Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2002/01/31/02-2299/guidelines-for-the-antiterrorism-and-emergency-assistance-program-for-terrorism-and-mass-violence
Timestamp: 2015-07-01 06:35:09
Document Index: 72790705

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 10603', '§ 10603', '§ 10603', '§ 10603', '§ 10604', '§ 10603', '§ 2331', '§ 2331', '§ 10603', '§ 10603', '§ 1801']

Federal Register | Guidelines for the Antiterrorism and Emergency Assistance Program for Terrorism and Mass Violence Crimes
Dates: These final Guidelines are effective January 31, 2002, and until re-issuance by OVC.
Effective Date: 01/31/2002
Action: Notice of final guidelines.
67 FR 4822
-4833 (12 pages)
Document Number: 02-2299
Shorter URL: https://federalregister.gov/a/02-2299 Action
The Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) has developed these final Guidelines to implement the victim assistance provisions contained in the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 (Pub. L. 104-132), the Omnibus Consolidated Appropriations Act of 1997 (Pub. L 104-208), the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 (Pub. L. 106-386), and the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001, Pub. L. 107-56 (hereafter referred to as the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001). The Victims of Crime Act (VOCA), 42 U.S.C. § 10603b and § 10603c, outlines the specific authority of the OVC to provide compensation and assistance to victims of acts of terrorism or mass violence within and assistance to victims of terrorism and mass violence outside the United States. Funding available through the Antiterrorism Emergency Reserve (hereafter referred to as the Emergency Reserve) is designed to provide timely relief and to help respond to immediate and on-going challenges in providing victim assistance services in the aftermath of cases of terrorism or mass violence. Funding and technical support is not provided automatically. Requested funds must supplement, not supplant, available resources. Non-federal contributions (cash or in-kind) are expected for each type of grant. Federal agencies are not expected to make a contribution. Amounts paid to victims from state funding sources to compensate victims of terrorism or mass violence may be included in a state's annual certification of payments to victims, which is the basis for matching annual federal crime victim compensation formula grants.
VOCA provides federal financial assistance for the purpose of compensating and assisting victims of crime, to carry out a training and technical assistance program, to provide services for victims of federal crimes, to provide compensation and assistance services for victims of terrorism or mass violence, and to support fellowships and clinical internships. These final Guidelines provide specific information for the administration of funding for response to victims of terrorism or mass violence as authorized in 42 U.S.C. § 10603b and § 10603c.
Preamble to the Final Guidelines Back to Top
In response to the comments and the September 11, 2001 attacks on America, OVC has made several additional changes in the final Guidelines. OVC also has made formatting changes; added language to address property losses and damage and victim confidentiality and privacy; added definitions of “victim,” “national of the United States,” “grant,” “cooperative agreement,” “reimbursable agreement,” and “interagency agreement;” extended the period of time for accessing criminal justice support grants to up to 36 months; added a new subsection to address federal monitoring and oversight; simplified the application requirements; provided additional guidance regarding required program reporting; and provided specific application requirements by type of applicant agency. The comments from the field address six specific areas of the Guidelines: Coordination, pre-crisis planning, mental health interventions, application process and funding, allowable activities, and definitions. The following is a summary of the comments and PVC's response.
In response to these recommendations, OVC has made the following changes in the final Guidelines. OVC added language under the section describing the application process that provides for pre-agreement costs retroactive to the date of the mass casualty event. Regarding the recommendation for a joint application for funding available from CMHS and OVC, we have added language to the coordination section which indicates that OVC may elect in some cases to transfer funds to other federal agencies with disaster relief responsibilities to support victim assistance interventions, including mental health counseling and care. To clarify the funding decision process, we added to the definition section of the final Guidelines the term “undue financial hardship” and provided additional guidance regarding the criterion for making such determinations. The USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 expanded the list of eligible recipients for funding in cases of terrorism within the United States to include not only eligible state crime victim compensation and assistance programs, but also victim service organizations, public agencies—federal, state, and local governments, and non-governmental organizations that provide assistance to victims. Funding to foreign governments is still prohibited.
Final Guidelines Back to Top
V. Types of Assistance VI. Allowable Activities and Costs
I. Final Program Guidelines Back to Top
42 U.S.C. § 10604 provides authority to the Director of OVC to establish rules, regulations, guidelines and procedures consistent with the program oversight and implementation responsibilities of the Director. OVC is publishing these final Guidelines for implementation of its authority under the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001, Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty of 1996, and the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000. These final Guidelines apply only to OVC's efforts to provide funding for victim compensation and assistance services in cases of terrorism and mass violence occurring within, and for victim assistance services in cases of terrorism and mass violence occurring outside, the United States. OVC will issue a separate set of Guidelines to implement the new International Terrorism Victim Compensation Program authorized by the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 (Pub. L. 106-386).
II. Introduction and Background Back to Top
International terrorist attacks can involve victims and survivors from many different countries and different states within the United States, and in foreign countries. The local government infrastructure and resources of non-government organizations vary considerably in foreign countries. Thus, the ability to respond to a terrorist or mass violence incident and to provide crisis intervention and services to victims abroad also varies. In addition, care givers are sometimes unable to intervene effectively due to language, legal, or cultural barriers. The efforts, services, or benefits of several federal agencies and programs, as well as state victim assistance programs and non-government organizations may be involved and must be coordinated. Further, victims abroad may need services or incur expenses that are not traditionally provided by states or the Federal Government. OVC works with federal, state, and local agencies as well as international organizations to establish comprehensive, appropriate, and consistent services for these victims when terrorism and mass violence occur outside of the United States.
Following the bombing of the federal office building in Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995, Congress took a number of legislative steps to authorize funding and activities to assist the bombing victims. First, they passed legislation authorizing the Director of OVC to set aside monies in an Antiterrorism and Emergency Reserve account and to make funds available to provide assistance and compensation to the victims of the bombing, to facilitate their observation and attendance in trial proceedings, and for other related expenses. Congress also amended the VOCA of 1984 [42 U.S.C. § 10603b] to provide general authority to the OVC Director to respond to other incidents of terrorism or mass violence within the United States and abroad. OVC has used the Antiterrorism and Emergency Reserve to provide funding to support the victims of the Oklahoma City bombing, the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103, the bombing of the U.S. Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, and two cases of mass violence—the school shootings in Oregon and Colorado. Most recently this account has been used to support the federal, state, and local responses to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
Public and private sector organizations have a unique role in meeting the needs of crime victims through their various mandates and programs. Organizations like the United Way, the American Red Cross, and others offer important large-scale response to communities victimized by crime. In addition, community-based, nonprofit victim assistance programs provide a wide range of vital services to victims of crime that complement assistance available from other public and private agencies.
III. Statutory Language and Definitions for This Program Back to Top
“Terrorism occurring outside the United States” is defined by the term “international terrorism” found in 18 U.S.C. § 2331, as amended. (As of the publication of these Guidelines, 18 U.S.C. § 2331 reads as follows: “The term ‘international terrorism’ means activities that—(A) Involve violent acts or acts dangerous to human life that are a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or of any State, or that would be a criminal violation if committed within the jurisdiction of the United States or of any State; (B) appear to be intended—(i) to intimidate or coerce a civilian population; (ii) to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or (iii) to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination or kidnaping; and (C) occur primarily outside the territorial jurisdiction of the United States, or transcend national boundaries in terms of the means by which they are accomplished, the persons they appear intended to intimidate or coerce, or the locale in which their perpetrators operate or seek asylum.” (18 U.S.C. 2331)).
“Supplantation” means to deliberately reduce state or local funds because of the availability of federal funds. For example, when state funds are appropriated for a stated purpose and federal funds are awarded for that same purpose, the state replaces its state funds with federal funds, thereby reducing the total amount available for the stated purpose (See OJP Financial Guide available on the OJP homepage at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/).
“Mental health counseling and care” means the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of an individual's mental and emotional functioning. Mental health counseling and care must be provided by a person, or under the supervision of a person, who meets state standards to provide these services.
In cases of international terrorism and mass violence, the term “victim” has the same meaning as “victim” in 42 U.S.C. § 10603b, as amended, (As of the publication of these Guidelines, 42 U.S.C. 10603b reads as follows: “the term “victim”—(A) means a person who is a national of the United States or an officer or an employee of the United States Government who is injured or killed as a result of a terrorist act or mass violence occurring outside the United States; and (B) in the case of a person * * * who is less than 18 years of age, incompetent, incapacitated, or deceased, includes a family member or legal guardian of that person.” [42 U.S.C. § 10603b]), except that (a) it also includes individuals who are likely to suffer traumatic effects of the incident, for example people in direct proximity to the crime and emergency responders; and (b) notwithstanding any other provision hereof, in no event shall an individual who is criminally culpable for the terrorist act or mass violence receive any assistance under this section, either directly or on behalf of a victim.
(6) An entity that is directed and controlled by a foreign government or governments. (See 50 U.S.C. § 1801(a).)
IV. Source of Funding Back to Top
The OVC Director is authorized to hold certain amounts from of the Crime Victims Fund in reserve for three purposes—(i) To support compensation and assistance services for victims of domestic terrorism or mass violence, (ii) to support assistance services to victims of international terrorism, and (iii) to fund directly an International Terrorism Victim Compensation Program. Thus far this money has been used to assist the victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on America, Oklahoma City bombing, the East Africa embassy bombings, Pan Am Flight 103 bombing, and school shootings in Oregon and Colorado. In the September 11th attacks on America, and the Oklahoma City and Pan Am Flight 103 bombing cases, Congress enacted special legislation that expanded OVC's authority to fund activities beyond the parameters of its previous governing statute.
V. Types of Assistance Back to Top
VI. Allowable Activities and Costs Back to Top
Automated informational telephone services Case briefings by investigators, prosecutors
VII. Accessing Antiterrorism Emergency Reserve Back to Top
An application for funding should be submitted to the OVC Director as soon as appropriate following a terrorist or mass violence event by the appropriate state or federal official, or private victim service or non-governmental organization. OVC has developed an application kit for Antiterrorism and Emergency Reserve dollars. The kit is available on the OVC Web-site at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc at the “grants and funding” page and will be mailed or faxed to potential applicants upon request.
The OVC Director may deny a request for funding, if the applicant fails to document the need for federal funds, if the purposes for which funding is being sought fall outside the statutory authority for the use of these funds, or if funding is unavailable, or for other reasons deemed appropriate by the OVC Director. Applicants may request reconsideration of the request based on additional information, changes in the circumstances, or the withdrawal or termination of funding from other sources. Requests for reconsideration should be sent to the OVC Director and should include the basis for reconsideration of the initial request. The OVC Director will review the request and render a decision within 5 business days of the submission. The OVC Director may request additional information from the applicant or recommend alternative support from OVC such as technical assistance in lieu of direct funding.
VIII. Reporting Requirements Back to Top
As a condition of receiving funding, recipients must agree to comply with the general and specific requirements of the OJP Financial Guide, applicable Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circulars, and Common Rules. This includes maintenance of books and records in accordance with generally-accepted government accounting principles. Copies of the OJP Financial Guide may be obtained by writing the Office of Justice Programs, Office of the Comptroller, 810 7th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20531 or can be accessed at the OJP Web-site at http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/FinGuide/. Note: Financial Status Reports must be submitted to the Office of the Comptroller for each calendar quarter in which the grant is active. This report is due even if no obligations or expenditures were incurred during the reporting period.