SMART FY 2021 Invited to Apply — SORNA Training and Technical Assistance Program

The Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking (SMART) support for the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) Training and Technical Assistance Program focuses on providing training and technical assistance to SORNA jurisdictions (states, tribes, territories and the District of Columbia) for the purpose of developing and sustaining programs to substantially implement SORNA, Title I of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act (34 U.S.C. § 20901 et seq.). This Act is designed to protect children and adults from sexual exploitation and violent crime, prevent child abuse and child pornography, promote internet safety and honor the memory of Adam Walsh and other crime victims. SORNA was enacted to provide a comprehensive set of minimum standards for sex offender registration and notification in the United States. SORNA aims to close potential gaps and loopholes that existed under prior law and generally strengthen the nationwide network of sex offender registration and notification programs.

The recipient of this award will provide targeted training and technical assistance to SORNA jurisdictions that have implemented, or are working to implement, SORNA. This training and technical assistance will include developing and maintaining sex offender registration and notification programs consistent with SORNA; upgrading or developing communication infrastructure(s) that inform communities and enhance community safety; using technology for information sharing; and integrating a sex offender registration and notification program with other criminal justice programs.

Statutory Authority: This program is authorized pursuant to the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act, § 20901 et seq. (34 U.S.C. 20928(d)), and funded pursuant to the Department of Justice Appropriations Act, 2021 (P.L. 116-260).