A bill to establish a Federal Polygamy Task Force, to authorize assistance for victims of polygamy, and for other purposes.

Summary: Victims of Polygamy Assistance Act of 2008 - Establishes within the Department of Justice a Federal Polygamy Task Force to strengthen federal law enforcement activities and provide state and local law enforcement officials the assistance they need to address the illegal activity of one or more polygamist organizations.

Requires the Federal Polygamy Task Force to: (1) formulate effective responses to the unique set of crimes committed by polygamist organizations; (2) establish partnerships with state and local law enforcement agencies to share relevant information and strengthen state and federal efforts to combat crimes perpetrated by polygamist organizations; (3) assist states by providing strategies and support for the protection of witnesses; (4) track the criminal behavior of polygamist organizations that cross state and international borders; and (5) ensure that local officials charged with protecting the public are not corrupted because of financial, family, or membership ties to a polygamist organization.

Amends the Victims of Crime Act of 1984 to authorize the Director of the Office for Victims of Crime to make grants to specified entities to develop, establish, and maintain programs for the enforcement of rights and provision of social services for an individual exploited or otherwise victimized by practitioners of polygamy.

Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to provide for discretionary grants by the Attorney General to states and local governments to investigate and prosecute polygamist organizations that violate federal, state, or local laws.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Victims of Polygamy Assistance Act 
of 2008''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) Despite the fact that polygamy has been illegal in the 
        United States for over 100 years, the practice of polygamy 
        involving underage marriages is growing. Sizable polygamist 
        communities exist in Arizona, Utah, and Nevada, and are 
        expanding into other States.
            (2) Polygamist communities are typically controlled by 
        organizations that engage in widespread and systematic 
        violations of State laws and the laws of the United States in 
        order to enrich their leaders and maintain control over their 
        members.
            (3) The crimes perpetrated by these organizations include 
        child abuse, domestic violence, welfare fraud, tax evasion, 
        public corruption, witness tampering, and transporting victims 
        across State lines.
            (4) Due to the systematic and sophisticated nature of these 
        crimes, State and local law enforcement agencies would benefit 
        from the assistance of the Federal Government as they 
        investigate and prosecute these organizations and their leaders 
        for violations of State law. In addition, violations of Federal 
        law associated with polygamy should be investigated and 
        prosecuted directly by Federal authorities.
            (5) The work of State and Federal law enforcement agencies 
        to combat crimes by polygamist organizations would benefit from 
        enhanced collaboration and information-sharing among such 
        agencies.
            (6) The establishment of a task force within the Department 
        of Justice to coordinate Federal efforts and collaborate with 
        State agencies would aid in the investigation and prosecution 
        of criminal activities of polygamist organizations in both 
        Federal and State courts.
            (7) Polygamist organizations isolate, control, manipulate, 
        and threaten victims with retribution should they ever abandon 
        the organization. Individuals who choose to testify against 
        polygamist organizations in Federal or State court have unique 
        needs, including social services and witness protection 
        support, that warrant Federal assistance.

SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF A FEDERAL POLYGAMY TASK FORCE.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established within the Department of 
Justice a Federal Polygamy Task Force, which shall consist of the 
Deputy Attorney General, the United States attorneys from affected 
Federal judicial districts, representatives of the Federal Bureau of 
Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service, the Department of Labor, 
and the Department of Health and Human Services, and any officer of the 
Federal Government whom the Deputy Attorney General considers necessary 
to strengthen Federal law enforcement activities and provide State and 
local law enforcement officials the assistance they need to address the 
illegal activity of one or more polygamist organizations.
    (b) Purposes.--The Federal Polygamy Task Force established under 
subsection (a) shall--
            (1) formulate effective responses to the unique set of 
        crimes committed by polygamist organizations;
            (2) establish partnerships with State and local law 
        enforcement agencies to share relevant information and 
        strengthen State and Federal efforts to combat crimes 
        perpetrated by polygamist organizations;
            (3) assist States by providing strategies and support for 
        the protection of witnesses;
            (4) track the criminal behavior of polygamist organizations 
        that cross State and international borders; and
            (5) ensure that local officials charged with protecting the 
        public are not corrupted because of financial, family, or 
        membership ties to a polygamist organization.

SEC. 4. POLYGAMY VICTIM ASSISTANCE DISCRETIONARY GRANTS.

    The Victims of Crime Act of 1984 (42 U.S.C. 10601 et seq.) is 
amended by inserting after section 1404E the following:

``SEC. 1404F. ASSISTANCE FOR VICTIMS OF POLYGAMY.

    ``(a) In General.--The Director may make grants as provided in 
section 1404(c)(1)(A) to State, tribal, and local prosecutors' offices, 
law enforcement agencies, courts, jails, and correctional institutions, 
and to qualified public and private entities, to develop, establish, 
and maintain programs for the enforcement of rights and provision of 
social services (including witness protection, housing, education, 
vocational training, mental health services, child care, and medical 
treatment) for an individual who is exploited or otherwise victimized 
by practitioners of polygamy.
    ``(b) Authorization of Appropriations.--In addition to funds made 
available under section 1402(d), there are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section--
            ``(1) $2,000,000 for fiscal year 2009; and
            ``(2) $2,500,000 for each of the fiscal years 2010, 2011, 
        2012, and 2013.
    ``(c) False Claims Act.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
law, amounts collected pursuant to sections 3729 through 3731 of title 
31, United States Code (commonly known as the `False Claims Act'), may 
be used for grants under this section, subject to appropriation.''.

SEC. 5. POLYGAMY INVESTIGATION AND PROSECUTION ASSISTANCE DISCRETIONARY 
              GRANTS.

    Section 506(a) of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 
1968 (42 U.S.C. 3756(a)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ``and'' at the end;
            (2) in paragraph (2), by striking the period at the end and 
        inserting ``; and''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(3) $2,000,000, to be granted by the Attorney General to 
        States and units of local government to investigate and 
        prosecute polygamist organizations that violate Federal, State, 
        or local laws.''.