National Triad Program Act

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``National Triad Program Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds that--
            (1) senior citizens are among the most rapidly growing 
        segments of our society;
            (2) currently, senior citizens comprise 15 percent of our 
        society, and predictions are that by the turn of the century 
        they will constitute 18 percent of our Nation's population;
            (3) senior citizens find themselves uniquely situated in 
        our society, environmentally and physically;
            (4) many senior citizens are experiencing increased social 
        isolation due to fragmented and distant familial relations, 
        scattered associations, limited access to transportation, and 
        other insulating factors;
            (5) physical conditions such as hearing loss, poor 
        eyesight, lessened agility, and chronic and debilitating 
        illnesses often contribute to an older person's susceptibility 
        to criminal victimization;
            (6) senior citizens are too frequently the victims of abuse 
        and neglect, violent crime, property crime, consumer fraud, 
        medical quackery, and confidence games;
            (7) studies have found that senior citizens that are 
        victims of violent crime are more likely to be injured and 
        require medical attention than are younger victims;
            (8) victimization data on crimes against senior citizens 
        are incomplete and out of date, and data sources are partial, 
        scattered, and not easily obtained;
            (9) although a few studies have attempted to define and 
        estimate the extent of abuse and neglect of senior citizens, 
        both in their homes and in institutional settings, many experts 
        believe that this crime is substantially underreported and 
        undetected;
            (10) similarly, while some evidence suggests that senior 
        citizens may be targeted in a range of fraudulent schemes, 
        neither the Uniform Crime Report nor the National Crime Survey 
        collects data on individual- or household-level fraud;
            (11) many law enforcement agencies do not have model 
        practices for responding to the criminal abuse of senior 
        citizens;
            (12) law enforcement officers and social service providers 
        come from different disciplines and frequently bring different 
        perspectives to the problem of crimes against senior citizens;
            (13) those differences, in turn, can contribute to 
        inconsistent approaches to the problem and inhibit a genuinely 
        effective response;
            (14) there are, however, a few efforts currently under way 
        that seek to forge partnerships to coordinate criminal justice 
        and social service approaches to victimization of senior 
        citizens;
            (15) the Triad program, sponsored by the National Sheriffs' 
        Association (NSA), the International Association of Chiefs of 
        Police (IACP), and the American Association of Retired Persons 
        (AARP), is one such effort; and
            (16) recognizing that senior citizens have the same 
        fundamental desire as other members of our society to live 
        freely, without fear or restriction due to the criminal 
        element, the Federal Government should seek to expand efforts 
        to reduce crime against this growing and uniquely vulnerable 
        segment of our population.

SEC. 3. PURPOSES.

    The purposes of this Act are--
            (1) to support a coordinated effort among law enforcement 
        and social service agencies to stem the tide of violence 
        against senior citizens and support media and nonmedia 
        strategies aimed at increasing both public understanding of the 
        problem and the senior citizens' skills in preventing crime 
        against themselves and their property; and
            (2) to address the problem of crime against senior citizens 
        in a systematic and effective manner by promoting and expanding 
        collaborative crime prevention programs, such as the Triad 
        model, that assist law enforcement agencies and senior citizens 
        in implementing specific strategies for crime prevention, 
        victim assistance, citizen involvement, and public education.

SEC. 4. NATIONAL ASSESSMENT AND DISSEMINATION.

    (a) In General.--The Director of the National Institute of Justice 
shall conduct a qualitative and quantitative national assessment of--
            (1) the nature and extent of crimes committed against 
        senior citizens and the effect of such crimes on the victims;
            (2) the numbers, extent, and impact of violent crimes and 
        nonviolent crimes (such as frauds and ``scams'') against senior 
        citizens and the extent of unreported crime;
            (3) the collaborative needs of law enforcement, health, and 
        social service organizations, focusing on prevention of crimes 
        against senior citizens, to identify, investigate, and provide 
        assistance to victims of those crimes; and
            (4) the development and growth of strategies to respond 
        effectively to the matters described in paragraphs (1), (2), 
        and (3).
    (b) Matters To Be Addressed.--The national assessment made pursuant 
to subsection (a) shall address--
            (1) the analysis and synthesis of data from a broad range 
        of sources in order to develop accurate information on the 
        nature and extent of crimes against senior citizens, including 
        identifying and conducting such survey and other data 
        collection efforts as are needed and designing a strategy to 
        keep such information current over time;
            (2) institutional and community responses to elderly 
        victims of crime, focusing on the problems associated with fear 
        of victimization, abuse of senior citizens, and hard-to-reach 
        senior citizens who are in poor health, are living alone or 
        without family nearby, or living in high crime areas;
            (3) special services and responses required by elderly 
        victims;
            (4) whether the experience of senior citizens with some 
        service organizations differs markedly from that of younger 
        populations;
            (5) the kinds of programs that have proven useful in 
        reducing victimization of senior citizens through crime 
        prevention activities and programs;
            (6) the kinds of programs that contribute to successful 
        coordination among public sector agencies and community 
        organizations in reducing victimization of senior citizens; and
            (7) the research agenda needed to develop a comprehensive 
        understanding of the problems of crimes against senior 
        citizens, including the changes that can be anticipated in the 
        crimes themselves and appropriate responses as the society 
        increasingly ages.
    (c) Avoidance of Duplication.--In conducting the assessment under 
subsection (a), the Director of the National Institute of Justice shall 
draw upon the findings of existing studies and avoid duplication of 
efforts that have previously been made.
    (d) Dissemination.--Based on the results of the national assessment 
and analysis of successful or promising strategies in dealing with the 
problems described in subsection (b) and other problems, including 
coalition efforts such as the Triad programs described in sections 2 
and 3, the Director of the National Institute of Justice shall 
disseminate the results through reports, publications, clearinghouse 
services, public service announcements, and programs of evaluation, 
demonstration, training, and technical assistance.

SEC. 5. PILOT PROGRAMS.

    (a) Awards.--The Director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance shall 
make grants to coalitions of local law enforcement agencies and senior 
citizens to assist in the development of programs and execute field 
tests of particularly promising strategies for crime prevention 
services and related services based on the concepts of the Triad model, 
which can then be evaluated and serve as the basis for further 
demonstration and education programs.
    (b) Triad Cooperative Model.--(1) Subject to paragraph (2), a pilot 
program funded under this section shall consist of the Triad 
cooperative model developed by the organizations described in section 
2(15), which calls for the participation of the sheriff, at least 1 
police chief, and a representative of at least 1 senior citizens' 
organization within a county and may include participation by general 
service coalitions of law enforcement, victim service, and senior 
citizen advocate organizations.
    (2) If there is not both a sheriff and a police chief in a county 
or if the sheriff or a police chief do not participate, a pilot program 
funded under this section shall include in the place of the sheriff or 
police chief another key law enforcement official in the county such as 
a local prosecutor.
    (c) Application.--A coalition or Triad program that desires to 
establish a pilot program under this section shall submit to the 
Director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance an application that 
includes--
            (1) a description of the community and its senior citizen 
        population;
            (2) assurances that Federal funds received under this part 
        shall be used to provide additional and appropriate education 
        and services to the community's senior citizens;
            (3) a description of the extent of involvement of each 
        organizational component (chief, sheriff (or other law 
        enforcement official), and senior organization representative) 
        and focus of the Triad program;
            (4) a comprehensive plan including--
                    (A) a description of the crime problems facing 
                senior citizens and need for expanded law enforcement 
                and victim assistance services;
                    (B) a description of the types of projects to be 
                developed or expanded;
                    (C) a plan for an evaluation of the results of 
                Triad endeavors;
                    (D) a description of the resources (including 
                matching funds, in-kind services, and other resources) 
                available in the community to implement the Triad 
                development or expansion;
                    (E) a description of the gaps that cannot be filled 
                with existing resources;
                    (F) an explanation of how the requested grant will 
                be used to fill those gaps; and
                    (G) a description of the means and methods the 
                applicant will use to reduce criminal victimization of 
                older persons; and
            (5) funding requirements for implementing a comprehensive 
        plan.
    (d) Distribution of Awards.--The Director of the Bureau of Justice 
Assistance shall make awards--
            (1) to 20 Triad programs in counties with a population of 
        less than 50,000;
            (2) to 20 Triad programs in counties with a population of 
        at least 50,000 but less than 100,000; and
            (3) to 10 Triad programs in counties with a population of 
        100,000 or more.
    (e) Post-Grant Period Report.--A grant recipient under this section 
shall, not later than 6 months after the conclusion of the grant 
period, submit to the Director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance a 
report that--
            (1) describes the composition of organizations that 
        participated in the pilot program;
            (2) identifies problem areas encountered during the course 
        of the pilot program;
            (3) provides data comparing the types and frequency of 
        criminal activity before and after the grant period and the 
        effect of such criminal activity on senior citizens in the 
        community; and
            (4) describes the grant recipient's plans and goals for 
        continuance of the Triad program after the grant period.

SEC. 6. TRAINING ASSISTANCE, EVALUATION, AND DISSEMINATION AWARDS.

    In conjunction with the national assessment under section 4--
            (1) the Director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance shall 
        make awards to organizations with demonstrated ability to 
        provide training and technical assistance in establishing crime 
        prevention programs based on the Triad model, for purposes of 
        aiding in the establishment and expansion of pilot programs 
        under this section; and
            (2) the Director of the National Institute of Justice shall 
        make awards to research organizations, for the purposes of--
                    (A) evaluating the effectiveness of selected pilot 
                programs; and
                    (B) conducting the research and development 
                identified through the national assessment as being 
                critical; and
            (3) the Director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance shall 
        make awards to public service advertising coalitions, for the 
        purposes of mounting a program of public service advertisements 
        to increase public awareness and understanding of the issues 
        surrounding crimes against senior citizens and promoting ideas 
        or programs to prevent them.

SEC. 7. REPORT.

    The Director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance and the Director 
of the National Institute of Justice shall submit to Congress an annual 
report (which may be included with the report submitted under section 
102(b) of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 
1968 (42 U.S.C. 3712(b)) describing the results of the pilot programs 
conducted under section 5.

SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated--
            (1) $2,000,000 to the Bureau of Justice Assistance for the 
        purpose of making Triad pilot program awards in that amount 
        under section 5;
            (2) $1,000,000 to the Bureau of Justice Assistance for the 
        purpose of funding the national training and technical 
        assistance effort under sections 4 and 6;
            (3) $1,000,000 to the Bureau of Justice Assistance for the 
        purpose of developing public service announcements under 
        sections 4 and 6;
            (4) $2,000,000 to the National Institute of Justice for the 
        purposes of conducting the national assessment, evaluation 
        pilot programs, and carrying out the research agenda under 
        sections 4 and 6; and
            (5) to the extent that funds are not otherwise available 
        for the purpose, such sums as are necessary to pay the 
        administrative costs of carrying out this Act.

Summary: National Triad Program Act - Requires the Director of the National Institute of Justice to conduct a qualitative and quantitative national assessment of: (1) the nature and extent of crimes committed against senior citizens and the effect of such crimes on the victims. (2) the numbers, extent, and impact of violent and nonviolent crimes against senior citizens and the extent of unreported crime. (3) the collaborative needs of law enforcement, health, and social service organizations, focusing on prevention of crimes against senior citizens, to identify, investigate, and provide assistance to victims of such crimes. And (4) the development and growth of strategies to respond effectively to such matters. Directs the Director to make grants to coalitions of local law enforcement agencies and senior citizens to assist in the development of programs and execute field tests of particularly promising strategies for crime prevention and related services, based on the concepts of the Triad model which can then be evaluated and serve as the basis for further demonstration and education programs. Requires the Director to make awards to: (1) organizations with demonstrated ability to provide training and technical assistance in establishing crime prevention programs based on the Triad model, for purposes of aiding in the establishment and expansion of pilot programs. (2) research organizations to evaluate the effectiveness of selected pilot programs, and to conduct research and development identified as being critical. And (3) public service advertising coalitions to increase public awareness of, and promote ideas or programs to prevent, crimes against senior citizens. Authorizes appropriations.