[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 89 Introduced in House (IH)]
108th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 89
To create a separate DNA database for violent predators against
children, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 7, 2003
Ms. Jackson-Lee of Texas introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To create a separate DNA database for violent predators against
children, 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 ``Save Our Children: Stop the Violent
Predators Against Children DNA Act of 2003''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) Only 22 State sex offender registries collect and
maintain DNA samples as a part of registration.
(2) The single age with the greatest proportion of sexual
assault victims reported to law enforcement was age 14.
(3) There were more victims of sexual assault between 3 and
17 than in any individual age group over age 17, and more
victims age 2 than in any age group over 40.
(4) Children like 5-year-old Samantha Runnion of
California, who was abducted, sexually violated, and murdered,
are most likely to be victims of sexual assault, with over one-
third of all sexual assaults involving a victim who was under
the age of 12.
(5) One of every seven victims of sexual assault is under
the age of 6.
(6) Over a four-to-five year period, 13.4 percent of sex
offenders recidivated with another sexual offense.
(7) Murder is the only major cause of childhood deaths that
has increased over the past three decades.
(8) Between 300,000 and 400,000 children are victims of
some type of sexual abuse or exploitation every year.
(9) More attention should be given to seeking solutions to
violence against children.
SEC. 3. DNA DATABASE FOR VIOLENT PREDATORS AGAINST CHILDREN.
(a) In General.--The Attorney General shall establish and maintain,
separate from any other DNA database, a database solely for the purpose
of collecting the DNA information with respect to violent predators
against children. Under regulations issued by the Attorney General,
Federal, State, and local agencies and other entities may submit DNA
information to the Attorney General for inclusion in the database and
may compare DNA information against other DNA information in the
database.
(b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated $500,000 to establish the database required by subsection
(a).
SEC. 4. INCENTIVE GRANTS.
(a) Program Authorized.--From amounts made available to carry out
this section, the Attorney General shall make grants to each State that
has in effect one or more programs that decrease the rate of recidivism
among violent predators against children, for use by the State to
implement improvements to such programs.
(b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section such sums as may be necessary.
SEC. 5. CONSEQUENCES FOR VIOLENT PREDATORS AGAINST CHILDREN.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, if a person who is a
violent predator against children commits a crime that would, in and of
itself, establish that person as a violent predator against children,
the sentence imposed on that person for that crime shall, without
regard to any mitigating circumstance that would otherwise apply at
sentencing, be the maximum authorized by law.
SEC. 6. DEFINITION.
As used in this Act, the term ``violent predator against
children'' means a person who commits a crime of violence (including a
sex crime) against the person of an individual who has not attained the
age of 18 years.
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