I

104TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 144

To establish a task force to recommend a uniform strategy to protect women

against violent crime.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JANUARY 4, 1995

Mr. SOLOMON introduced the following bill; which was referred to the

Committee on the Judiciary

A BILL

To establish a task force to recommend a uniform strategy

to protect women against violent crime.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Violence Against

5 Women Research Act’’.

6 SEC. 2. NATIONAL TASK FORCE ON VIOLENCE AGAINST

7 WOMEN.

8 Not later than 30 days after the date of enactment

9 of this Act, the Attorney General shall establish a task

10 force to be known as the ‘‘National Task Force on Vio-
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1 lence Against Women’’ (referred to in this Act as the

2 ‘‘task force’’).

3 SEC. 3. DUTIES.

4 (a) GENERAL PURPOSE OF TASK FORCE.—The task

5 force shall develop a uniform Federal, State, and local law

6 enforcement strategy aimed at protecting women against

7 violent crime, punishing persons who commit such crimes,

8 and enhancing the rights of victims of such crimes.

9 (b) DUTIES OF TASK FORCE.—The task force shall

10 perform such functions as the Attorney General deems ap11 propriate to carry out the purposes of the task force,

12 including—

13 (1) considering the reports of past Federal and

14 State task forces or commissions on violent crime,

15 family violence, and crime victims, including the

16 President’s Task Force on Victims of Crime (1982),

17 the Attorney General’s Task Force on Family Vio18 lence (1984), and the task forces and commissions

19 established by the States of Alabama, Alaska, Ar20 kansas, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana,

21 Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, New

22 York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Virginia,

23 Texas, Wisconsin, and Wyoming;

24 (2) developing strategies for Federal, State, and

25 local law enforcement designated to protect women
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1 against violent crime, and to prosecute and punish

2 those responsible for such crime;

3 (3) evaluating the adequacy of sentencing, in4 carceration, and release of violent offenders against

5 women, and making recommendations designated to

6 ensure that such offenders receive appropriate pun7 ishment; and

8 (4) evaluating the adequacy of the treatment of

9 victims of violent crime against women within the

10 criminal justice system, and making recommenda11 tions designed to improve such treatment.

12 SEC. 4. MEMBERSHIP.

13 (a) IN GENERAL.—The task force shall consist of up

14 to 10 members, who shall be appointed by the Attorney

15 General not later than 60 days after the date of enactment

16 of this Act. The Attorney General shall ensure that the

17 task force includes representatives of State and local law

18 enforcement, the State and local judiciary, and groups

19 dedicated to protecting the rights of victims.

20 (b) CHAIRPERSON.—The Attorney General or a des21 ignee shall serve as the chairperson of the task force.

22 SEC. 5. PAY.

23 (a) NO ADDITIONAL COMPENSATION.—Members of

24 the task force who are officers or employees of a govern-
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1 mental agency shall receive no additional compensation by

2 reason of their service on the task force.

3 (b) PER DIEM.—While away from their homes or reg4 ular places of business in the performance of duties for

5 the task force, members of the task force shall be allowed

6 travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence,

7 at rates authorized for employees of agencies under sec8 tions 5702 and 5703 of title 5, United States Code.

9 SEC. 6. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND STAFF.

10 (a) EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.—

11 (1) APPOINTMENT.—The task force shall

12 have an Executive Director who shall be appointed

13 by the Attorney General not later than 30 days after

14 the task force is fully constituted under subsection

15 (c).

16 (2) COMPENSATION.—The Executive Director

17 shall be compensated at a rate not to exceed the

18 maximum rate of the basic pay payable under GS–

19 15 of the General Schedule as contained in title 5,

20 United States Code.

21 (b) STAFF.—With the approval of the task force, the

22 Executive Director may appoint not more than 12 individ23 uals to serve as staff and fix the compensation of such

24 additional personnel as the Executive Director considers

25 necessary to carry out the duties of the task force.
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1 (c) APPLICABILITY OF CIVIL SERVICE LAWS.—The

2 Executive Director and the additional personnel of the

3 task force appointed under paragraph (2) may be ap4 pointed without regard to the provisions of title 5, United

5 States Code, governing appointments in the competitive

6 service, and may be paid without regard to the provisions

7 of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of such

8 title relating to classification and General Schedule pay

9 rates.

10 SEC. 7. POWERS OF TASK FORCE.

11 (a) HEARINGS.—For the purpose of carrying out this

12 section, the task force may conduct such hearings, sit and

13 act at such times and places, take such testimony, and

14 receive such evidence, as the task force considers appro15 priate. The task force may administer oaths before the

16 task force.

17 (b) DELEGATION.—Any member or employee of the

18 task force may, if authorized by the task force, take any

19 action that the task force is authorized to take under this

20 section.

21 (c) ACCESS TO INFORMATION.—The task force may

22 secure directly from any executive department or agency

23 such information as may be necessary to enable the task

24 force to carry out this section, to the extent access to such

25 information is permitted by law.
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1 (d) MAIL.—The task force may use the United States

2 mails in the same manner and under the same conditions

3 as other departments and agencies of the United States.

4 SEC. 8. REPORT.

5 Not later than 1 year after the date on which the

6 task force is fully constituted under subsection (c), the At7 torney General shall submit a detailed report to the Con8 gress on the findings and recommendations of the task

9 force.

10 SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

11 There are authorized to be appropriated $500,000 to

12 carry out the purposes of this Act.

13 SEC. 10. TERMINATION.

14 The task force shall cease to exist 30 days after the

15 date on which the Attorney General’s report is submitted

16 under section 9.

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