§ 20125 — Grants To Combat Violent Crimes On Campuses

(1) The Attorney General is authorized to make grants to institutions of higher education, for use by such institutions or consortia consisting of campus personnel, student organizations, campus administrators, security personnel, and regional crisis centers affiliated with the institution, to develop and strengthen effective security and investigation strategies to combat domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking on campuses, to develop and strengthen victim services in cases involving such crimes on campuses, which may include partnerships with local criminal justice authorities and community-based victim services agencies, and to develop and strengthen prevention education and awareness programs. (2) The Attorney General shall make every effort to ensure— (A) the equitable participation of private and public institutions of higher education in the activities assisted under this section; (B) the equitable geographic distribution of grants under this section among the various regions of the United States; and (C) the equitable distribution of grants under this section to tribal colleges and universities and traditionally black colleges and universities. (b) Grant funds awarded under this section may be used for the following purposes: (1) To provide personnel, training, technical assistance, data collection, and other equipment with respect to the increased apprehension, investigation, and adjudication of persons committing domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking on campus. (2) To develop, strengthen, and implement campus policies, protocols, and services that more effectively identify and respond to the crimes of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, including the use of technology to commit these crimes, and to train campus administrators, campus security personnel, and all participants in the resolution process, including personnel from the Title IX coordinator’s office, student conduct office, and campus disciplinary or judicial boards on such policies, protocols, and services that promote a prompt, fair, and impartial investigation. (3) To provide prevention and education programming about domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, including technological abuse and reproductive and sexual coercion, that is age-appropriate, culturally relevant, ongoing, delivered in multiple venues on campus, accessible, promotes respectful nonviolent behavior as a social norm, and engages men and boys. Such programming should be developed in partnership or collaboratively with experts in intimate partner and sexual violence prevention and intervention. (4) To develop, enlarge, or strengthen victim services programs and population specific services on the campuses of the institutions involved, including programs providing legal, medical, or psychological counseling, for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, and to improve delivery of victim assistance on campus. To the extent practicable, such an institution shall collaborate with any victim service providers in the community in which the institution is located. If appropriate victim services programs are not available in the community or are not accessible to students, the institution shall, to the extent practicable, provide a victim services program on campus or create a victim services program in collaboration with a community-based organization. The institution shall use not less than 20 percent of the funds made available through the grant for a victim services program provided in accordance with this paragraph, regardless of whether the services are provided by the institution or in coordination with community victim service providers. (5) To create, disseminate, or otherwise provide assistance and information about victims’ options on and off campus to bring disciplinary or other legal action, including assistance to victims in immigration matters. (6) To develop, install, or expand data collection and communication systems, including computerized systems, linking campus security to the local law enforcement for the purpose of identifying and tracking arrests, protection orders, violations of protection orders, prosecutions, and convictions with respect to the crimes of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking on campus. (7) To provide capital improvements (including improved lighting and communications facilities but not including the construction of buildings) on campuses to address the crimes of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. (8) To support improved coordination among campus administrators, campus security personnel, and local law enforcement to reduce domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking on campus. (9) To develop or adapt, provide, and disseminate developmental, culturally appropriate, and linguistically accessible print or electronic materials to address both prevention and intervention in domestic violence, dating violence, sexual violence, and stalking. (10) To develop or adapt and disseminate population specific strategies and projects for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking from underserved populations on campus. (11) To train campus health centers and appropriate campus faculty, such as academic advisors or professionals who deal with students on a daily basis, on how to recognize and respond to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, including training health providers on how to provide universal education to all members of the campus community on the impacts of violence on health and unhealthy relationships and how providers can support ongoing outreach efforts. (12) To train campus personnel in how to use a victim-centered, trauma-informed interview technique, which means asking questions of a student or a campus employee who is reported to be a victim of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, or stalking, in a manner that is focused on the experience of the reported victim, that does not judge or blame the reported victim for the alleged crime, and that is informed by evidence-based research on trauma response. To the extent practicable, campus personnel shall allow the reported victim to participate in a recorded interview and to receive a copy of the recorded interview. (13) To develop and implement restorative practices (as defined in section 12291(a) of this title). (1) In order to be eligible to be awarded a grant under this section for any fiscal year, an institution of higher education shall submit an application to the Attorney General at such time and in such manner as the Attorney General shall prescribe. (2) Each application submitted under paragraph (1) shall— (A) describe the need for grant funds and the plan for implementation for any of the purposes described in subsection (b); (B) include proof that the institution of higher education collaborated with victim service providers, including domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking victim services programs in the community in which the institution is located; (C) describe the characteristics of the population being served, including type of campus, demographics of the population, and number of students; (D) describe how underserved populations in the campus community will be adequately served, including the provision of relevant population specific services; (E) provide measurable goals and expected results from the use of the grant funds; (F) provide assurances that the Federal funds made available under this section shall be used to supplement and, to the extent practical, increase the level of funds that would, in the absence of Federal funds, be made available by the institution for the purposes described in subsection (b); and (G) include such other information and assurances as the Attorney General reasonably determines to be necessary. (3) No institution of higher education shall be eligible for a grant under this section unless such institution is in compliance with the requirements of section 1092(f) of title 20. Up to $200,000 of the total amount of grant funds appropriated under this section for fiscal years 2023 through 2027 may be used to provide technical assistance in complying with the mandatory reporting requirements of section 1092(f) of title 20. (1) In addition to the assistance provided under this section, the Attorney General may request any Federal agency to use the agency’s authorities and the resources granted to the agency under Federal law (including personnel, equipment, supplies, facilities, and managerial, technical, and advisory services) in support of campus security, and investigation and victim service efforts. (A) Each institution of higher education receiving a grant under this section shall submit a performance report to the Attorney General. The Attorney General shall suspend funding under this section for an institution of higher education if the institution fails to submit such a report. (B) Upon completion of the grant period under this section, the institution shall file a performance report with the Attorney General and the Secretary of Education explaining the activities carried out under this section together with an assessment of the effectiveness of those activities in achieving the purposes described in subsection (b). (3) Each grantee shall comply with the following minimum requirements during the grant period: (A) The grantee shall create a coordinated community response including both organizations external to the institution and relevant divisions of the institution. (B) The grantee shall establish a mandatory prevention and education program on domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking for all students. (C) The grantee shall train all campus law enforcement to respond effectively to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. (D) The grantee shall train all participants in the resolution process, including the campus disciplinary board, the title IX coordinator’s office, and the student conduct office, to respond effectively to situations involving domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking. (4) Not later than 180 days after the end of the fiscal year for which grants are awarded under this section, the Attorney General shall submit to Congress a report that includes— (A) the number of grants, and the amount of funds, distributed under this section; (B) a summary of the purposes for which the grants were provided and an evaluation of the progress made under the grant; (C) a statistical summary of the persons served, detailing the nature of victimization, and providing data on age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, race, ethnicity, language, disability, relationship to offender, geographic distribution, and type of campus; and (D) (e) For the purpose of carrying out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated $15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2027, of which not less than 10 percent shall be made available for grants to historically Black colleges and universities. (f) (g) In this section the definitions and grant conditions in section 12291 of this title shall apply.