text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``Witness Security and Protection 
  Grant Program Act of 2011''.
  
  SEC. 2. WITNESS PROTECTION GRANT PROGRAM.
  
      (a) In General.--Subject to subsection (i), the Attorney General 
  shall make competitive grants to eligible State, tribal, and local 
  governments to establish or maintain programs that provide protection 
  or assistance to witnesses in--
              (1) court proceedings involving homicide, or involving a 
          serious violent felony or serious drug offense as defined in 
          section 3559(c)(2) of title 18, United States Code; and
              (2) court proceedings involving gangs or organized crime.
      (b) Criteria.--In making grants under subsection (a), the Attorney 
  General shall evaluate applicants based upon the following:
              (1) The extent to which the applicant has a lack of 
          infrastructure to support a witness assistance program.
              (2) The extent to which witness intimidation is present 
          with respect to the applicant.
              (3) The level of cases not prosecuted by the applicant due 
          to witness intimidation.
              (4) The number of homicides per capita committed in the 
          jurisdiction of the applicant.
              (5) The number of serious violent felonies or serious drug 
          offenses, as defined in section 3559(c)(2) of title 18, United 
          States Code, per capita committed in the jurisdiction of the 
          applicant.
              (6) The extent to which organized crime is present in the 
          jurisdiction of the applicant.
              (7) Other appropriate criteria as determined by the 
          Attorney General.
      (c) Technical Assistance.--From amounts made available under 
  subsection (i) to carry out this section, the Attorney General, upon 
  request of a recipient of a grant under this section, shall direct the 
  appropriate offices within the Department of Justice to provide 
  technical assistance to such recipient to the extent the Attorney 
  General determines such technical assistance is needed to establish or 
  maintain a program described in such section.
      (d) Best Practices.--
              (1) Report.--Each recipient of a grant under this section 
          shall submit to the Attorney General a report, in such form and 
          manner and containing such information as specified by the 
          Attorney General, that evaluates each program established or 
          maintained pursuant to such grant, including policies and 
          procedures under the program.
              (2) Development of best practices.--Based on the reports 
          submitted under paragraph (1), the Attorney General shall 
          develop best practice models to assist States and other 
          relevant entities in addressing--
                      (A) witness safety;
                      (B) short-term and permanent witness relocation;
                      (C) financial and housing assistance; and
                      (D) any other services related to witness 
                  protection or assistance that are determined by the 
                  Attorney General to be necessary.
              (3) Dissemination to states.--Not later than 1 year after 
          the development of best practice models under paragraph (2), 
          the Attorney General shall disseminate to States and other 
          relevant entities such models.
              (4) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of Congress that 
          States and other relevant entities should use the best practice 
          models developed and disseminated in accordance with this 
          section to evaluate, improve, and develop witness protection or 
          witness assistance as appropriate.
              (5) Clarification.--Nothing in this section requires the 
          dissemination of any information if the Attorney General 
          determines such information is law enforcement sensitive and 
          should only be disclosed within the law enforcement community 
          or that such information poses a threat to national security.
      (e) Federal Share.--
              (1) In general.--The Federal share of the cost of a project 
          carried out using a grant made under this section shall not be 
          more than 75 percent.
              (2) In-kind contributions.--
                      (A) In general.--Subject to subparagraph (B), the 
                  non-Federal share for a project carried out using a 
                  grant made under this section may be made in the form 
                  of in-kind contributions that are directly related to 
                  the purpose for which the grant was made.
                      (B) Maximum percentage.--Not more than 50 percent 
                  of the non-Federal share for a project carried out 
                  using a grant made under this section may be in the 
                  form of in-kind contributions.
      (f) Administrative Expenses.--Federal administrative costs to carry 
  out this section for a fiscal year shall not exceed 5 percent of the 
  funds appropriated pursuant to subsection (i) for such fiscal year.
      (g) Geographic Distribution.--The Attorney General shall ensure 
  that, to the extent reasonable and practical, grants authorized by this 
  section are made to achieve an equitable geographical distribution of 
  such programs throughout the United States and that due consideration 
  be given to applicants of rural and urban communities.
      (h) Report to Congress.--The Attorney General shall submit a report 
  to Congress--
              (1) not later than December 31, 2013, on the implementation 
          of this section and any information on programs funded by 
          grants made pursuant to this section; and
              (2) not later than December 31, 2017, on the programs 
          funded by grants awarded under this section, including on 
          matters specified under subsection (d)(2).
      (i) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
  appropriated to carry out this section $30,000,000 for each of the 
  fiscal years 2012 through 2016.
target: Witness Security and Protection Grant Program Act of 2011 - Directs the Attorney General to: (1) make competitive grants to state, tribal, and local governments to establish or maintain programs to protect or assist witnesses in court proceedings involving homicide, a serious felony or drug offense, or gangs or organized crime; (2) evaluate grant applicants based on specified criteria, including the extent of witness intimidation and the number of serious crimes per capita with respect to such applicant; (3) provide technical assistance to grant applicants for establishing or maintaining a witness protection plan; and (4) develop and disseminate best practice models to assist states and other relevant entities in addressing witness safety, short-term and permanent witness relocation, financial and housing assistance, and other necessary services.
  
  Expresses the sense of Congress that states and relevant entities should use the best practice models developed by the Attorney General to evaluate, improve, and develop witness protection or witness assistance programs.
feat_title: To require the Attorney General to make competitive grants to eligible State, tribal, and local governments to establish and maintain certain protection and witness assistance programs.