I 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4253 
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 
DECEMBER 15, 2015 
Mr. HASTINGS (for himself, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. 
GRIJALVA, Mr. MURPHY of Florida, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, and Mr. 
VAN HOLLEN) 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 
2015’’. 
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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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‘‘(i) shall determine— 
‘‘(I) the criteria used to deter-
mine which individuals would benefit 
from the use of a tracking device; and 
‘‘(II) who should have direct ac-
cess to the tracking system; and 
‘‘(ii) may establish standards and best 
practices the Attorney General determines 
are necessary to the administration of a 
tracking system, including procedures in 
order to— 
‘‘(I) safeguard the privacy of the 
data used by the tracking device such 
that— 
‘‘(aa) access to the data is 
restricted to agencies determined 
necessary by the Attorney Gen-
eral; and 
‘‘(bb) use of the data is sole-
ly for the purpose of preventing 
injury or death; 
‘‘(II) develop criteria to deter-
mine whether use of the tracking de-
vice is the least restrictive alternative 
in order to prevent risk of injury or 
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death prior to issuing the tracking de-
vice, including the previous consider-
ation of less restrictive alternatives; 
‘‘(III) provide training for law 
enforcement agencies to recognize 
signs of abuse in their interactions 
with applicants; 
‘‘(IV) protect the civil rights and 
liberties of children with disabilities 
who use tracking devices, including 
their rights under the Fourth Amend-
ment of the Constitution of the 
United States; 
‘‘(V) establish a complaint and 
investigation process to address— 
‘‘(aa) 
incidents 
of 
non-
compliance by grant recipients 
with the best practices estab-
lished by the Attorney General or 
other applicable law; and 
‘‘(bb) use of a tracking de-
vice over the objection of a child 
with a disability; and 
‘‘(VI) the role which State agen-
cies responsible for providing services 
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