I
117th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 7419
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 6, 2022
Mr. Costa (for himself, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Mrs. Wagner, and Mrs. Lesko) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Education and Labor, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
A BILL
To reauthorize the Victims of Child Abuse Act of 1990, and for other purposes.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the Victims of Child Abuse Act Reauthorization Act of 2022
.
Improving investigation and prosecution of child abuse cases
The Victims of Child Abuse Act of 1990 (34 U.S.C. 20301 et seq.) is amended—
in section 211 (34 U.S.C. 20301)—
in paragraph (1)—
by striking 3,300,000
and inserting 3,400,000
; and
by striking , and drug abuse is associated with a significant portion of these
;
by redesignating paragraphs (3) through (8) as paragraphs (4) through (9), respectively;
by inserting afer paragraph (2) the following:
a key to a child victim healing from abuse is access to supportive and healthy families and communities;
; and
in paragraph (9)(B), as so redesignated, by inserting , and operations of centers
before the period at the end;
in section 212 (34 U.S.C. 20302)—
in paragraph (5), by inserting coordinated team
before response
; and
in paragraph (8), by inserting organizational capacity
before support
;
in section 213 (34 U.S.C. 20303)—
in subsection (a)—
in the heading, by inserting and maintenance
after Establishment
;
in the matter preceding paragraph (1)—
by striking , in coordination with the Director of the Office of Victims of Crime,
; and
by inserting and maintain
after establish
;
in paragraph (3)—
by striking and victim advocates
and inserting victim advocates, multidisciplinary team leadership, and children’s advocacy center staff
; and
by striking and
at the end;
by redesignating paragraph (4) as paragraph (5);
by inserting after paragraph (3) the following:
provide technical assistance, training, coordination, and organizational capacity support for State chapters; and
; and
in paragraph (5), as so redesignated, by striking and oversight to
and inserting organizational capacity support, and oversight of
;
in subsection (b)—
in paragraph (1)—
in subparagraph (A), by inserting and maintain
after establish
; and
in the matter following subparagraph (B), by striking and technical assistance to aid communities in establishing
and inserting training and technical assistance to aid communities in establishing and maintaining
; and
in paragraph (2)—
in subparagraph (A)—
in clause (ii), by inserting Center
after Advocacy
; and
in clause (iii), by striking of, assessment of, and intervention in
and inserting and intervention in child
; and
in subparagraph (B), by striking centers and interested communities
and inserting centers, interested communities, and chapters
; and
in subsection (c)—
in paragraph (2)—
in subparagraph (B), by striking evaluation, intervention, evidence gathering, and counseling
and inserting investigation and intervention in child abuse
; and
in subparagraph (E), by striking judicial handling of child abuse and neglect
and inserting multidisciplinary response to child abuse
;
in paragraph (3)(A)(i), by striking so that communities can establish multidisciplinary programs that respond to child abuse
and inserting and chapters so that communities can establish and maintain multidisciplinary programs that respond to child abuse and chapters can establish and maintain children’s advocacy centers in their State
;
in paragraph (4)(B)—
in clause (iii), by striking and
at the end;
in by redesignating clause (iv) as clause (v); and
by inserting after clause (iii) the following:
best result in supporting chapters in each State; and
; and
in paragraph (6), by inserting under this Act
after recipients
;
in section 214 (34 U.S.C. 20304)—
by striking subsection (a) and inserting the following:
In general
The Administrator shall make grants to—
establish and maintain a network of care for child abuse victims where investigation, prosecutions, and interventions are continually occurring and coordinating activities within local children’s advocacy centers and multidisciplinary teams;
develop, enhance, and coordinate multidisciplinary child abuse investigations, intervention, and prosecution activities;
promote the effective delivery of the evidence-based, trauma-informed Children's Advocacy Center Model and the multidisciplinary response to child abuse; and
develop and disseminate practice standards for care and best practices in programmatic evaluation, and support State chapter organizational capacity and local children’s advocacy center organizational capacity and operations in order to meet such practice standards and best practices.
;
in subsection (b), by striking , in coordination with the Director of the Office of Victims of Crime,
;
in subsection (c)(2)—
in subparagraph (C), by inserting to the greatest extent practicable, but in no case later than 72 hours,
after hours
; and
by striking subparagraphs (D) through (I) and inserting the following:
Forensic interviews of child victims by trained personnel that are used by law enforcement, health, and child protective service agencies to interview suspected abuse victims about allegations of abuse.
Provision of needed follow up services such as medical care, mental healthcare, and victims advocacy services.
A requirement that, to the extent practicable, all interviews and meetings with a child victim occur at the children's advocacy center or an agency with which there is a linkage agreement regarding the delivery of multidisciplinary child abuse investigation, prosecution, and intervention services.
Coordination of each step of the investigation process to eliminate duplicative forensic interviews with a child victim.
Designation of a director for the children's advocacy center.
Designation of a multidisciplinary team coordinator.
Assignment of a volunteer or staff advocate to each child in order to assist the child and, when appropriate, the child's family, throughout each step of intervention and judicial proceedings.
Coordination with State chapters to assist and provide oversight, and organizational capacity that supports local children's advocacy centers, multidisciplinary teams, and communities working to implement a multidisciplinary response to child abuse in the provision of evidence-informed initiatives, including mental health counseling, forensic interviewing, multidisciplinary team coordination, and victim advocacy.
Such other criteria as the Administrator shall establish by regulation.
; and
by striking subsection (f) and inserting the following:
Grants to State chapters for assistance to local children's advocacy centers
In awarding grants under this section, the Administrator shall ensure that a portion of the grants is distributed to State chapters to enable State chapters to provide oversight, training, and technical assistance to local centers on evidence-informed initiatives including mental health, counseling, forensic interviewing, multidisciplinary team coordination, and victim advocacy.
;
in section 214A (34 U.S.C. 20305)—
in subsection (a)—
in paragraph (1), by striking attorneys and other allied
and inserting prosecutors and other attorneys and allied
; and
in paragraph (2)(B), by inserting Center
after Advocacy
; and
in subsection (b)(1), by striking subparagraph (A) and inserting the following:
a significant connection to prosecutors who handle child abuse cases in State courts, such as a membership organization or support service providers; and
; and
by striking section 214B (34 U.S.C. 20306) and inserting the following:
Authorization of appropriations
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out sections 213, 214, and 214A, $40,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2028.
.