Title: Justice Hotline Act of 2020
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement

Summary:
Justice Hotline Act of 2020
This bill directs the Department of Justice, in coordination with the Department of Health and Human Services, to make grants to eligible institutions of higher education and private nonprofit organizations to establish a national hotline and online resource service for victims of violence and harassment by law enforcement officers.
In addition, the Government Accountability Office must review the effectiveness of the hotline and online resource service in enhancing awareness and education regarding services that are available to victims.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8803 Introduced in House (IH)]

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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 Resource Service 
 for Victims of Police Violence and Harassment, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives 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 RESOURCE 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, 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 communicating with 
service providers. The Attorney General shall give priority to grant 
applicants that have experience in providing services and supports to 
victims of law enforcement officer violence or harassment.
    (b) Eligible Entities.--Eligible entities shall include the 
following:
            (1) Institutions of higher learning, such as Historically 
        Black Colleges and Universities, Minority serving institution, 
        and Tribal College or Universities.
            (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 programs, including the following:
            (1) Operation of a confidential 24-hour, national, toll-
        free telephone hotline and a confidential 24-hour, national, 
        free online resource service for victims of law enforcement 
        officer violence, law enforcement officer harassment, family 
        and household members of such victims, and persons affected by 
        the victimization, by which individuals may--
                    (A) report information regarding the location of 
                any law enforcement officer violence or harassment; and
                    (B) request information pertaining to procedures 
                necessary to file formal complaints against law 
                enforcement officers; receive information and 
                assistance for adult and youth victims of law 
                enforcement officer violence, law enforcement officer 
                harassment, family and household members of such 
                victims, and persons affected 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 officer 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;
            (2) shall employ, train (including providing technology 
        training), and supervise personnel to answer 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 harassment 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 information 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 individuals 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;
            (8) shall collect geographic information relating to the 
        location, time, and date of the law enforcement 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 enforcement officer harassment or violence, if 
        such person is not the subject of the incident; and
            (10) may provide appropriate assistance and referrals 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 application 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 prescribe;
            (2) include a complete description of the applicant's plan 
        for the operation of a telephone hotline and online resource 
        service, including descriptions of--
                    (A) the training program for telephone hotline and 
                online resource service personnel, including technology 
                training to ensure that all persons affiliated with the 
                telephone hotline and online resource service are able 
                to effectively operate any technological systems used 
                by the telephone hotline and online resource service;
                    (B) the hiring criteria and qualifications for 
                telephone hotline and online resource service 
                personnel;
                    (C) the methods for the creation, maintenance, and 
                updating of an online resource service;
                    (D) a plan for publicizing the availability of the 
                telephone hotline and online resource service;
                    (E) plan for providing services to Limited English 
                Proficient individuals, including service through 
                telephone hotline and online resource service personnel 
                who have non-English language capabilities; and
                    (F) a plan for facilitating access to the telephone 
                hotline and online resource service by persons with 
                disabilities, including persons who are deaf or have 
                hearing impairments;
            (3) demonstrate that the applicant has recognized expertise 
        in the area of social service operations and a record of high 
        quality service to victims of violence and harassment, 
        including a demonstration of support from advocacy groups;
            (4) demonstrate that the applicant has the capacity and the 
        expertise to maintain a telephone hotline and online resource 
        service and a comprehensive database of service providers for 
        victims of law enforcement violence and harassment;
            (5) demonstrate the ability to provide information and 
        referrals for callers, directly connect callers to service 
        providers, and employ crisis interventions meeting the 
        standards;
            (6) demonstrate that the applicant has a commitment to 
        diversity and to the provision of services to underserved 
        populations, including to ethnic, racial, and non-English 
        speaking minorities, in addition to older individuals and 
        individuals with disabilities;
            (7) demonstrate that the applicant complies with non-
        disclosure requirements and follows comprehensive quality 
        assurance practices; and
            (8) contain such other information as the Attorney General 
        may require.
    (f) Notice.--The national telephone hotline and the URL of the 
online resource service described in this section shall be posted in a 
visible place in all Federal buildings.
    (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 institution 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 summaries developed and collected under this section and 
policy changes made within the Department of Justice in response 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 service to assist victims of law 
        enforcement officer violence and harassment in communicating 
        with service providers, the Comptroller General of the United 
        States shall conduct a review of the program to ensure the 
        effectiveness of the telephone hotline and online resource 
        service in enhancing awareness and education of services 
        available to victims of law enforcement officer violence or 
        harassment, which shall include--
                    (A) an assessment of the effectiveness of the 
                telephone hotline and online resource service, 
                including--
                            (i) assessing the effectiveness of the 
                        telephone hotline and online resource service 
                        in reaching underserved and minority 
                        communities;
                            (ii) assessing the effectiveness of grant 
                        recipients to undertake efforts to educate the 
                        public about the telephone hotline and online 
                        resource service; and
                            (iii) a comprehensive review of the 
                        activities 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.
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