I 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 288 

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

and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 8, 2009 

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 2009’’. 

7 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

8 Congress finds the following: 


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1 (1) Based on sexual assaults reported to law 

2 enforcement, there are more 14-year old victims of 

3 sexual assault than victims of any other age. 

4 (2) In 2007, there were more victims of sexual 

5 assault between ages 3 and 17 than in any indi6 vidual age group over age 17, and more victims age 

7 2 than in any age group over 40. 

8 (3) Children, like 5-year-old Samantha Runnion 

9 of California, who was abducted, sexually violated, 

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

11 assault, with over one-third of all sexual assaults in12 volving a victim who was under the age of 12. 

13 (4) One of every 7 victims of sexual assault is 

14 under the age of 6. 

15 (5) Murder is the only major cause of childhood 

16 deaths that has increased over the past three dec17 ades. 

18 (6) Between 300,000 and 400,000 children are 

19 victims of some type of sexual abuse or exploitation 

20 every year. 

21 (7) More attention should be given to seeking 

22 solutions to violence against children. 


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1 SEC. 3. DNA DATABASE FOR VIOLENT PREDATORS AGAINST 

2 CHILDREN. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Attorney General shall estab4 lish and maintain, separate from any other DNA data5 base, a database solely for the purpose of collecting the 

6 DNA information with respect to violent predators against 

7 children. Under regulations issued by the Attorney Gen8 eral, Federal, State, and local agencies and other entities 

9 may submit DNA information to the Attorney General for 

10 inclusion in the database and may compare DNA informa11 tion against other DNA information in the database. 

12 (b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

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

14 the database required by subsection (a). 

15 SEC. 4. INCENTIVE GRANTS. 

16 (a) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.—From amounts made 

17 available to carry out this section, the Attorney General 

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

19 more programs that decrease the rate of recidivism among 

20 violent predators against children, for use by the State to 

21 implement improvements to such programs. 

22 (b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

23 are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 

24 such sums as may be necessary. 


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1 SEC. 5. CONSEQUENCES FOR VIOLENT PREDATORS 

2 AGAINST CHILDREN. 

3 Notwithstanding any other provision of law, if a per4 son who is a violent predator against children commits a 

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

6 as a violent predator against children, the sentence im7 posed on that person for that crime shall, without regard 

8 to any mitigating circumstance that would otherwise apply 

9 at sentencing, be the maximum authorized by law. 

10 SEC. 6. DEFINITION. 

11 (a) IN GENERAL.—As used in this Act, the term ‘‘vio12 lent predator against children’’ means a person who com13 mits a crime of violence (including a sex crime) against 

14 the person of an individual who has not attained the age 

15 of 18 years. 

16 (b) STATUTORY RAPE EXCEPTION.—The term ‘‘vio17 lent predator against children’’ shall not include a person 

18 who commits a sex crime against the person of an indi19 vidual who has not attained the age of 18 years if— 

20 (1) the individual against whom such crime was 

21 committed has attained 16 years of age or older; 

22 (2) the person who commits such crime is not 

23 more than 4 years older than such individual; and 

24 (3) the conduct resulting in the commission of 

25 such crime was consensual. 

Æ 


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