text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; PURPOSE.
  
      (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Safe NOW Act of 
  2006''.
      (b) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to establish a National 
  Sex Offender Risk Classification Task Force to create guidelines for 
  the establishment of a risk-based sex offender classification system 
  that will--
              (1) classify sex offenders based on the threat of danger 
          each sex offender poses to the public; and
              (2) allow law enforcement agencies and the public to 
          identify the most dangerous sex offenders listed in sex 
          offender registries by using the classification system.
  
  SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
  
      In this Act, the following definitions apply:
              (1) Sex offender registry.--The term ``sex offender 
          registry'' means a registry of sex offenders, and a 
          notification program, maintained by a jurisdiction.
              (2) Jurisdiction.--The term ``jurisdiction'' means any of 
          the following:
                      (A) A State.
                      (B) The District of Columbia.
                      (C) The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
                      (D) Guam.
                      (E) American Samoa.
                      (F) The Northern Mariana Islands.
                      (G) The United States Virgin Islands.
                      (H) Any Federally recognized Indian tribe.
  
  SEC. 3. NATIONAL SEX OFFENDER RISK CLASSIFICATION TASK FORCE.
  
      (a) Task Force Established.--There is established, under the 
  general authority of the Attorney General, the National Sex Offender 
  Risk Classification Task Force (referred to in this Act as the ``Task 
  Force'').
      (b) Duties.--
              (1) In general.--The Task Force shall--
                      (A) create preliminary guidelines for the 
                  establishment of a risk-based sex offender 
                  classification system;
                      (B) administer the demonstration program under 
                  section 4; and
                      (C) create final guidelines for the establishment 
                  of a risk-based sex offender classification system that 
                  shall be made available to jurisdictions for use in 
                  accordance with section 7, and that shall be created 
                  using the information gathered through--
                              (i) the demonstration program under section 
                          4; and
                              (ii) the activities of the working groups 
                          under paragraph (3).
              (2) Creation of guidelines.--In creating the guidelines 
          required under this subsection, the Task Force shall consider--
                      (A) empirically-based assessment tools available to 
                  assess the dangers posed by sex offenders;
                      (B) the methods used to classify sex offenders for 
                  the purposes of sex offender registries in use by 
                  Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies as 
                  of the date of enactment of this Act, and how those 
                  methods differ from a risk-based sex offender 
                  classification system;
                      (C) means by which information regarding the risk-
                  based classification of sex offenders may be 
                  comprehensively and consistently disseminated to 
                  Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies and 
                  the public;
                      (D) opportunities available to sex offenders 
                  (especially those who are not under court supervision) 
                  to change their risk-based classification, including 
                  voluntary participation in sex offender treatment and 
                  monitoring programs; and
                      (E) any negative consequences that have resulted 
                  from Megan's Law (Public Law 104-145; 110 Stat. 1345), 
                  and steps that might be taken to reduce such negative 
                  consequences.
              (3) Working groups.--The Chair shall designate 5 working 
          groups within the Task Force, each of which shall conduct one 
          of the following activities:
                      (A) Survey the methods of risk classification used 
                  by each jurisdiction, as of the date of enactment of 
                  this Act, and identify changes to such methods that 
                  jurisdictions could implement to improve the 
                  efficiency, accuracy, and consistency of sex offender 
                  registries.
                      (B) Research and analyze the effectiveness of the 
                  most recently developed tools available (as of the date 
                  of enactment of this Act) to assess the dangers posed 
                  by sex offenders and to classify sex offenders based on 
                  risk.
                      (C) Identify the strengths and weaknesses of 
                  Federal, State, and local sex offender registration and 
                  notification procedures in use as of the day before the 
                  date of enactment of this Act, and propose methods to 
                  improve any such weaknesses.
                      (D) Analyze Federal, State, and local law 
                  enforcement agency procedures for community 
                  notification regarding sex offenders (as of the date of 
                  enactment of this Act), and determine the most 
                  appropriate procedures to notify communities regarding 
                  sex offenders of varying risk-based classifications.
                      (E) Develop a resource guide that Federal, State, 
                  and local law enforcement agencies may use to educate 
                  the public about the prevention of sex offenses, the 
                  dangers posed by sex offenders, the systems used to 
                  classify sex offenders, and the access and use of sex 
                  offender registries.
      (c) Membership.--
              (1) In general.--The Task Force shall consist of 20 
          members, who shall be appointed by the Attorney General within 
          45 days after the date of enactment of this Act, and who shall 
          include--
                      (A) the Chair;
                      (B) one representative from each of the following:
                              (i) the Safe NOW Project;
                              (ii) the National Association to PROTECT 
                          Children;
                              (iii) Parents For Megan's Law, Inc.;
                              (iv) the Association for the Treatment of 
                          Sexual Abusers;
                              (v) the National Sheriffs' Association;
                              (vi) the National Association of Police 
                          Organizations;
                              (vii) the American Probation and Parole 
                          Association;
                              (viii) the American Psychological 
                          Association;
                              (ix) the National Association of Criminal 
                          Defense Lawyers;
                              (x) the Washington State Institute for 
                          Public Policy;
                              (xi) the National Center for Missing and 
                          Exploited Children;
                              (xii) the Office for Victims of Crime;
                              (xiii) the Center for Sex Offender 
                          Management;
                              (xiv) the National Law Enforcement and 
                          Corrections Technology Center;
                              (xv) the Federal Bureau of Investigation; 
                          and
                              (xvi) the Center for Disease Control and 
                          Prevention; and
                      (C) three representatives of the academic community 
                  who specialize in risk assessment of sex offenders.
              (2) Selection criteria.--The Attorney General shall appoint 
          to the Task Force a Chair and a diverse group of members who 
          are knowledgeable in the fields of sex offender management, 
          community education, risk assessment of sex offenders, and sex 
          offender victim issues.
              (3) Terms; vacancies.--The term of office for members shall 
          be for the life of the Task Force. A vacancy in the Task Force 
          shall not affect the powers of the Task Force, and shall be 
          filled in the same manner in which the original appointment was 
          made.
              (4) Compensation.--
                      (A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B), the 
                  Chair and members of the Task Force shall be paid at 
                  the rate of $500 per day for each day, including travel 
                  time, during which he or she is engaged in the actual 
                  performance of duties vested in the Task Force.
                      (B) A member of the Task Force who is a full-time 
                  officer or employee of the United States or a Member of 
                  Congress shall receive no additional pay, allowances, 
                  or benefits by reason of his or her service to the Task 
                  Force.
                      (C) All members of the Task Force shall be 
                  reimbursed for travel, subsistence, and other necessary 
                  expenses incurred by them in the performance of their 
                  duties to the extent authorized by chapter 57 of title 
                  5, United States Code.
      (d) Meetings.--
              (1) Frequency.--The Task Force shall meet not less than 4 
          times per year, at the call of the Chair. The Attorney General 
          shall call the first meeting of the Task Force within 90 days 
          after the date of the enactment of this Act, or within 30 days 
          after the date on which legislation is enacted making 
          appropriations to carry out this Act, whichever date is later.
              (2) Record.--The Task Force shall maintain records of an 
          active roster of membership, meeting minutes, and any other 
          information the Chair may require.
              (3) Public meetings; notice.--Task Force meetings shall be 
          open to the public, except as determined otherwise by the Chair 
          (or other official to whom the authority has been delegated by 
          the Chair). Notice of all meetings shall be published in the 
          Federal Register not later than 30 days before the date of such 
          meeting.
              (4) Closed meetings.--No later than 7 days after any Task 
          Force meeting (or a portion of such a meeting) is closed to the 
          public, a report shall be prepared for the Attorney General by 
          a designated member the Task Force who was present for the 
          entirety of such meeting, which shall contain, at a minimum, a 
          list of individuals present and the activities conducted at 
          such closed meeting.
  
  SEC. 4. DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM.
  
      (a) In General.--The Task Force is authorized to carry out a 
  demonstration program under which the Task Force shall award one grant 
  to each of 5 selected jurisdictions to carry out the activities under 
  subsection (b).
      (b) Program Activities.--A selected jurisdiction shall use a grant 
  awarded under subsection (a) to--
              (1) use the preliminary guidelines created by the Task 
          Force under section 3(b) to implement a risk-based sex offender 
          classification system to classify sex offenders registered in 
          the jurisdiction's sex offender registry;
              (2) demonstrate the extent to which such preliminary 
          guidelines provide for the successful implementation of an 
          effective risk-based sex offender classification system; and
              (3) identify ways such preliminary guidelines may be 
          improved to provide better guidance for the successful 
          implementation of an effective risk-based sex offender 
          classification system.
      (c) Applications.--A jurisdiction desiring to participate in the 
  demonstration program shall submit an application to the Task Force at 
  such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Task 
  Force may require.
      (d) Selection of Jurisdictions.--
              (1) Not later than 9 months after the date of the first 
          meeting of the Task Force, the Task Force shall select 5 
          jurisdictions to participate in the demonstration program from 
          the applications received under subsection (c).
              (2) The Task Force shall develop criteria to select 
          jurisdictions to participate in the demonstration program. In 
          developing such criteria and selecting jurisdictions, the Task 
          Force shall consider--
                      (A) the importance of the participation of 
                  demographically and geographically diverse 
                  jurisdictions in the demonstration program; and
                      (B) the willingness and ability of jurisdictions 
                  to--
                              (i) collaborate with officials in such 
                          jurisdiction responsible for the management of 
                          sex offenders;
                              (ii) report to the Task Force on the 
                          effectiveness of the preliminary guidelines 
                          created under section 3(b);
                              (iii) provide recommendations to the Task 
                          Force regarding the improvement of such 
                          preliminary guidelines and the creation of 
                          final guidelines; and
                              (iv) provide information about their 
                          participation in the demonstration program to 
                          other jurisdictions implementing a risk-based 
                          sex offender classification system.
      (e) Duration.--A grant awarded under this subsection shall be for 
  the one-year period beginning on the date one year after the date of 
  the first meeting of the Task Force, and shall not be renewable.
      (f) Assistance and Review.--The Task Force shall provide technical 
  assistance as necessary to the jurisdictions selected to participate in 
  the demonstration program, and shall document the demonstration program 
  experience of each selected jurisdiction in the final report required 
  under section 5.
  
  SEC. 5. REPORTS.
  
      (a) The Task Force shall provide to the Attorney General and to the 
  relevant committees of Congress--
              (1) not later than one year after the date of the first 
          meeting of the Task Force, an initial report containing--
                      (A) preliminary guidelines for the establishment of 
                  a risk-based sex offender classification system to be 
                  used for the demonstration program under section 3;
                      (B) a list of the jurisdictions selected to 
                  participate in such demonstration program; and
                      (C) a summary of the activities conducted by, and 
                  the findings of, each working group under section 
                  3(b)(3); and
              (2) not later than 6 months after the date of the 
          expiration of the demonstration program grants made under 
          section 4, a final report containing--
                      (A) final guidelines for the establishment of a 
                  risk-based sex offender classification system, as 
                  required under section 3(b); and
                      (B) a summary of the information gathered through 
                  the demonstration program under section 4, including 
                  any information provided by the jurisdictions that 
                  participated in such program that was considered by the 
                  Task Force in the creation of the final guidelines 
                  under subparagraph (A).
  
  SEC. 6. TERMINATION OF TASK FORCE.
  
      The Task Force shall terminate 90 days after the final report under 
  section 5 is provided to the Attorney General and the relevant 
  committees of Congress.
  
  SEC. 7. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING USE OF GUIDELINES.
  
      It is the sense of Congress that each jurisdiction should use the 
  final guidelines created by the Task Force under this Act to implement 
  a risk-based sex offender classification system to classify sex 
  offenders registered in such jurisdiction's sex offender registry.
  
  SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
  
      (a) In General.--There are authorized to be appropriated to carry 
  out this Act (except for section 4), $1,000,000 for each of fiscal 
  years 2007, 2008, and 2009.
      (b) Demonstration Program.--There are authorized to be appropriated 
  such sums as may be necessary to carry out the demonstration program 
  under section 4.
target: Safe NOW Act of 2006 - Establishes the National Sex Offender Risk Classification Task Force to create guidelines for a risk-based sex offender classification system. Authorizes the Task Force to carry out demonstration programs in five selected jurisdictions to: (1) use the Task Force's preliminary guidelines to implement such a system for their sex offender registries; and (2) identify ways to improve such guidelines. Expresses the sense of Congress that each state, federally recognized Indian tribe, and U.S. possession and territory should use final Task Force guidelines to implement such a system for its registry.
feat_title: To establish a National Sex Offender Risk Classification Task Force to create guidelines for the establishment of a risk-based sex offender classification system for use in sex offender registries.