed;
``(D) systems to encourage communication within a State or
unit of local government among emergency response providers,
law enforcement personnel, prosecutors, courts, defense
counsel, crime laboratory personnel, and crime victims
regarding the status of crime scene evidence to be tested;
and
``(E) standards for conducting the audit of the backlog for
DNA case work in sexual assault cases required under
subsection (n).
``(2) Technical assistance and training.--The Director
shall make available technical assistance and training to
support States and units of local government in adopting and
implementing the protocols and practices developed under
paragraph (1) on and after the date on which the protocols
and practices are published.
``(3) Definitions.--In this subsection, the terms `awaiting
testing' and `possession' have the meanings given those terms
in subsection (n).''.
SEC. 3. REPORTS TO CONGRESS.
Not later than 90 days after the end of each fiscal year
for which a grant is made for the purpose described in
section 2(a)(7) of the DNA Analysis Backlog Elimination Act
of 2000, as amended by section 2, the Attorney General shall
submit to Congress a report that--
(1) lists the States and units of local government that
have been awarded such grants and the amount of the grant
received by each such State or unit of local government;
(2) states the number of extensions granted by the Attorney
General under section 2(n)(3) of the DNA Analysis Backlog
Elimination Act of 2000, as added by section 2; and
(3) summarizes the processing status of the samples of
sexual assault evidence identified in Sexual Assault Forensic
Evidence Reports established under section 2(n)(4) of the DNA
Analysis Backlog Elimination Act of 2000, including the
number of samples that have not been tested.
SEC. 4. REDUCING THE RAPE KIT BACKLOG.
Section 2(c)(3) of the DNA Analysis Backlog Elimination Act
of 2000 (42 U.S.C. 14135(c)(3)) is amended--
(a) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``2014'' and
inserting ``2018''; and
(b) by adding at the end the following:
``(C) For each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018, not less
than 75 percent of the total grant amounts shall be awarded
for a combination of purposes under paragraphs (1), (2), and
(3) of subsection (a).''.
SEC. 5. OVERSIGHT AND ACCOUNTABILITY.
All grants awarded by the Department of Justice that are
authorized under the SAFER Act of 2013 shall be subject to
the following:
(1) Audit requirement.--Beginning in fiscal year 2013, and
each fiscal year thereafter, the Inspector General of the
Department of Justice shall conduct audits of recipients of
grants under this Act to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse of
funds by grantees. The Inspector General shall determine the
appropriate number of grantees to be audited each year.
(2) Mandatory exclusion.--A recipient of grant funds under
this Act that is found to have an unresolved audit finding
shall not be eligible to receive grant funds under this Act
during the 2 fiscal years beginning after the 12-month period
described in paragraph (5).
(3) Priority.--In awarding grants under this Act, the
Attorney General shall give priority to eligible entities
that, during the 3 fiscal years before submitting an
application for a grant under this Act, did not have an
unresolved audit finding showing a violation in the terms or
conditions of a Department of Justice grant program.
(4) Reimbursement.--If an entity is awarded grant funds
under this Act during the 2-fiscal-year period in which the
entity is barred from receiving grants under paragraph (2),
the Attorney General shall--
(A) deposit an amount equal to the grant funds that were
improperly awarded to the
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grantee into the General Fund of the Treasury; and
(B) seek to recoup the costs of the repayment to the fund
from the grant recipient that was erroneously awarded grant
funds.
(5) Defined term.--In this section, the term ``unresolved
audit finding'' means an audit report finding in the final
audit report of the Inspector General of the Department of
Justice that the grantee has utilized grant funds for an
unauthorized expenditure or otherwise unallowable cost that
is not closed or resolved within a 12-month period beginning
on the date when the final audit report is issued.
(6) Nonprofit organization requirements.--
(A) Definition.--For purposes of this section and the grant
programs described in this Act, the term `` `nonprofit
organization' '' means an organization that is described in
section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and is
exempt from taxation under section 501(a) of such Code.
(B) Prohibition.--The Attorney General shall not award a
grant under any grant program described in this Act to a
nonprofit organization that holds money in offshore accounts
for the purpose of avoiding paying the tax described in
section 511(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.
(C) Disclosure.--Each nonprofit organization that is
awarded a grant under a grant program described in this Act
and uses the procedures prescribed in regulations to create a
rebuttable presumption of reasonableness for the compensation
of its officers, directors, trustees and key employees, shall
disclose to the Attorney General, in the application for the
grant, the process for determining such compensation,
including the independent persons involved in reviewing and
approving such compensation, the comparability data used, and
contemporaneous substantiation of the deliberation and
decision. Upon request, the Attorney General shall make the
information disclosed under this subsection available for
public inspection.
(7) Administrative expenses.--Unless otherwise explicitly
provided in authorizing legislation, not more than 7.5
percent of the amounts authorized to be appropriated under
this Act may be used by the Attorney General for salaries and
administrative expenses of the Department of Justice.
(8) Conference expenditures.--
(A) Limitation.--No amounts authorized to be appropriated
to the Department of Justice under this Act may be used by
the Attorney General or by any individual or organization
awarded discretionary funds through a cooperative agreement
under this Act, to host or support any expenditure for
conferences that uses more than $20,000 in Department funds,
unless the Deputy Attorney General or the appropriate
Assistant Attorney General, Director, or principal deputy as
the Deputy Attorney General may designate, provides prior
written authorization that the funds may be expended to host
a conference.
(B) Written approval.--Written approval under subparagraph
(A) shall include a written estimate of all costs associated
with the conference, including the cost of all food and
beverages, audio/visual equipment, honoraria for speakers,
and any entertainment.
(C) Report.--The Deputy Attorney General shall submit an
annual report to the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate
and the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of
Representatives on all conference expenditures approved by
operation of this paragraph.
(9) Prohibition on lobbying activity.--
(A) In general.--Amounts authorized to be appropriated
under this Act may not be utilized by any grant recipient
to--
(i) lobby any representative of the Department of Justice
regarding the award of grant funding; or
(ii) lobby any representative of a Federal, state, local,
or tribal government regarding the award of grant funding.
(B) Penalty.--If the Attorney General determines that any
recipient of a grant under this Act has violated subparagraph
(A), the Attorney General shall--
(i) require the grant recipient to repay the grant in full;
and
(ii) prohibit the grant recipient from receiving another
grant under this Act for not less than 5 years.
SEC. 6. SUNSET.
Effective on December 31, 2018, subsections (a)(7) and (n)
of section 2 of the DNA Analysis Backlog Elimination Act of
2000 (42 U.S.C. 14135(a)(7) and (n)) are repealed.
______