SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF WITNESS PROTECTION GRANT 
PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Attorney General shall make 
competitive grants to eligible State, tribal, and local pros-
ecutors to establish or maintain programs that provide 
protection or assistance to witnesses in court proceedings 
involving homicide, or involving a serious violent felony or 
serious drug offense as defined in section 3559(c)(2) of 
title 18, United States Code. The Attorney General shall 
ensure that, to the extent reasonable and practical, such 
grants are made to achieve an equitable geographical dis-
tribution of such programs throughout the United States. 
(b) STATE, TRIBAL, AND LOCAL PROSECUTORS DE-
FINED.—For purposes of this Act, the term ‘‘State, tribal, 
or local prosecutor’’ means any district attorney, county 
attorney, tribal attorney, or attorney general of a State 
or territory, or the United States attorney for the District 
of Columbia. 
SEC. 3. USE OF GRANTS. 
A grant made under section 2 may be used only to 
pay all or part of the cost of the program for which such 
grant is made. 
SEC. 4. PRIORITY. 
In making grants under section 2, the Attorney Gen-
eral shall give priority to applications submitted under sec-
tion 5 involving programs in the District of Columbia or 
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in States with an average of not less than 100 murders 
per year during the most recent 5-year period, as cal-
culated using the latest available crime statistics from the 
Federal Bureau of Investigation. 
SEC. 5. APPLICATION. 
To be eligible for a grant under section 2, a State, 
tribal, or local prosecutor shall submit to the Office of Jus-
tice Programs an application in such form and manner, 
at such time, and accompanied by such information as the 
Attorney General specifies. 
SEC. 6. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—From amounts made available to 
carry out this Act, the United States Marshals Service 
shall, upon request of the Attorney General, provide tech-
nical assistance to an entity receiving a grant under this 
Act for a program to the extent such technical assistance 
is needed to carry out such program. 
(b) GRANTEE REQUESTS.—For purposes of sub-
section (a), the Attorney General shall submit to the 
United States Marshals Service a request for technical as-
sistance, with respect to an entity receiving a grant under 
this Act, if such entity submits to the Attorney General 
a request for such assistance. The Attorney General shall 
submit such request to the United States Marshals Serv-
ice, with respect to such entity, not later than 45 days 
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after the date on which the Attorney General receives a 
request from such entity for such technical assistance. 
SEC. 7. BEST PRACTICES. 
(a) REPORT.—Each recipient of a grant under sec-
tion 2 shall submit to the Attorney General a report, in 
such form and manner and containing such information 
as specified by the Attorney General, that evaluates each 
program established or maintained pursuant to such 
grant, including policies and procedures under the pro-
gram. 
(b) DEVELOPMENT OF BEST PRACTICES.—Based on 
the reports submitted under subsection (a), the Attorney 
General shall develop best practice models to assist States 
and other relevant entities in addressing— 
(1) witness safety; 
(2) short-term and permanent witness reloca-
tion; 
(3) financial and housing assistance; and 
(4) any other services related to witness protec-
tion or assistance that are determined by the Attor-
ney General to be necessary. 
(c) DISSEMINATION TO STATES.—Not later than 1 
year after the development of best practice models under 
subsection (b), the Attorney General shall disseminate to 
States and other relevant entities such models. 
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(d) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that States and other relevant entities should use 
the best practice models developed and disseminated in ac-
cordance with this Act to evaluate, improve, and develop 
witness protection or witness assistance as appropriate. 
(e) CLARIFICATION.—Nothing in this Act requires 
the dissemination of any information deemed by the Attor-
ney General to be a security risk. 
SEC. 8. REPORT TO CONGRESS. 
Not later than December 31, 2014, the Attorney 
General shall submit a report to Congress on the programs 
funded by grants awarded under section 2, including on 
matters specified under section 7(b). 
SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out 
this Act such sums as are necessary for each of the fiscal 
years 2009 through 2013. 
Æ 
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