S. 4926 

One Hundred Seventeenth Congress 

of the 

United States of America 

AT THE SECOND SESSION 

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Monday, 

the third day of January, two thousand and twenty two 

An Act 

To amend chapter 33 of title 28, United States Code, to require appropriate use 

of multidisciplinary teams for investigations of child sexual exploitation or abuse, 

the production of child sexual abuse material, or child trafficking conducted 

by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 

the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Respect for Child Survivors 

Act’’. 

SEC. 2. MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAMS. 

(a) AMENDMENT.—Chapter 33 of title 28, United States Code, 

is amended by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘§ 540D. Multidisciplinary teams 

‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section— 

‘‘(1) the term ‘child sexual abuse material’ means a visual 

depiction described in section 2256(8)(A) of title 18; 

‘‘(2) the term ‘covered investigation’ means any investigation of child sexual exploitation or abuse, the production of 

child sexual abuse material, or child trafficking conducted by 

the Federal Bureau of Investigation; 

‘‘(3) the term ‘Director’ means the Director of the Federal 

Bureau of Investigation; 

‘‘(4) the term ‘multidisciplinary team’ means a multidisciplinary team established or used under subsection (b)(2); 

‘‘(5) the term ‘relevant children’s advocacy center personnel’ 

means children’s advocacy center staff that regularly participate 

in multidisciplinary child support settings, including the 

director of the children’s advocacy center, the coordinator of 

a multidisciplinary team, forensic interviewers, victim advocates, forensic medical evaluators, physicians, sexual assault 

nurse examiners, and mental health clinicians; and 

‘‘(6) the term ‘victim advocate’ means a person, whether 

paid or serving as a volunteer, who provides services to victims 

under the auspices or supervision of a victim services program. 

‘‘(b) FBI VICTIM SUPPORT REQUIREMENTS.— 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—To carry out the functions described 

in subsection (c) in connection with each covered investigation 

conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Director 

shall, unless unavailable or otherwise inconsistent with 

applicable Federal law— 

‘‘(A) use a multidisciplinary team; and 
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‘‘(B) in accordance with paragraph (3), use— 

‘‘(i) a trained Federal Bureau of Investigation child 

adolescent forensic interviewer; or 

‘‘(ii) in the absence of a trained Federal Bureau 

of Investigation child adolescent forensic interviewer, 

a trained forensic interviewer at a children’s advocacy 

center. 

‘‘(2) USE AND COORDINATION.—The Director shall use and 

coordinate with children’s advocacy center-based multidisciplinary teams as necessary to carry out paragraph (1). 

‘‘(3) CHILDREN’S ADVOCACY CENTERS.—The Director— 

‘‘(A) may work with children’s advocacy centers to 

implement a multidisciplinary team approaches for purposes of covered investigations; and 

‘‘(B) shall allow, facilitate, and encourage multidisciplinary teams to collaborate with a children’s advocacy 

center with regard to availability, provision, and use of 

services to and by victims and families that are participants 

in or affected by the actions at issue in a covered investigation. 

‘‘(4) REPORT.—The Director shall submit to the Attorney 

General an annual report identifying any interview of a victim 

reporting child sexual abuse material or child trafficking that 

took place— 

‘‘(A) without the use of— 

‘‘(i) a multidisciplinary approach; 

‘‘(ii) a trained forensic interviewer; or 

‘‘(iii) either the use of a multidisciplinary approach 

or a trained forensic interviewer; and 

‘‘(B) for each interview identified under subparagraph 

(A), describing the exigent circumstances that existed with 

respect to the interview, in accordance with paragraph 

(1). 

‘‘(5) MEMORANDA OF UNDERSTANDING.—The Director shall 

seek to enter into a memorandum of understanding with a 

reputable national accrediting organization for children’s 

advocacy centers— 

‘‘(A) under which— 

‘‘(i) the children’s advocacy services of the national 

organization are made available to field offices of the 

Federal Bureau of Investigation in the United States; 

and 

‘‘(ii) special agents and other employees of the 

Federal Bureau of Investigation are made aware of 

the existence of such memoranda and its purposes; 

and 

‘‘(B) which shall reflect a trauma-informed, victim-centered approach and provide for case review. 

‘‘(c) FUNCTIONS.—The functions described in this subsection 

are the following: 

‘‘(1) To provide for the sharing of information among the 

members of a multidisciplinary team, when such a team is 

used, and with other appropriate personnel regarding the 

progress of a covered investigation by the Federal Bureau of 

Investigation. 

‘‘(2) To provide for and enhance collaborative efforts among 

the members of a multidisciplinary team, when such a team 
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is used, and other appropriate personnel regarding a covered 

investigation. 

‘‘(3) To enhance the social services available to victims 

in connection with a covered investigation, including through 

the enhancement of cooperation among specialists and other 

personnel providing such services in connection with a covered 

investigation. 

‘‘(4) To carry out other duties regarding the response to 

investigations of child sexual abuse or trafficking. 

‘‘(d) PERSONNEL.— 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Each multidisciplinary team shall be 

composed of the following: 

‘‘(A) Appropriate investigative personnel. 

‘‘(B) Appropriate mental health professionals. 

‘‘(C) Appropriate medical personnel. 

‘‘(D) Victim advocates or victim specialists. 

‘‘(E) Relevant children’s advocacy center personnel, 

with respect to covered investigations in which the children’s advocacy center or personnel of the children’s 

advocacy center were used in the course of the covered 

investigation. 

‘‘(F) Prosecutors, as appropriate. 

‘‘(2) EXPERTISE AND TRAINING.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Any individual assigned to a multidisciplinary team shall possess such expertise, and shall 

undertake such training as is required to maintain such 

expertise, in order to ensure that members of the team 

remain appropriately qualified to carry out the functions 

of the team under this section. 

‘‘(B) REQUIREMENT.—The training and expertise 

required under subparagraph (A) shall include training 

and expertise on special victims’ crimes, including child 

sexual abuse. 

‘‘(e) SHARING OF INFORMATION.— 

‘‘(1) ACCESS TO INFORMATION.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subparagraphs (B) and 

(C), relevant children’s advocacy center personnel who are 

assigned to work on a covered investigation under this 

section shall be granted access to the case information 

necessary to perform their role conducting forensic interviews and providing mental health treatment, medical care, 

and victim advocacy for Federal Bureau of Investigation 

cases. 

‘‘(B) INCLUDED INFORMATION.—The case information 

described in subparagraph (A) to which relevant children’s 

advocacy center personnel shall be granted access 

includes— 

‘‘(i) case outcome of forensic interviews; 

‘‘(ii) medical evaluation outcomes; 

‘‘(iii) mental health treatment referrals and treatment completion; 

‘‘(iv) safety planning and child protection issues; 

‘‘(v) victim service needs and referrals addressed 

by the victim advocate; 

‘‘(vi) case disposition; 

‘‘(vii) case outcomes; and 
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‘‘(viii) any other information required for a children’s advocacy centers as a part of the standards 

of practice of the children’s advocacy center; and 

‘‘(C) EXEMPT INFORMATION.—The case information 

described in subparagraph (A) does not include— 

‘‘(i) classified information; 

‘‘(ii) the identity of confidential informants; or 

‘‘(iii) other investigative information not included 

as a part of the standards of practice of the children’s 

advocacy center. 

‘‘(2) SHARING INFORMATION WITH FBI.—Children’s advocacy 

centers shall provide the Federal Bureau of Investigation with 

forensic interview recordings and documentation, medical 

reports, and other case information on Federal Bureau of Investigation-related cases. 

‘‘(3) SECURITY CLEARANCES.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Federal Bureau of Investigation 

may provide security clearances to relevant children’s 

advocacy center personnel for purposes of case review by 

multidisciplinary teams, if it is determined that those personnel are eligible and possess a need-to-know specific 

classified information to perform or assist in a lawful and 

authorized government function. 

‘‘(B) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

authorized to be appropriated such sums as are necessary 

to carry out subparagraph (A). 

‘‘(f) USE OF TEAMS.—Multidisciplinary teams used under this 

section shall be made available to victims reporting child sexual 

abuse or child trafficking in covered investigations, regardless of 

the age of the victim making the report. 

‘‘(g) CASE REVIEW BY MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAM.—Throughout 

a covered investigation, a multidisciplinary team supporting an 

investigation under this section shall, at regularly scheduled times, 

convene to— 

‘‘(1) share information about case progress; 

‘‘(2) address any investigative or prosecutorial barriers; 

and 

‘‘(3) ensure that victims receive support and needed treatment. 

‘‘(h) AVAILABILITY OF ADVOCATES.—The Director shall make 

advocates available to each victim who reports child sexual abuse 

or child trafficking in connection with an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. 

‘‘(i) RULES OF CONSTRUCTION.— 

‘‘(1) INVESTIGATIVE AUTHORITY.—Nothing in this section 

shall be construed to augment any existing investigative 

authority of the Federal Bureau of Investigation or to expand 

the jurisdiction of any Federal law enforcement agency. 

‘‘(2) PROTECTING INVESTIGATIONS.—Nothing in this section 

shall be construed to limit the legal obligations of the Director 

under any other provision of law, including section 552a of 

title 5 (commonly known as the ‘Privacy Act of 1974’), or require 

the sharing of classified information with unauthorized persons.’’. 
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(b) TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The table of 

sections for chapter 33 of title 28, United States Code, is amended 

by inserting after the item relating to section 540C the following: 

‘‘540D. Multidisciplinary teams.’’. 

SEC. 3. IMPROVING INVESTIGATION AND PROSECUTION OF CHILD 

ABUSE CASES. 

The Victims of Child Abuse Act of 1990 (34 U.S.C. 20301 

et seq.) is amended— 

(1) in section 211 (34 U.S.C. 20301)— 

(A) in paragraph (1)— 

(i) by striking ‘‘3,300,000’’ and inserting 

‘‘3,400,000’’; and 

(ii) by striking ‘‘, and drug abuse is associated 

with a significant portion of these’’; 

(B) by redesignating paragraphs (3) through (8) as 

paragraphs (4) through (9), respectively; 

(C) by inserting afer paragraph (2) the following: 

‘‘(3) a key to a child victim healing from abuse is access 

to supportive and healthy families and communities;’’; and 

(D) in paragraph (9)(B), as so redesignated, by inserting 

‘‘, and operations of centers’’ before the period at the end; 

(2) in section 212 (34 U.S.C. 20302)— 

(A) in paragraph (5), by inserting ‘‘coordinated team’’ 

before ‘‘response’’; and 

(B) in paragraph (8), by inserting ‘‘organizational 

capacity’’ before ‘‘support’’; 

(3) in section 213 (34 U.S.C. 20303)— 

(A) in subsection (a)— 

(i) in the heading, by inserting ‘‘AND MAINTE- NANCE’’ after ‘‘ESTABLISHMENT’’; 

(ii) in the matter preceding paragraph (1)— 

(I) by striking ‘‘, in coordination with the 

Director of the Office of Victims of Crime,’’; and 

(II) by inserting ‘‘and maintain’’ after ‘‘establish’’; 

(iii) in paragraph (3)— 

(I) by striking ‘‘and victim advocates’’ and 

inserting ‘‘victim advocates, multidisciplinary team 

leadership, and children’s advocacy center staff’’; 

and 

(II) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; 

(iv) by redesignating paragraph (4) as paragraph 

(5); 

(v) by inserting after paragraph (3) the following: 

‘‘(4) provide technical assistance, training, coordination, and 

organizational capacity support for State chapters; and’’; and 

(vi) in paragraph (5), as so redesignated, by 

striking ‘‘and oversight to’’ and inserting ‘‘organizational capacity support, and oversight of’’; 

(B) in subsection (b)— 

(i) in paragraph (1)— 

(I) in subparagraph (A), by inserting ‘‘and 

maintain’’ after ‘‘establish’’; and 

(II) in the matter following subparagraph (B), 

by striking ‘‘and technical assistance to aid communities in establishing’’ and inserting ‘‘training and 
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technical assistance to aid communities in establishing and maintaining’’; and 

(ii) in paragraph (2)— 

(I) in subparagraph (A)— 

(aa) in clause (ii), by inserting ‘‘Center’’ 

after ‘‘Advocacy’’; and 

(bb) in clause (iii), by striking ‘‘of, assessment of, and intervention in’’ and inserting 

‘‘and intervention in child’’; and 

(II) in subparagraph (B), by striking ‘‘centers 

and interested communities’’ and inserting ‘‘centers, interested communities, and chapters’’; and 

(C) in subsection (c)— 

(i) in paragraph (2)— 

(I) in subparagraph (B), by striking ‘‘evaluation, intervention, evidence gathering, and counseling’’ and inserting ‘‘investigation and intervention in child abuse’’; and 

(II) in subparagraph (E), by striking ‘‘judicial 

handling of child abuse and neglect’’ and inserting 

‘‘multidisciplinary response to child abuse’’; 

(ii) in paragraph (3)(A)(i), by striking ‘‘so that 

communities can establish multidisciplinary programs 

that respond to child abuse’’ and inserting ‘‘and chapters so that communities can establish and maintain 

multidisciplinary programs that respond to child abuse 

and chapters can establish and maintain children’s 

advocacy centers in their State’’; 

(iii) in paragraph (4)(B)— 

(I) in clause (iii), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 

end; 

(II) in by redesignating clause (iv) as clause 

(v); and 

(III) by inserting after clause (iii) the following: 

‘‘(iv) best result in supporting chapters in each 

State; and’’; and 

(iv) in paragraph (6), by inserting ‘‘under this Act’’ 

after ‘‘recipients’’; 

(4) in section 214 (34 U.S.C. 20304)— 

(A) by striking subsection (a) and inserting the following: 

‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator shall make grants to— 

‘‘(1) establish and maintain a network of care for child 

abuse victims where investigation, prosecutions, and interventions are continually occurring and coordinating activities 

within local children’s advocacy centers and multidisciplinary 

teams; 

‘‘(2) develop, enhance, and coordinate multidisciplinary 

child abuse investigations, intervention, and prosecution activities; 

‘‘(3) promote the effective delivery of the evidence-based, 

trauma-informed Children’s Advocacy Center Model and the 

multidisciplinary response to child abuse; and 

‘‘(4) develop and disseminate practice standards for care 

and best practices in programmatic evaluation, and support 

State chapter organizational capacity and local children’s 
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advocacy center organizational capacity and operations in order 

to meet such practice standards and best practices.’’; 

(B) in subsection (b), by striking ‘‘, in coordination 

with the Director of the Office of Victims of Crime,’’; 

(C) in subsection (c)(2)— 

(i) in subparagraph (C), by inserting ‘‘to the 

greatest extent practicable, but in no case later than 

72 hours,’’ after ‘‘hours’’; and 

(ii) by striking subparagraphs (D) through (I) and 

inserting the following: 

‘‘(D) Forensic interviews of child victims by trained 

personnel that are used by law enforcement, health, and 

child protective service agencies to interview suspected 

abuse victims about allegations of abuse. 

‘‘(E) Provision of needed follow up services such as 

medical care, mental healthcare, and victims advocacy services. 

‘‘(F) A requirement that, to the extent practicable, all 

interviews and meetings with a child victim occur at the 

children’s advocacy center or an agency with which there 

is a linkage agreement regarding the delivery of multidisciplinary child abuse investigation, prosecution, and intervention services. 

‘‘(G) Coordination of each step of the investigation 

process to eliminate duplicative forensic interviews with 

a child victim. 

‘‘(H) Designation of a director for the children’s 

advocacy center. 

‘‘(I) Designation of a multidisciplinary team coordinator. 

‘‘(J) Assignment of a volunteer or staff advocate to 

each child in order to assist the child and, when appropriate, the child’s family, throughout each step of intervention and judicial proceedings. 

‘‘(K) Coordination with State chapters to assist and 

provide oversight, and organizational capacity that supports local children’s advocacy centers, multidisciplinary 

teams, and communities working to implement a multidisciplinary response to child abuse in the provision of 

evidence-informed initiatives, including mental health 

counseling, forensic interviewing, multidisciplinary team 

coordination, and victim advocacy. 

‘‘(L) Such other criteria as the Administrator shall 

establish by regulation.’’; and 

(D) by striking subsection (f) and inserting the following: 

‘‘(f) GRANTS TO STATE CHAPTERS FOR ASSISTANCE TO LOCAL

CHILDREN’S ADVOCACY CENTERS.—In awarding grants under this 

section, the Administrator shall ensure that a portion of the grants 

is distributed to State chapters to enable State chapters to provide 

oversight, training, and technical assistance to local centers on 

evidence-informed initiatives including mental health, counseling, 

forensic interviewing, multidisciplinary team coordination, and 

victim advocacy.’’; 

(5) in section 214A (34 U.S.C. 20305)— 

(A) in subsection (a)— 
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(i) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘attorneys and 

other allied’’ and inserting ‘‘prosecutors and other 

attorneys and allied’’; and 

(ii) in paragraph (2)(B), by inserting ‘‘Center’’ after 

‘‘Advocacy’’; and 

(B) in subsection (b)(1), by striking subparagraph (A) 

and inserting the following: 

‘‘(A) a significant connection to prosecutors who handle 

child abuse cases in State courts, such as a membership 

organization or support service providers; and’’; and 

(6) by striking 214B (34 U.S.C. 20306) and inserting the 

following: 

‘‘SEC. 214B. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

‘‘There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out sections 

213, 214, and 214A, $40,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 

through 2028.’’. 

Speaker of the House of Representatives. 

Vice President of the United States and

President of the Senate.