[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 200 (Wednesday, December 19, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7841-S7842]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  VICTIMS' RIGHTS AND CHILD PROTECTION

  Mr. GRASSLEY. Madam President, I come to the floor to speak about the 
work of the Senate on victims' rights and child protection measures and 
also to highlight the work of Evelyn Fortier, staff member, who has 
carried such a big burden in these areas of victims' rights and child 
protection.
  During my tenure as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, I 
have made it a top priority to champion bipartisan initiatives to 
enhance victims' rights and to protect our Nation's at-risk children. 
In the 115th Congress, as an example, I introduced and led the Senate 
in approving multiple bills to prevent crime, identify missing 
children, enhance services to crime victims, and reform our juvenile 
justice system.
  I am proud of what we have achieved on the Judiciary Committee during 
this period of time, as we sent a half dozen of the measures I just 
described to the President's desk after both Chambers passed them, 
surprisingly, on a unanimous basis. For example, last October, we 
passed, and the President signed, the Elder Abuse Prevention and 
Prosecution Act. This measure, which I sponsored with Senator 
Blumenthal, increases penalties for the fraudsters who target our 
senior citizens. It requires Federal agencies to collect more data on 
financial exploitation of the elderly, which is, of course, a terribly 
underreported crime. It also calls for specialized training of Federal 
investigators and prosecutors who handle these cases.
  The second measure, which I introduced and the President signed last 
January, is Kevin and Avonte's Law. This new law is named in honor of 
two boys with autism who tragically died after wandering away from 
their caregiver. It calls for the Justice Department to award grants to 
equip school personnel, caregivers, and first responders with training 
to help identify missing persons with autism or Alzheimer's disease. It 
also permits grant funds to be used for technologies that advance the 
search for missing children with developmental disabilities.
  This legislation is important because research suggests that at least 
one-third of the children with autism repeatedly wander away from 
safety. Since 2015, we have seen a doubling in the number of wandering-
related deaths, according to SafeMinds, a nonprofit organization that 
advocates for these children.
  I thank Senators Schumer, Tillis, and Klobuchar for joining as 
cosponsors of Kevin and Avonte's Law.
  Third, I introduced, and both Chambers this week cleared, legislation 
to extend the important victim services programs that the Trafficking 
Victim Protection Act established.
  I led our Judiciary Committee in clearing this measure and a 
complementary bill introduced by Senator Cornyn. Our bills, which were 
cosponsored by Senators Feinstein and Klobuchar, soon will go to the 
President's desk for signatures.
  Both measures will help us to combat modern human slavery which, 
unfortunately, is alive and well today in this country. It exists in 
the form of sex

[[Page S7842]]

and labor trafficking. Through deception, threats, or violence, the 
perpetrators of these crimes will do whatever it takes to turn a profit 
and are doing it at the victim's expense.
  Fourth, I this year championed legislation to renew and extend the 
Missing Children's Assistance Act. This measure, which the President 
signed this fall, makes funds available over the next 5 years for the 
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to continue to do 
its important work. The National Center partners with law enforcement 
and communities across the United States in the effort to identify and 
rescue missing and abused children.
  The fifth measure I introduced in this Chamber with Senator 
Whitehouse would renew and update the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency 
Prevention Act. That law has not been updated since 2002.
  I introduced a measure on this subject for the first time in the 
114th Congress. This year we concluded our negotiations with the House 
on a final version of this legislation, known as the Juvenile Justice 
Reform Act.
  The measure we adopted last week, which is on its way to the 
President's desk for signature, reflects the oversight work that I 
carried out several years ago. This oversight, which was the subject of 
a 2015 Judiciary Committee hearing, revealed a flawed grant program but 
also one worth saving because of its potential benefits for our 
Nation's at-risk youth.
  The reforms that we have adopted also help to ensure the fairer 
treatment of minors in detention through greater screening and 
treatment of mental illness and substance abuse. This new law also 
promotes an end to the shackling of girls who give birth in detention. 
It encourages greater separation of juveniles and adult offenders in 
detention, and ensures that detained youth can continue their 
education. It will give these young people who come into contact with 
the juvenile justice system a better chance of turning their lives 
around.
  I should add that we included accountability provisions in virtually 
every grant funding measure reported by the Judiciary Committee during 
my 4 years as chairman. The inclusion of this language, which I 
authored several years ago in statutes authorizing Federal grant 
programs, will help to ensure that taxpayers' dollars are used wisely 
and, quite frankly, according to law.
  I want, again, to thank my colleagues from the Judiciary Committee 
who joined me as cosponsors of these and other new laws in this area.
  I also want to thank the nonprofit groups, such as the National 
Autism Association, the Elder Justice Coalition, and the Coalition for 
Juvenile Justice, as well as individual advocates, who include Bob 
Blancato, Stuart Spielman, Lisa Wiederlight, Marion Mattingly, and 
others who contributed in a meaningful way to these laws, their 
developments, and passage.
  Once again, I want to thank Evelyn Fortier of my staff for her hard 
work in these areas.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from California.

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