Justice Hotline Act of 2020
This bill directs the Department of Justice, in coordination with the Department of Health and Human Services, to make grants to eligible institutions of higher education and private nonprofit organizations to establish a national hotline and online resource service for victims of violence and harassment by law enforcement officers.
In addition, the Government Accountability Office must review the effectiveness of the hotline and online resource service in enhancing awareness and education regarding services that are available to victims.
[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8803 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
116th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8803
To establish the National Telephone Hotline and Online Resource Service
for Victims of Police Violence and Harassment, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
November 20, 2020
Mr. McEachin (for himself, Mr. Raskin, and Mr. Richmond) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish the National Telephone Hotline and Online Resource Service
for Victims of Police Violence and Harassment, 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 ``Justice Hotline Act of 2020''.
SEC. 2. NATIONAL TELEPHONE HOTLINE AND ONLINE RESOURCE SERVICE FOR
VICTIMS OF POLICE VIOLENCE AND HARASSMENT.
(a) In General.--Beginning in fiscal year 2021, and in each fiscal
year thereafter, the Attorney General, in coordination with the
Secretary of Health and Human Services (in this section referred to as
the ``Secretary''), shall make grants for a national, confidential
telephone hotline and online resource service to assist victims of law
enforcement officer violence and harassment in communicating with
service providers. The Attorney General shall give priority to grant
applicants that have experience in providing services and supports to
victims of law enforcement officer violence or harassment.
(b) Eligible Entities.--Eligible entities shall include the
following:
(1) Institutions of higher learning, such as Historically
Black Colleges and Universities, Minority serving institution,
and Tribal College or Universities.
(2) Private nonprofit agencies.
(c) Grants.--The Attorney General, in coordination with the
Secretary, shall make grants which shall be used for the performance of
the organization's national programs, including the following:
(1) Operation of a confidential 24-hour, national, toll-
free telephone hotline and a confidential 24-hour, national,
free online resource service for victims of law enforcement
officer violence, law enforcement officer harassment, family
and household members of such victims, and persons affected by
the victimization, by which individuals may--
(A) report information regarding the location of
any law enforcement officer violence or harassment; and
(B) request information pertaining to procedures
necessary to file formal complaints against law
enforcement officers; receive information and
assistance for adult and youth victims of law
enforcement officer violence, law enforcement officer
harassment, family and household members of such
victims, and persons affected by the victimization.
(2) Providing to State and local governments, public and
private nonprofit agencies, State and local educational
agencies, and individuals, resource information regarding
victims of law enforcement officer violence, law enforcement
officer harassment, family and household members of such
victims, and persons affected by the victimization.
(d) Activities.--In establishing and operating the telephone
hotline and online resource service, the entity--
(1) shall contract with a carrier for the use of a toll-
free, single telephone line;
(2) shall employ, train (including providing technology
training), and supervise personnel to answer incoming calls and
online messages, provide counseling and referral services on a
24-hour-a-day basis, and direct connections to service
providers;
(3) shall assemble and maintain a database of information
relating to services for adult and youth victims of law
enforcement officer violence or harassment to which callers may
be referred throughout the United States, including information
on the availability of supportive services for victims of law
enforcement officer violence or harassment;
(4) shall widely publicize the contact information of the
telephone hotline and online resource service throughout the
United States, including to potential users;
(5) shall provide assistance and referrals to meet the
needs of underserved populations and individuals with
disabilities;
(6) shall collect audio or visual recordings, if
applicable;
(7) shall provide assistance and referrals for youth
victims of law enforcement officer violence or harassment who
are minors;
(8) shall collect geographic information relating to the
location, time, and date of the law enforcement officer
violence or harassment;
(9) shall not collect any personally identifiable
information unless informed consent is provided by the person
who is the subject of an incident of law enforcement officer
harassment or violence and by the person who reports an
incident of law enforcement officer harassment or violence, if
such person is not the subject of the incident; and
(10) may provide appropriate assistance and referrals for
family and household members of victims of law enforcement
officer violence and harassment, and persons affected by the
victimization described in subsection (c)(1).
(e) Grant Application.--To be eligible to receive a grant under
this section, an entity shall submit an application to the Attorney
General that shall--
(1) contain such agreements, assurances, and information,
be in such form, and be submitted in such manner, as the
Attorney General shall prescribe;
(2) include a complete description of the applicant's plan
for the operation of a telephone hotline and online resource
service, including descriptions of--
(A) the training program for telephone hotline and
online resource service personnel, including technology
training to ensure that all persons affiliated with the
telephone hotline and online resource service are able
to effectively operate any technological systems used
by the telephone hotline and online resource service;
(B) the hiring criteria and qualifications for
telephone hotline and online resource service
personnel;
(C) the methods for the creation, maintenance, and
updating of an online resource service;
(D) a plan for publicizing the availability of the
telephone hotline and online resource service;
(E) plan for providing services to Limited English
Proficient individuals, including service through
telephone hotline and online resource service personnel
who have non-English language capabilities; and
(F) a plan for facilitating access to the telephone
hotline and online resource service by persons with
disabilities, including persons who are deaf or have
hearing impairments;
(3) demonstrate that the applicant has recognized expertise
in the area of social service operations and a record of high
quality service to victims of violence and harassment,
including a demonstration of support from advocacy groups;
(4) demonstrate that the applicant has the capacity and the
expertise to maintain a telephone hotline and online resource
service and a comprehensive database of service providers for
victims of law enforcement violence and harassment;
(5) demonstrate the ability to provide information and
referrals for callers, directly connect callers to service
providers, and employ crisis interventions meeting the
standards;
(6) demonstrate that the applicant has a commitment to
diversity and to the provision of services to underserved
populations, including to ethnic, racial, and non-English
speaking minorities, in addition to older individuals and
individuals with disabilities;
(7) demonstrate that the applicant complies with non-
disclosure requirements and follows comprehensive quality
assurance practices; and
(8) contain such other information as the Attorney General
may require.
(f) Notice.--The national telephone hotline and the URL of the
online resource service described in this section shall be posted in a
visible place in all Federal buildings.
(g) Duration.--Grants awarded to eligible entities and institutions
under this subsection shall be 2 years in duration. A grant may be
extended for additional 2-year periods.
(h) Conditions on Payment.--The provision of payments under a grant
awarded under this section shall be subject to annual approval by the
Attorney General and subject to the availability of appropriations for
each fiscal year to make the payment.
(i) Grantee Report.--Each eligible entity or institution that
receives a grant shall submit a yearly report to the Attorney General
detailing how the grant recipient has been able to meet the goals of
its plans and reporting the statistical summaries.
(j) Report to Congress.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this Act, and every year thereafter, the Attorney General
shall report to Congress on the implementation operations and
statistical summaries developed and collected under this section and
policy changes made within the Department of Justice in response to the
implementation operations and statistical summaries.
(k) GAO Review and Report.--
(1) Review.--Not later than 2 years after the date on which
the Attorney General establishes the national telephone hotline
and online resource service to assist victims of law
enforcement officer violence and harassment in communicating
with service providers, the Comptroller General of the United
States shall conduct a review of the program to ensure the
effectiveness of the telephone hotline and online resource
service in enhancing awareness and education of services
available to victims of law enforcement officer violence or
harassment, which shall include--
(A) an assessment of the effectiveness of the
telephone hotline and online resource service,
including--
(i) assessing the effectiveness of the
telephone hotline and online resource service
in reaching underserved and minority
communities;
(ii) assessing the effectiveness of grant
recipients to undertake efforts to educate the
public about the telephone hotline and online
resource service; and
(iii) a comprehensive review of the
activities data described in subsection (d);
and
(B) recommendations for any changes to the program.
(2) Report.--Not later than 270 days after the date on
which the Comptroller General of the United States begins the
review required under paragraph (1), the Comptroller General
shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a
report on the review.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
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