SMART Office: Support for Adam Walsh Act Implementation Grant Program

Goals, Objectives, and Deliverables

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

Applicants must explain how the proposed project will bring the jurisdiction closer to implementation. Discussion of a jurisdiction’s planned activities should include information regarding the jurisdiction’s SORNA implementation working group. The working group plan should include a list of the working group members and their responsibility regarding SORNA implementation. It is expected that successful grantees will report on their jurisdiction’s working group meetings in their quarterly progress reports. This requirement does not apply to jurisdictions that have already been found to be substantially implementing SORNA.

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 and among 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.
• Tribes that have been found to have substantially implemented SORNA may apply for funding to create and improve sustainment strategies including but not limited to developing community education programs on sex offender topics or collaborations with intra–tribal organizations including victim service agencies, courts, probation, schools and other entities. An application to fund such a collaborative approach or project must include supporting documentation from the included tribal organizations detailing how the collaboration will be effectuated. The application should also detail how such strategies will sustain and support the tribe’s sex offender registration and notification program.
• Tribes that have been found to have substantially implemented SORNA may apply for funding to develop or enhance their inter-jurisdictional cooperation including but not limited to information sharing infrastructure improvement.

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.
• State jurisdictions that have Tribal SORNA Jurisdictions within their borders may apply for funding to enhance their collaboration with SORNA tribes including but not limited to enhancing information sharing such as tribal access to data input into NCIC/NSOR . 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 involved in the collaboration.

Additional Information Required

State and territory applicants that are eligible to receive the Byrne/JAG penalty funding reallocation should describe how the project complements the work that the jurisdiction plans to perform with that reallocation funding. Applicants should ensure that the project involves activities that are separate from or complement the tasks being performed with the reallocation funding, so as to avoid receiving duplicate funds for the same activity.

Goals, Objectives, and Deliverables

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

Applicants must explain how the proposed project will bring the jurisdiction closer to implementation. Discussion of a jurisdiction’s planned activities should include information regarding the jurisdiction’s SORNA implementation working group. The working group plan should include a list of the working group members and their responsibility regarding SORNA implementation. It is expected that successful grantees will report on their jurisdiction’s working group meetings in their quarterly progress reports. This requirement does not apply to jurisdictions that have already been found to be substantially implementing SORNA.

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 and among 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.
• Tribes that have been found to have substantially implemented SORNA may apply for funding to create and improve sustainment strategies including but not limited to developing community education programs on sex offender topics or collaborations with intra–tribal organizations including victim service agencies, courts, probation, schools and other entities. An application to fund such a collaborative approach or project must include supporting documentation from the included tribal organizations detailing how the collaboration will be effectuated. The application should also detail how such strategies will sustain and support the tribe’s sex offender registration and notification program.
• Tribes that have been found to have substantially implemented SORNA may apply for funding to develop or enhance their inter-jurisdictional cooperation including but not limited to information sharing infrastructure improvement.

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.
• State jurisdictions that have Tribal SORNA Jurisdictions within their borders may apply for funding to enhance their collaboration with SORNA tribes including but not limited to enhancing information sharing such as tribal access to data input into NCIC/NSOR . 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 involved in the collaboration.

Additional Information Required

State and territory applicants that are eligible to receive the Byrne/JAG penalty funding reallocation should describe how the project complements the work that the jurisdiction plans to perform with that reallocation funding. Applicants should ensure that the project involves activities that are separate from or complement the tasks being performed with the reallocation funding, so as to avoid receiving duplicate funds for the same activity.