112 STAT. 2838 PUBLIC LAW 105-301—OCT. 27, 1998 Public Law 105-301 105th Congress An Act To increase public awareness of the plight of victims of crime with developmental Oct. 27, 1998 disabilities, to collect data to measure the magnitude of the problem, and to [g 1976] develop strategies to address the safety and justice needs of victims of crime with developmental disabilities. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of Crime Victims the United States of America in Congress assembled, With Disabilities Awareness Act. SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. note. This Act may be cited as the "Crime Victims With Disabilities Awareness Act". SEC. 2. FINDINGS; PURPOSES. (a) FINDINGS.— Congress finds that— (1) although research conducted abroad demonstrates that individuals with developmental disabilities are at a 4 to 10 times higher risk of becoming crime victims than those without disabilities, there have been no significant studies on this subject conducted in the United States; (2) in fact, the National Crime Victim's Survey, conducted annually by the Bureau of Justice Statistics of the Department of Justice, does not specifically collect data relating to crimes against individuals with developmental disabilities; (3) studies in Canada, Australia, and Great Britain consistently show that victims with developmental disabilities suffer repeated victimization because so few of the crimes against them are reported, and even when they are, there is sometimes a reluctance by police, prosecutors, and judges to rely on the testimony of a disabled individual, making individuals with developmental disabilities a target for criminal predators; (4) research in the United States needs to be done to— (A) understand the nature and extent of crimes against individuals with developmental disabilities; (B) describe the manner in which the justice system responds to crimes against individuals with developmental disabilities; and (C) identify programs, policies, or laws that hold promises for making the justice system more responsive to crimes against individuals with developmental disabilities; and (5) the National Academy of Science Committee on Law and Justice of the National Research Council is a premier research institution with unique experience in developing seminal, multidisciplinary studies to establish a strong research base from which to make public policy.
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