H.R. 8746

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8746 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8746

To direct the Attorney General to establish a grant program to 
establish, implement, and administer violent incident clearance and 
technology investigative methods, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

May 12, 2026

Mr. Evans of Pennsylvania (for himself and Mr. Bacon) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To direct the Attorney General to establish a grant program to 
establish, implement, and administer violent incident clearance and 
technology investigative methods, 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 ``Violent Incident Clearance and 
Technological Investigative Methods Act of 2026'' or the ``VICTIM Act 
of 2026''.

SEC. 2. GRANT PROGRAM WITH RESPECT TO VIOLENT INCIDENT CLEARANCE AND 
TECHNOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIVE METHODS.

(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Clearance by arrest.--The term ``clearance by arrest'', 
with respect to an offense reported to a law enforcement 
agency, means the law enforcement agency--
(A) has--
(i) arrested not less than 1 person for the 
offense;
(ii) charged the person described in clause 
(i) with the commission of the offense; and
(iii) referred the person described in 
clause (i) for prosecution for the offense; or
(B) has cited an individual under the age of 18 to 
appear in juvenile court or before another juvenile 
authority with respect to the offense, regardless of 
whether a physical arrest occurred.
(2) Clearance by exception.--The term ``clearance by 
exception'', with respect to an offense reported to a law 
enforcement agency, means the law enforcement agency--
(A) has identified not less than 1 person suspected 
of the offense; and
(B) with respect to the suspect described in 
subparagraph (A), has--
(i) gathered enough evidence to--
(I) support an arrest of the 
suspect;
(II) make a charge against the 
suspect; and
(III) refer the suspect for 
prosecution;
(ii) identified the location of the suspect 
so that the suspect could be taken into custody 
immediately; and
(iii) encountered a circumstance outside 
the control of the law enforcement agency that 
prohibits the agency from arresting the 
suspect, charging the suspect, or referring the 
suspect for prosecution, including--
(I) the death of the suspect;
(II) the refusal of the victim to 
cooperate with the prosecution after 
the suspect has been identified; or
(III) the denial of extradition 
because the suspect committed an 
offense in another jurisdiction and is 
being prosecuted for that offense.
(3) Clearance rate.--The term ``clearance rate'', with 
respect to a law enforcement agency, means the quotient 
obtained by dividing--
(A) the number of offenses cleared by the law 
enforcement agency, including through clearance by 
arrest and clearance by exception; by
(B) the total number of offenses reported to the 
law enforcement agency.
(4) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means a 
State, Tribal, or local law enforcement agency or a group of 
such law enforcement agencies.
(5) Grant recipient.--The term ``grant recipient'' means a 
recipient of a grant under the Program.
(6) Law enforcement agency.--The term ``law enforcement 
agency'' means a public agency charged with policing functions, 
including any component bureau of the agency (such as a 
governmental victim services program or village public safety 
officer program), including an agency composed of officers or 
persons referred to in subparagraph (B) or (C) of section 2(10) 
of the Indian Law Enforcement Reform Act (25 U.S.C. 2801(10)).
(7) Program.--The term ``Program'' means the grant program 
established under subsection (b)(1).
(8) Rural.--The term ``rural'' means an area that is not 
located in a metropolitan statistical area, as defined by the 
Office of Management and Budget.
(b) Grant Program.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Attorney General shall establish a 
grant program within the Office of Community Oriented Policing 
Services under which the Attorney General awards grants to 
eligible entities to establish, implement, and administer 
violent incident clearance and technological investigative 
methods.
(2) Applications.--An eligible entity seeking a grant under 
the Program shall submit to the Attorney General an application 
at such time, in such manner, and containing or accompanied 
by--
(A) such information as the Attorney General may 
reasonably require; and
(B) a description of each eligible project under 
paragraph (4) that the grant will fund.
(3) Selection of grant recipients.--The Attorney General, 
in selecting a recipient of a grant under the Program, shall--
(A) consider solely the specific plan and 
activities proposed by the applicant to improve 
clearance rates for homicides and firearm-related 
violent crimes, notwithstanding other Department 
policies for grant eligibility; and
(B) develop criteria to ensure that funds are 
distributed to rural and urban applicants.
(4) Eligible projects.--A grant recipient shall use the 
grant for activities with the specific objective of improving 
clearance rates for homicides and firearm-related violent 
crimes, including--
(A) hiring and training additional personnel who 
will be assigned to investigate homicides and firearm-
related violent crimes;
(B) ensuring the retention of personnel who are 
assigned to investigate homicides and firearm-related 
violent crimes as of the date of receipt of the grant;
(C) hiring and training personnel for collection, 
processing, and forensic testing of evidence;
(D) acquiring, upgrading, or replacing 
investigative, evidence-processing, or forensic testing 
technology or equipment;
(E) developing competitive and evidence-based 
programs to improve clearance rates for homicides and 
firearm-related violent crimes;
(F) hiring and training of personnel to analyze 
violent crime and the temporal and geographic trends 
among homicides and firearm-related violent crimes;
(G) retaining experts to conduct a detailed 
analysis of homicides and firearm-related violent 
crimes using Gun Violence Problem Analysis (commonly 
known as ``GVPA'') or a similar research methodology;
(H) development and implementation of policies that 
safeguard civil rights and civil liberties during the 
collection, processing, and forensic testing of 
evidence;
(I) establishing programs to support officers who 
experience stress or trauma as a result of responding 
to or investigating homicides or other violent crime 
incidents;
(J) developing policies, procedures, and training 
to improve clearance rates for homicides and firearm-
related violent crimes, including implementing best 
practices relating to--
(i) improving internal agency cooperation, 
organizational oversight and accountability, 
and supervision of investigations;
(ii) developing specific goals and 
performance metrics for both investigators and 
investigative units;
(iii) strengthening relationships with 
communities the agency serves; and
(iv) collaboration with and among other law 
enforcement agencies and criminal justice 
organizations;
(K) ensuring victims of firearm-related violent 
crimes, and family members of victims of homicides, 
have appropriate access to emergency food, housing, 
clothing, travel, and transportation;
(L) training to address the needs of victims of 
firearm-related violent crimes, and family members of 
victims of homicides, or collaborating with trained 
victim advocates and specialists to better meet the 
needs of victims and family members of victims;
(M) developing best practices for improving access 
to and acceptance of victim services, including victim 
services that promote medical and psychological 
wellness, ongoing counseling, legal advice, and 
financial compensation;
(N) training personnel in trauma-informed interview 
techniques; and
(O) ensuring language and disability access 
supports are provided to victims and their families so 
that victims can exercise their rights and participate 
in the criminal justice process.
(c) Supplement, Not Supplant.--Grant funds made available under 
this section shall be used to supplement, not supplant, Federal and 
non-Federal funds available for carrying out the activities described 
in this section.
(d) Hiring.--A grant recipient using funds for hiring personnel 
under subsection (b)(4)(A) shall make a good faith effort to determine 
whether an applicant with prior law enforcement experience has a 
disciplinary record or internal investigation record by--
(1) conducting a search of the National Decertification 
Index and, if available, the National Law Enforcement 
Accountability Database; or
(2) requesting the personnel record of the applicant from 
each law enforcement agency that employed the applicant.
(e) Report by Grant Recipient.--Not later than 1 year after 
receiving a grant under the Program, and each year thereafter until a 
final report is submitted regarding fiscal year 2032, a grant recipient 
shall submit to the Attorney General a report on the activities carried 
out using the grant during the preceding fiscal year, including, if 
applicable--
(1) the number of personnel assigned to investigate 
homicides and firearm-related violent crimes hired by the grant 
recipient;
(2) the number of personnel hired for collecting, 
processing, and forensic testing of evidence by the grant 
recipient;
(3) a description of any training that is designed to 
assist in the solving of homicides and firearm-related violent 
crimes and improve clearance rates;
(4) any new investigative, evidence-processing, or forensic 
technology or equipment purchased or any upgrades made to 
existing (as of the date on which the grant was awarded) 
investigative, evidence-processing, or forensic technology or 
equipment, and the associated cost;
(5) an assessment of investigative, evidence-processing, or 
forensic technology or equipment purchased with the grant to 
determine whether the technology or equipment satisfies the 
objectives of the use of the technology or equipment in 
increasing clearance rates, and any policies in place to govern 
the use of the technology or equipment;
(6) the internal policies and oversight used to ensure that 
any technology purchased through the grant for the purposes of 
improving clearance rates does not violate the civil rights and 
civil liberties of individuals;
(7) data regarding clearance rates for homicides and 
firearm-related violent crimes, including the rate of 
clearances by arrest and clearances by exception, and crime 
trends from within each jurisdiction in which the grant 
recipient carried out activities supported by the grant;
(8) data on the race, sex, and age of victims of homicides 
and firearm-related violent crimes;
(9) data on the race, sex, and age of suspects of homicides 
and firearm-related violent crimes;
(10) the length and outcomes of each investigation, 
including whether the investigation was cleared by arrest or 
exception; and
(11) to the extent reasonably available, identification of 
the services most used by victims and their families and 
identification of additional services needed.
(f) Clearance Rate Reporting.--If 2 or more law enforcement 
agencies collaborate on a criminal investigation that results in a 
clearance, only the agency that initiated the investigation shall 
include that clearance in the report submitted under subsection (e).
(g) Grant Oversight.--
(1) In general.--All grants awarded by the Attorney General 
under this section shall be subject to the requirements under 
this subsection.
(2) Audit requirement.--
(A) Definition.--In this paragraph, the term 
``unresolved audit finding'' means a finding in the 
final audit report of the Inspector General of the 
Department of Justice that the audited grant recipient 
has used grant funds for an unauthorized expenditure or 
otherwise unallowable cost that is not closed or 
resolved within 12 months from the date on which the 
final audit report is issued.
(B) Audits.--
(i) In general.--Not later than the first 
fiscal year after the date of establishment of 
the Program, and in each fiscal year 
thereafter, the Inspector General of the 
Department of Justice shall conduct audits of 
grant recipients under this section to prevent 
waste, fraud, and abuse of funds by grant 
recipients.
(ii) Selection of grant recipients for 
audit.--The Inspector General of the Department 
of Justice shall determine the appropriate 
number of grant recipients to be audited each 
year.
(C) Mandatory exclusion.--A grant recipient that is 
found to have an unresolved audit finding shall not be 
eligible to receive grant funds under this section 
during the fiscal year following the 12-month period 
after the final audit report has been issued.
(3) Annual certification.--Not later than the end of the 
fiscal year during which audits commence under paragraph 
(2)(B)(i), and each fiscal year thereafter, the Attorney 
General shall submit to the Committee on the Judiciary and the 
Committee on Appropriations of the Senate and the Committee on 
the Judiciary and the Committee on Appropriations of the House 
of Representatives a certification, including--
(A) whether--
(i) all audits conducted by the Office of 
the Inspector General of the Department of 
Justice under paragraph (2) have been completed 
and reviewed by the appropriate Assistant 
Attorney General; and
(ii) all mandatory exclusions required 
under paragraph (2)(C) have been issued; and
(B) a list of any grant recipients excluded from 
receiving grant funds under paragraph (2)(C) from the 
previous fiscal year.
(h) National Institute of Justice Evaluation and Report to 
Congress.--
(1) Evaluation.--Not later than 2 years after the date of 
enactment of this Act, and every 2 years thereafter, the 
Director of the National Institute of Justice shall conduct an 
evaluation of--
(A) the practices deployed by grant recipients to 
identify policies and procedures that have successfully 
improved clearance rates for homicides and firearm-
related violent crimes; and
(B) the efficacy of any services provided to 
victims and family members of victims of homicides and 
firearm-related violent crimes.
(2) Report to congress.--Not later than 30 days after 
completion of an evaluation by the Director of the National 
Institute of Justice under paragraph (1), the Attorney General 
shall submit to Congress a report including--
(A) the results of the evaluation; and
(B) information reported by each grant recipient 
under subsection (e).
(i) Application Process.--
(1) Barriers.--The Attorney General shall determine whether 
barriers exist to establishing a streamlined application 
process for grants under this section.
(2) Report.--
(A) In general.--Not later than 60 days after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Attorney General 
shall submit to Congress a report that includes a plan 
to implement a streamlined application process for 
grants under this section under which an eligible 
entity seeking a grant under this section can 
reasonably complete the application in not more than 2 
hours.
(B) Contents of plan.--The plan required under 
subparagraph (A) may include a plan for--
(i) proactively providing eligible local 
governments seeking a grant under this section 
with information on the data such eligible 
local governments will need to prepare before 
beginning the grant application; and
(ii) ensuring technical assistance is 
available for eligible local governments 
seeking a grant under this section before and 
during the grant application process, including 
through dedicated liaisons within the Office of 
Community Oriented Policing Services.
(3) Applications.--In selecting eligible local governments 
to receive grants under this section, the Director of the 
Office of Community Oriented Policing Services shall use the 
streamlined application process described in paragraph (2)(A).
(j) Consultation.--The Attorney General shall develop criteria 
governing the award of grants under this section to ensure that the 
funds are distributed as widely as practicable in terms of geographical 
location and to both large and small law enforcement agencies.
(k) Authorization of Appropriations.--
(1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated to 
carry out this section $60,000,000 for each of fiscal years 
2027 through 2031.
(2) Percent for certain eligible entities or projects.--
(A) Tribal entities.--The Attorney General shall 
use at least 5 percent of the amount made available 
under paragraph (1) for a fiscal year to award grants 
under the Program to Tribal law enforcement agencies or 
Tribal prosecuting offices, or groups of such agencies 
or offices.
(B) Rural entities.--The Attorney General shall use 
at least 5 percent of the amount made available under 
paragraph (1) for a fiscal year to award grants under 
the Program to law enforcement agencies classified as 
rural.
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