§30101 State grant program for training and prosecution of computer crimes

Summary

If Congress provides the money, the Office of Justice Programs must give a grant to each State. States can use the money by themselves or with local governments, courts, or other States to set up programs that fight computer crime. The grants can help enforce and investigate computer crimes (including online copyright infringement), teach the public to prevent and spot computer crime, train officers and prosecutors in investigations and computer forensics, buy equipment for investigations, and share federal law-enforcement help and information, including multijurisdiction task forces. To get a grant, a State must promise the Attorney General that it has laws against computer crimes — such as computer fraud, unlawful damage or removal of software or data, and interference or denial of access to computers — and that it has checked its resource needs and will coordinate with other federal training programs. The federal share can be at most 90% of a program’s cost unless the Attorney General waives that limit. Congress set $25,000,000 for each fiscal year 2009 through 2013. Up to 3% of each year’s money may pay Attorney General salaries and admin. Each State and its grantees (not including Indian tribes) must get at least 0.75% of the yearly total unless all their applications are already funded; the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands each get 0.25%. The Attorney General can also give grants to Indian tribes.