I 

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 89

To create a separate DNA database for violent predators against children, 

and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 7, 2003

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas introduced the following bill; which was referred 

to the Committee on the Judiciary 

A BILL

To create a separate DNA database for violent predators 

against children, and for other purposes.

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 ‘‘Save Our Children: 

5 Stop the Violent Predators Against Children DNA Act of 

6 2003’’. 

7 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

8 Congress finds the following: 
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1 (1) Only 22 State sex offender registries collect 

2 and maintain DNA samples as a part of registra3 tion. 

4 (2) The single age with the greatest proportion 

5 of sexual assault victims reported to law enforcement 

6 was age 14. 

7 (3) There were more victims of sexual assault 

8 between 3 and 17 than in any individual age group 

9 over age 17, and more victims age 2 than in any age 

10 group over 40. 

11 (4) Children like 5–year-old Samantha Runnion 

12 of California, who was abducted, sexually violated, 

13 and murdered, are most likely to be victims of sexual 

14 assault, with over one-third of all sexual assaults in15 volving a victim who was under the age of 12. 

16 (5) One of every seven victims of sexual assault 

17 is under the age of 6. 

18 (6) Over a four-to-five year period, 13.4 percent 

19 of sex offenders recidivated with another sexual of20 fense. 

21 (7) Murder is the only major cause of childhood 

22 deaths that has increased over the past three dec23 ades. 
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1 (8) Between 300,000 and 400,000 children are 

2 victims of some type of sexual abuse or exploitation 

3 every year. 

4 (9) More attention should be given to seeking 

5 solutions to violence against children. 

6 SEC. 3. DNA DATABASE FOR VIOLENT PREDATORS AGAINST 

7 CHILDREN. 

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Attorney General shall estab9 lish and maintain, separate from any other DNA data10 base, a database solely for the purpose of collecting the 

11 DNA information with respect to violent predators against 

12 children. Under regulations issued by the Attorney Gen13 eral, Federal, State, and local agencies and other entities 

14 may submit DNA information to the Attorney General for 

15 inclusion in the database and may compare DNA informa16 tion against other DNA information in the database. 

17 (b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

18 are authorized to be appropriated $500,000 to establish 

19 the database required by subsection (a). 

20 SEC. 4. INCENTIVE GRANTS. 

21 (a) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.—From amounts made 

22 available to carry out this section, the Attorney General 

23 shall make grants to each State that has in effect one or 

24 more programs that decrease the rate of recidivism among 
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1 violent predators against children, for use by the State to 

2 implement improvements to such programs. 

3 (b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

4 are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 

5 such sums as may be necessary. 

6 SEC. 5. CONSEQUENCES FOR VIOLENT PREDATORS 

7 AGAINST CHILDREN. 

8 Notwithstanding any other provision of law, if a per9 son who is a violent predator against children commits a 

10 crime that would, in and of itself, establish that person 

11 as a violent predator against children, the sentence im12 posed on that person for that crime shall, without regard 

13 to any mitigating circumstance that would otherwise apply 

14 at sentencing, be the maximum authorized by law. 

15 SEC. 6. DEFINITION. 

16 As used in this Act, the term ‘‘violent predator 

17 against children’’ means a person who commits a crime 

18 of violence (including a sex crime) against the person of 

19 an individual who has not attained the age of 18 years.

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