A bill to enhance the protection of children against crime by eliminating the statute of limitations for child abduction and sex crimes, providing for registration of child pornographers as sex offenders, establishing a grant program in support of AMBER Alert communications plans, and for other purposes.

Summary: Protecting Children Against Crime Act of 2003 - Amends the Federal criminal code to provide that no statute of limitations shall apply for specified child abduction and sex offenses.Amends the Jacob Wetterling Crimes Against Children and Sexually Violent Offender Registration Act to provide for the registration in the national sex offender registry of persons who produce or distribute child pornography.Requires the Attorney General to carry out a program to provide grants to States for the development or enhancement of programs and activities for the support of AMBER Alert communications plans.Directs the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences to study: (1) the extent to which Internet service providers can and do monitor Internet traffic to detect illicit child pornography sites; (2) the extent to which purveyors use credit cards to facilitate the sale of illegal child pornography on the Internet; (3) which credit card issuers have a system to facilitate the identification of such purveyors; and (4) options for encouraging greater reporting of such illicit transactions to law enforcement officials.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Protecting Children Against Crime 
Act of 2003''.

SEC. 2. NO STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS FOR CHILD ABDUCTION AND SEX CRIMES.

    (a) Statute of Limitations.--
            (1) In general.--Chapter 213 of title 18, United States 
        Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 3297. Child abduction and sex offenses
    ``Notwithstanding any other provision of law, an indictment may be 
found or an information instituted at any time without limitation for 
any offense under section 1201 involving a minor victim, and for any 
felony under chapter 109A, 110, or 117, or section 1591.''.
            (2) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections at the 
        beginning of chapter 213 of title 18, United States Code, is 
        amended by adding at the end the following new item:

``3297. Child abduction and sex offenses.''.
    (b) Application.--The amendments made by this section shall apply 
to the prosecution of any offense committed before, on, or after the 
date of the enactment of this section.

SEC. 3. REGISTRATION OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHERS IN THE NATIONAL SEX 
              OFFENDER REGISTRY.

    (a) Jacob Wetterling Crimes Against Children and Sexually Violent 
Offender Registration Program.--Section 170101 of subtitle A of title 
XVII of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 (42 
U.S.C. 14071(a)) is amended--
            (1) by striking the section heading and inserting the 
        following:

``SEC. 170101. JACOB WETTERLING CRIMES AGAINST CHILDREN AND SEXUALLY 
              VIOLENT OFFENDER REGISTRATION PROGRAM.'';

        and
            (2) in subsection (a)(3)--
                    (A) in clause (vii), by striking ``or'' at the end;
                    (B) by redesignating clause (viii) as clause (ix); 
                and
                    (C) by inserting after clause (vii) the following:
                            ``(viii) production or distribution of 
                        child pornography, as described in section 
                        2251, 2252, or 2252A of title 18, United States 
                        Code; or''.
    (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Department of Justice, for each of fiscal years 
2004 through 2007, such sums as may be necessary to carry out the 
amendments made by this section.

SEC. 4. GRANT PROGRAM FOR NEW TECHNOLOGIES TO IMPROVE AMBER ALERT 
              COMMUNICATIONS PLANS.

    (a) Program Required.--The Attorney General of the United States 
shall carry out a program to provide grants to States for the 
development or enhancement of programs and activities for the support 
of AMBER Alert communications plans.
    (b) Activities.--Activities funded by grants under the program 
under subsection (a) may include the development and implementation of 
new technologies to improve AMBER Alert communications.
    (c) Federal Share.--The Federal share of the cost of any activities 
funded by a grant under the program under subsection (a) may not exceed 
50 percent of the total cost thereof.
    (d) Distribution of Grant Amounts on Geographic Basis.--The 
Attorney General shall, to the maximum extent practicable, ensure the 
distribution of grants under the program under subsection (a) on an 
equitable basis throughout the various regions of the United States.
    (e) Administration.--The Attorney General shall prescribe 
requirements, including application requirements, for grants under the 
program under subsection (a).
    (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--
            (1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated to 
        the Department of Justice $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 
        2004 through 2007, to carry out this section.
            (2) Availability.--Amounts appropriated pursuant to the 
        authorization of appropriations in paragraph (1) shall remain 
        available until expended.

SEC. 5. NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL STUDY AND REPORT CONCERNING ON-LINE 
              PORNOGRAPHY.

    (a) Study.--The National Research Council of the National Academy 
of Sciences shall conduct a study of--
            (1) the extent to which it is possible for Internet service 
        providers to monitor Internet traffic to detect illicit child 
        pornography sites on the Internet, and the extent to which they 
        do so;
            (2) the extent to which purveyors use credit cards to 
        facilitate the sale of illegal child pornography on the 
        Internet;
            (3) which credit card issuers have in place a system to 
        facilitate the identification of purveyors who use credit cards 
        to facilitate the sale of illicit child pornography; and
            (4) options for encouraging greater reporting of such 
        illicit transactions to law enforcement officials.
    (b) Report to Congress.--Not later than 12 months after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the National Research Council shall submit a 
report to the Congress on the study conducted under subsection (a).

SEC. 6. SEVERABILITY.

    If any provision of this Act, an amendment made by this Act, or the 
application of such provision or amendment to any person or 
circumstance is held to be unconstitutional, the remainder of this Act, 
the amendments made by this Act, and the application of the provisions 
of such to any person or circumstance shall not be affected thereby.