Witness Security and Protection Grant Program Act of 2015
Latest action · Jan 15, 2016 Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedDec 9, 2015
- Passed HouseNot reached
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Witness Security and Protection Grant Program Act of 2015
This bill directs the Department of Justice (DOJ) to award competitive matching grants to state, local, and tribal governments to establish or maintain witness protection programs in cases related to: (1) a homicide, serious violent felony, or serious drug offense; or (2) gangs or organized crime.
DOJ must evaluate grant applications based on certain criteria, including the prevalence of witness intimidation, the presence of organized crime, and the per capita number of homicides, violent felonies, or serious drug offenses.
The bill also requires DOJ to: (1) consider urban and rural applicants and ensure equitable geographic distribution of grant awards; and (2) develop and disseminate best practice models to help state, local, and tribal governments address witness protection and assistance issues.
Cosponsors 20
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Apr 14, 2016 to May 27, 2016.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-FL | Alcee L. Hastings | Apr 14, 2016 | |
| D-MI | Brenda L. Lawrence | Apr 14, 2016 | |
| D-PA | Chaka Fattah | Apr 14, 2016 | |
| D-NY | Charles B. Rangel | Apr 14, 2016 | |
| D-MD | Chris Van Hollen | Apr 14, 2016 | |
| D-MD | Donna F. Edwards | Apr 14, 2016 | |
| D-DC | Eleanor Holmes Norton | Apr 14, 2016 | |
| D-NC | G. K. Butterfield | Apr 14, 2016 | |
| D-WI | Gwen Moore | Apr 14, 2016 | |
| D-GA | Henry C. "Hank" Johnson, Jr. | Apr 14, 2016 | |
| D-MD | John K. Delaney | Apr 14, 2016 | |
| D-MD | John P. Sarbanes | Apr 14, 2016 | |
| D-IL | Luis V. Gutierrez | Apr 14, 2016 | |
| D-AZ | Raúl M. Grijalva | Apr 14, 2016 | |
| D-IL | Robin L. Kelly | Apr 14, 2016 | |
| D-TX | Sheila Jackson Lee | Apr 14, 2016 | |
| D-MA | William R. Keating | Apr 14, 2016 | |
| D-PA | Robert A. Brady | Apr 19, 2016 | |
| D-NM | Michelle Lujan Grisham | Apr 29, 2016 | |
| D-MI | Debbie Dingell | May 27, 2016 |
Committees 1
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| House | Judiciary Committee | Referred Dec 9, 2015 |
| Crime and Federal Government Surveillance Subcommittee | Referred Jan 15, 2016 |
Actions 3
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Jan 15, 2016Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations.
- Dec 9, 2015Introduced in House
- Dec 9, 2015Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
In the Congressional Record 1
Days the Record’s own index lists this bill, newest first, with the pages and the members it names. Pages starting H are the House, S the Senate, E Extensions of Remarks.
| Where | In the Record | Members | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| House | Lists H9205H.R. 4194–4207 | — | Dec 9, 2015 |
Research
What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.
Constitutional authority
The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the Congressional Record, vol. 161, no. 178, December 9, 2015, page H9205.
Printed hearings 2
Hearings whose printed record names this bill, newest first: hearings on it, and wider hearings where it came up.
| Number | Hearing | Committee | Held |
|---|---|---|---|
| S. Hrg. 114-177 | LEGISLATIVE BRANCH APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2016182 pages | Appropriations Committee | Mar 10, 2015–Mar 17, 2015 |
| S. Hrg. 114-177 | LEGISLATIVE BRANCH APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 201638 pages | Appropriations Committee | Mar 10, 2015 |
Related bills 2
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| S 2376 | Witness Security and Protection Grant Program Act of 2015 | Identical bill | Dec 9, 2015 |
| HR 5834 | Witness Security and Protection Grant Program Act of 2018 | Reintroduced Bill | Jul 24, 2018 |
Titles 2
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- To require the Attorney General to make competitive grants to State, tribal, and local governments to establish and maintain witness protection and assistance programs.
- Short Titles as Introduced
- Witness Security and Protection Grant Program Act of 2015
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement.
Text 1
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Dec 9, 2015Introduced in House
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.
