SMART Department FY 13 Support for Adam Walsh Act Implementation Grant Program

The Support for Adam Walsh Act (AWA) Implementation Grant Program assists jurisdictions with developing and/or enhancing programs designed to implement requirements of SORNA. In summary, SORNA requires: (1) all States, the District of Columbia, the principal U.S. territories, and participating federally recognized Indian tribes to maintain a sex offender registry; and (2) sex offenders to register and maintain a current registration in each jurisdiction where the offender resides, is an employee, or is a student. SORNA also sets forth requirements for sex offender registries, to include: specified required information, duration of registration, and in-person verification of sex offender identity as well as participation in the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website, and the utilization of the SORNA Exchange Portal. For more specific information about compliance with SORNA and access to the final National Guidelines and Supplemental Guidelines on Sex Offender Registration and Notification, please visit www.smart.gov/sorna_tools.htm#sornaguidelines. For information and resources on AWA, visit www.smart.gov.

Goals, Objectives, and Deliverables

The SMART Office is interested in proposals that enhance and facilitate jurisdictional implementation of SORNA.

Applicants must explain how the proposed project will bring the jurisdiction closer to implementation. For those jurisdictions that have already implemented, the application must explain how the proposed project will support continuing compliance with SORNA or enhance their registration/notification program. In developing and/or enhancing efforts or programs designed to implement or maintain compliance with SORNA, applicants may propose specific strategies and projects including, but not limited to:

Examples of strategies and projects to develop or enhance jurisdiction-wide SORNA implementation programs or functions:

All applicants:

• Enhancing infrastructure to assist implementation of SORNA, such as for the collection, storage, submission or analysis of sex offender biometric data (finger and palm prints) and DNA. See budget information on page 6 including referenced footnote for more information.
• Developing or enhancing law enforcement and other criminal justice agency information sharing at the jurisdiction level as well as between jurisdiction level agencies and local level agencies as it relates to SORNA implementation.
• Implementing records management projects, such as converting documents to digital format as required by SORNA.
• Providing support for coordinated interagency efforts to enhance implementation of SORNA requirements.
• Developing and implementing training for law enforcement and other criminal justice agency personnel responsible for sex offender registration, notification, and monitoring as it relates to SORNA implementation in the jurisdiction.
• Enhancing address verification tactics, collaborating with other jurisdictions and agencies on absconder investigations, and expanding work with victims’ service providers on community education and prevention programs related to sex offender registration, notification and management.

Tribal applicants:

• Tribes that have elected to carry out the requirements of SORNA may apply for funding to support SORNA implementation activities carried out by a consortium of tribes that have elected to implement SORNA. For example, several tribes may choose to form a consortium to share resources such as hardware digital fingerprint equipment or kiosks; jointly staff or share registry offices, share a public website, collaborate on enforcement activities or other facilities used for registration. An application to fund such a collaborative approach or project must include supporting documentation, such as an interagency agreement, a memorandum of understanding, or a letter of cooperation, which demonstrates the collaborative endeavor from each member jurisdiction of the consortia.

States, Territories and the District of Columbia:

• According to the SORNA national guidelines, jurisdictions may carry out sex offender registration and notification functions through their political subdivisions, to include units of local government. Previous state recipients of AWA Implementation grants that have delegated sex offender registration and notification functions to political subdivisions are encouraged to include support for local units of government in their project activities.
• States may apply to support efforts of local or state units of government (including P.L. 280 tribes) to develop or enhance their sex offender registration and notification functions as they pertain to tribal nations that have been delegated to the state for the purpose of substantial implementation of SORNA.
• State jurisdictions that include P.L. 280 tribes are encouraged to design projects that address SORNA implementation as it relates to these tribes.