I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 8803 
To establish the National Telephone Hotline and Online Resource Service 
for Victims of Police Violence and Harassment, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 20, 2020 
Mr. MCEACHIN (for himself, Mr. RASKIN, and Mr. RICHMOND) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 
A BILL 
To establish the National Telephone Hotline and Online Re-
source Service for Victims of Police Violence and Harass-
ment, and for other purposes. 
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 ‘‘Justice Hotline Act 
of 2020’’. 
SEC. 2. NATIONAL TELEPHONE HOTLINE AND ONLINE RE-
SOURCE SERVICE FOR VICTIMS OF POLICE 
VIOLENCE AND HARASSMENT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Beginning in fiscal year 2021, 
and in each fiscal year thereafter, the Attorney General, 
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in coordination with the Secretary of Health and Human 
Services (in this section referred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’), 
shall make grants for a national, confidential telephone 
hotline and online resource service to assist victims of law 
enforcement officer violence and harassment in commu-
nicating with service providers. The Attorney General 
shall give priority to grant applicants that have experience 
in providing services and supports to victims of law en-
forcement officer violence or harassment. 
(b) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—Eligible entities shall in-
clude the following: 
(1) Institutions of higher learning, such as His-
torically Black Colleges and Universities, Minority 
serving institution, and Tribal College or Univer-
sities. 
(2) Private nonprofit agencies. 
(c) GRANTS.—The Attorney General, in coordination 
with the Secretary, shall make grants which shall be used 
for the performance of the organization’s national pro-
grams, including the following: 
(1) Operation of a confidential 24-hour, na-
tional, toll-free telephone hotline and a confidential 
24-hour, national, free online resource service for 
victims of law enforcement officer violence, law en-
forcement officer harassment, family and household 
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members of such victims, and persons affected by 
the victimization, by which individuals may— 
(A) report information regarding the loca-
tion of any law enforcement officer violence or 
harassment; and 
(B) request information pertaining to pro-
cedures necessary to file formal complaints 
against law enforcement officers; receive infor-
mation and assistance for adult and youth vic-
tims of law enforcement officer violence, law en-
forcement officer harassment, family and house-
hold members of such victims, and persons af-
fected by the victimization. 
(2) Providing to State and local governments, 
public and private nonprofit agencies, State and 
local educational agencies, and individuals, resource 
information regarding victims of law enforcement of-
ficer violence, law enforcement officer harassment, 
family and household members of such victims, and 
persons affected by the victimization. 
(d) ACTIVITIES.—In establishing and operating the 
telephone hotline and online resource service, the entity— 
(1) shall contract with a carrier for the use of 
a toll-free, single telephone line; 
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(2) shall employ, train (including providing 
technology training), and supervise personnel to an-
swer incoming calls and online messages, provide 
counseling and referral services on a 24-hour-a-day 
basis, and direct connections to service providers; 
(3) shall assemble and maintain a database of 
information relating to services for adult and youth 
victims of law enforcement officer violence or harass-
ment to which callers may be referred throughout 
the United States, including information on the 
availability of supportive services for victims of law 
enforcement officer violence or harassment; 
(4) shall widely publicize the contact informa-
tion of the telephone hotline and online resource 
service throughout the United States, including to 
potential users; 
(5) shall provide assistance and referrals to 
meet the needs of underserved populations and indi-
viduals with disabilities; 
(6) shall collect audio or visual recordings, if 
applicable; 
(7) shall provide assistance and referrals for 
youth victims of law enforcement officer violence or 
harassment who are minors; 
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(8) shall collect geographic information relating 
to the location, time, and date of the law enforce-
ment officer violence or harassment; 
(9) shall not collect any personally identifiable 
information unless informed consent is provided by 
the person who is the subject of an incident of law 
enforcement officer harassment or violence and by 
the person who reports an incident of law enforce-
ment officer harassment or violence, if such person 
is not the subject of the incident; and 
(10) may provide appropriate assistance and re-
ferrals for family and household members of victims 
of law enforcement officer violence and harassment, 
and persons affected by the victimization described 
in subsection (c)(1). 
(e) GRANT APPLICATION.—To be eligible to receive 
a grant under this section, an entity shall submit an appli-
cation to the Attorney General that shall— 
(1) contain such agreements, assurances, and 
information, be in such form, and be submitted in 
such manner, as the Attorney General shall pre-
scribe; 
(2) include a complete description of the appli-
cant’s plan for the operation of a telephone hotline 
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(8) contain such other information as the Attor-
ney General may require. 
(f) NOTICE.—The national telephone hotline and the 
URL of the online resource service described in this sec-
tion shall be posted in a visible place in all Federal build-
ings. 
(g) DURATION.—Grants awarded to eligible entities 
and institutions under this subsection shall be 2 years in 
duration. A grant may be extended for additional 2-year 
periods. 
(h) CONDITIONS ON PAYMENT.—The provision of 
payments under a grant awarded under this section shall 
be subject to annual approval by the Attorney General and 
subject to the availability of appropriations for each fiscal 
year to make the payment. 
(i) GRANTEE REPORT.—Each eligible entity or insti-
tution that receives a grant shall submit a yearly report 
to the Attorney General detailing how the grant recipient 
has been able to meet the goals of its plans and reporting 
the statistical summaries. 
(j) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 1 year 
after the date of enactment of this Act, and every year 
thereafter, the Attorney General shall report to Congress 
on the implementation operations and statistical sum-
maries developed and collected under this section and pol-
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icy changes made within the Department of Justice in re-
sponse to the implementation operations and statistical 
summaries. 
(k) GAO REVIEW AND REPORT.— 
(1) REVIEW.—Not later than 2 years after the 
date on which the Attorney General establishes the 
national telephone hotline and online resource serv-
ice to assist victims of law enforcement officer vio-
lence and harassment in communicating with service 
providers, the Comptroller General of the United 
States shall conduct a review of the program to en-
sure the effectiveness of the telephone hotline and 
online resource service in enhancing awareness and 
education of services available to victims of law en-
forcement officer violence or harassment, which shall 
include— 
(A) an assessment of the effectiveness of 
the telephone hotline and online resource serv-
ice, including— 
(i) assessing the effectiveness of the 
telephone hotline and online resource serv-
ice in reaching underserved and minority 
communities; 
(ii) assessing the effectiveness of 
grant recipients to undertake efforts to 
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educate the public about the telephone hot-
line and online resource service; and 
(iii) a comprehensive review of the ac-
tivities data described in subsection (d); 
and 
(B) recommendations for any changes to 
the program. 
(2) REPORT.—Not later than 270 days after 
the date on which the Comptroller General of the 
United States begins the review required under 
paragraph (1), the Comptroller General shall submit 
to the appropriate congressional committees a report 
on the review. 
Æ 
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