Part 2—Financial Crime-Free Communities Support Program

§5351. Establishment of financial crime-free communities support program

(a) Establishment.—The Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Attorney General, shall establish a program to support local law enforcement efforts in the development and implementation of a program for the detection, prevention, and suppression of money laundering and related financial crimes.

(b) Program.—In carrying out the program, the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Attorney General, shall—

(1) make and track grants to grant recipients;

(2) provide for technical assistance and training, data collection, and dissemination of information on state-of-the-art practices that the Secretary determines to be effective in detecting, preventing, and suppressing money laundering and related financial crimes; and

(3) provide for the general administration of the program.

(c) Administration.—The Secretary shall appoint an administrator to carry out the program.

(d) Contracting.—The Secretary may employ any necessary staff and may enter into contracts or agreements with Federal and State law enforcement agencies to delegate authority for the execution of grants and for such other activities necessary to carry out this chapter.

(Added Pub. L. 105–310, §2(a), Oct. 30, 1998, 112 Stat. 2946.)

§5352. Program authorization

(a) Grant Eligibility.—To be eligible to receive an initial grant or a renewal grant under this part, a State or local law enforcement agency or prosecutor shall meet each of the following criteria:

(1) Application.—The State or local law enforcement agency or prosecutor shall submit an application to the Secretary in accordance with section 5353(a)(2).

(2) Accountability.—The State or local law enforcement agency or prosecutor shall—

(A) establish a system to measure and report outcomes—

(i) consistent with common indicators and evaluation protocols established by the Secretary, in consultation with the Attorney General; and

(ii) approved by the Secretary;

(B) conduct biennial surveys (or incorporate local surveys in existence at the time of the evaluation) to measure the progress and effectiveness of the coalition; and

(C) provide assurances that the entity conducting an evaluation under this paragraph, or from which the applicant receives information, has experience in gathering data related to money laundering and related financial crimes.

(b) Grant Amounts.—

(1) Grants.—

(A) In general.—Subject to subparagraph (D), for a fiscal year, the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Attorney General, may grant to an eligible applicant under this section for that fiscal year, an amount determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Attorney General, to be appropriate.

(B) Suspension of grants.—If such grant recipient fails to continue to meet the criteria specified in subsection (a), the Secretary may suspend the grant, after providing written notice to the grant recipient and an opportunity to appeal.

(C) Renewal grants.—Subject to subparagraph (D), the Secretary may award a renewal grant to a grant recipient under this subparagraph for each fiscal year following the fiscal year for which an initial grant is awarded.

(D) Limitation.—The amount of a grant award under this paragraph may not exceed $750,000 for a fiscal year.

(2) Grant awards.—

(A) In general.—Except as provided in subparagraph (B), the Secretary may, with respect to a community, make a grant to one eligible applicant that represents that community.

(B) Exception.—The Secretary may make a grant to more than one eligible applicant that represent ¹ a community if—

(i) the eligible coalitions demonstrate that the coalitions are collaborating with one another; and

(ii) each of the coalitions has independently met the requirements set forth in subsection (a).

(c) Condition Relating to Proceeds of Asset Forfeitures.—

(1) In general.—No grant may be made or renewed under this part to any State or local law enforcement agency or prosecutor unless the agency or prosecutor agrees to donate to the Secretary of the Treasury for the program established under this part any amount received by such agency or prosecutor (after the grant is made) pursuant to any criminal or civil forfeiture under chapter 46 of title 18, United States Code, or any similar provision of State law.

(2) Scope of application.—Paragraph (1) shall not apply to any amount received by a State or local law enforcement agency or prosecutor pursuant to any criminal or civil forfeiture referred to in such paragraph in excess of the aggregate amount of grants received by such agency or prosecutor under this part.

(d) Rolling Grant Application Periods.—In establishing the program under this part, the Secretary shall take such action as may be necessary to ensure, to the extent practicable, that—

(1) applications for grants under this part may be filed at any time during a fiscal year; and

(2) some portion of the funds appropriated under this part for any such fiscal year will remain available for grant applications filed later in the fiscal year.

(Added Pub. L. 105–310, §2(a), Oct. 30, 1998, 112 Stat. 2946.)

¹ So in original. Probably should be "represents".

§5353. Information collection and dissemination with respect to grant recipients

(a) Applicant and Grantee Information.—

(1) Application process.—The Secretary shall issue requests for proposal, as necessary, regarding, with respect to the grants awarded under section 5352, the application process, grant renewal, and suspension or withholding of renewal grants. Each application under this paragraph shall be in writing and shall be subject to review by the Secretary.

(2) Reporting.—The Secretary shall, to the maximum extent practicable and in a manner consistent with applicable law, minimize reporting requirements by a grant recipient and expedite any application for a renewal grant made under this part.

(b) Activities of Secretary.—The Secretary may—

(1) evaluate the utility of specific initiatives relating to the purposes of the program;

(2) conduct an evaluation of the program; and

(3) disseminate information described in this subsection to—

(A) eligible State local law enforcement agencies or prosecutors; and

(B) the general public.

(Added Pub. L. 105–310, §2(a), Oct. 30, 1998, 112 Stat. 2948.)

§5354. Grants for fighting money laundering and related financial crimes

(a) In General.—After the end of the 1-year period beginning on the date the first national strategy for combating money laundering and related financial crimes is submitted to the Congress in accordance with section 5341, and subject to subsection (b), the Secretary may review, select, and award grants for State or local law enforcement agencies and prosecutors to provide funding necessary to investigate and prosecute money laundering and related financial crimes in high-risk money laundering and related financial crime areas.

(b) Special Preference.—Special preference shall be given to applications submitted to the Secretary which demonstrate collaborative efforts of two or more State and local law enforcement agencies or prosecutors who have a history of Federal, State, and local cooperative law enforcement and prosecutorial efforts in responding to such criminal activity.

(Added Pub. L. 105–310, §2(a), Oct. 30, 1998, 112 Stat. 2948.)

§5355. Authorization of appropriations

There are authorized to be appropriated the following amounts for the following fiscal years to carry out the purposes of this subchapter:

For fiscal year:	The amount authorized is:
1999	$5,000,000.
2000	$7,500,000.
2001	$10,000,000.
2002	$12,500,000.
2003	$15,000,000.
2004	$15,000,000.
2005	$15,000,000.

(Added Pub. L. 105–310, §2(a), Oct. 30, 1998, 112 Stat. 2948; amended Pub. L. 108–458, title VI, §6102(b), Dec. 17, 2004, 118 Stat. 3745.)

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2004—Pub. L. 108–458 in table inserted items specifying amounts authorized for fiscal years 2004 and 2005.