I 
113TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5209 
To establish a grant program to help State and local law enforcement agencies 
reduce the risk of injury and death relating to the wandering characteris-
tics of some children with autism and other disabilities. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 25, 2014 
Mr. KING of New York (for himself, Ms. MENG, Mr. GRIMM, Mr. ISRAEL, and 
Mrs. MCCARTHY of New York) introduced the following bill; which was 
referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 
A BILL 
To establish a grant program to help State and local law 
enforcement agencies reduce the risk of injury and death 
relating to the wandering characteristics of some children 
with autism and other disabilities. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Avonte’s Law Act of 
2014’’. 
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SEC. 2. GRANT PROGRAM TO REDUCE INJURY AND DEATH 
RELATING TO THE WANDERING AND SAFETY 
OF INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES. 
Title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe 
Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3711 et seq.) is amended 
by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘PART LL—GRANT PROGRAM TO REDUCE IN-
JURY AND DEATH RELATING TO THE WAN-
DERING AND SAFETY OF INDIVIDUALS WITH 
DISABILITIES 
‘‘SEC. 3021. PROGRAM AUTHORIZED. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Attorney General may make 
grants to law enforcement agencies to— 
‘‘(1) reduce the risk of injury and death relat-
ing to the wandering characteristics of some individ-
uals with autism and other disabilities; and 
‘‘(2) safeguard the well-being of individuals 
with disabilities during interactions with law enforce-
ment. 
‘‘(b) USES OF FUNDS.—A grant awarded under this 
section shall be— 
‘‘(1) distributed directly to a law enforcement 
agency; and 
‘‘(2) used to— 
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‘‘(A) provide education and resources to 
law enforcement agencies, first responders, 
schools, clinicians, and the public in order to— 
‘‘(i) reduce the risk of wandering by 
individuals with autism or other disabil-
ities; 
‘‘(ii) help to identify signs of abuse in 
individuals with autism or other disabil-
ities; 
‘‘(iii) increase personal safety and sur-
vival skills for individuals with autism or 
other disabilities; and 
‘‘(iv) facilitate effective communica-
tion with individuals who have communica-
tion-related disabilities, including the use 
of assistive communication techniques and 
technology; 
‘‘(B) provide training and emergency pro-
tocols for school administrators, staff, and fam-
ilies; 
‘‘(C) provide response tools and training 
for law enforcement and search-and-rescue 
agencies, including— 
‘‘(i) tracking technology; 
‘‘(ii) reverse 911 technology; 
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‘‘(iii) assistive communication tech-
nology; 
‘‘(iv) Endangered Missing Advisories; 
and 
‘‘(v) Federal search-and-rescue guide-
lines for special needs children; or 
‘‘(D) provide response tools and training to 
law enforcement agencies in order to recognize 
and respond to individuals with intellectual and 
developmental disabilities. 
‘‘(c) STANDARDS AND BEST PRACTICES FOR USE OF 
TRACKING DEVICES.— 
‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 120 
days after the date of enactment of this part, 
the Attorney General, in consultation with the 
Secretary of Health and Human Services and 
leading research, advocacy, self-advocacy, and 
service organizations, shall establish standards 
and best practices relating to the use of track-
ing technology to monitor children with autism 
and other disabilities. 
‘‘(B) REQUIREMENTS.—In establishing the 
standards and best practices required under 
subparagraph (A), the Attorney General— 
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to children with developmental disabil-
ities and State agencies responsible 
for child protective services should 
have in the administration of a track-
ing system. 
‘‘(2) REQUIRED COMPLIANCE.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Each law enforcement 
agency that receives a grant under this section 
shall comply with any standards and best prac-
tices relating to the use of tracking devices as 
established by the Attorney General under 
paragraph (1), in consultation with the Sec-
retary of Health and Human Services and lead-
ing research, advocacy, self-advocacy, and serv-
ice organizations. 
‘‘(B) DETERMINATION OF COMPLIANCE.— 
The Attorney General, in consultation with the 
Secretary of Health and Human Services, shall 
determine whether a law enforcement agency 
that receives a grant under this section acts in 
compliance with the requirement described in 
paragraph (1). 
‘‘(3) APPLICABILITY OF STANDARDS AND BEST 
PRACTICES.—The standards and best practices es-
tablished by the Attorney General under paragraph 
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(1) shall apply only to the grant program authorized 
under this part. 
‘‘SEC. 3022. APPLICATIONS. 
‘‘To request a grant under section 3021, the head 
of a law enforcement agency shall submit an application 
to the Attorney General in such form and containing such 
information as the Attorney General may reasonably re-
quire. 
‘‘SEC. 3023. DEFINITIONS. 
‘‘In this part— 
‘‘(1) the term ‘child’ means an individual who 
is less than 18 years of age; 
‘‘(2) the term ‘Indian tribe’ has the same mean-
ing as in section 4(e) of the Indian Self-Determina-
tion and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 
450b(e)); 
‘‘(3) the term ‘law enforcement agency’ means 
an agency of a State, unit of local government, or 
Indian tribe that is authorized by law or by a gov-
ernment agency to engage in or supervise the pre-
vention, detection, investigation, or prosecution of 
any violation of criminal law; 
‘‘(4) the term ‘State’ means each of the 50 
States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth 
of Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, 
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American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana 
Islands; and 
‘‘(5) the term ‘unit of local government’ means 
a county, municipality, town, township, village, par-
ish, borough, or other unit of general government 
below the State level. 
‘‘SEC. 3024. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
‘‘There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out 
this part $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2015 
through 2019.’’. 
Æ 
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