RESEARCH, EVALUATION AND ASSISTANCE ACTIVITIES.

SEC. 105. RESEARCH, EVALUATION AND ASSISTANCE ACTIVITIES. (a) Research.— Section 105(a) of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 5105(a)) is amended— (1) in paragraph (1)— (A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking “, through the Center, conduct research on” and inserting “, in consultation with other Federal agencies and recognized experts in the field, carry out a continuing inter-disciplinary program of research that is designed to provide information needed to better protect children from abuse or neglect and to improve the well-being of abused or neglected children, with at least a portion of such research being field initiated. Such research program may focus on”; (B) by redesignating subparagraphs (A) through (C) as subparagraph (B) through (D), respectively; (C) by inserting before subparagraph (B) (as so redesignated) the following new subparagraph: “(A) the nature and scope of child abuse and neglect;”; (D) in subparagraph (B) (as so redesignated), to read as follows: “(B) causes, prevention, assessment, identification, treatment, cultural and socioeconomic distinctions, and the consequences of child abuse and neglect;”; and (E) in subparagraph (D) (as so redesignated)— (i) by striking clause (ii); (ii) in clause (iii), to read as follows: “(ii) the incidence of substantiated and unsubstantiated reported child abuse cases;”; and (iii) by adding at the end the following: “(iii) the number of substantiated cases that result in a judicial finding of child abuse or neglect or related criminal court convictions; “(iv) the extent to which the number of unsubstantiated, unfounded and false reported cases of child abuse or neglect have contributed to the inability of a State to respond effectively to serious cases of child abuse or neglect; 110 STAT. 3068 “(v) the extent to which the lack of adequate resources and the lack of adequate training of individuals required by law to report suspected cases of child abuse have contributed to the inability of a State to respond effectively to serious cases of child abuse and neglect; “(vi) the number of unsubstantiated, false, or unfounded reports that have resulted in a child being placed in substitute care, and the duration of such placement; “(vii) the extent to which unsubstantiated reports return as more serious cases of child abuse or neglect; “(viii) the incidence and prevalence of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse and physical and emotional neglect in substitute care; and “(ix) the incidence and outcomes of abuse allegations reported within the context of divorce, custody, or other family court proceedings, and the interaction between this venue and the child protective services system.”; and (2) in paragraph (2)— (A) in subparagraph (A)— (i) by striking “and demonstration”; and (ii) by striking “paragraph (1)(A) and activities under section 106” and inserting “paragraph (1)”; and (B) in subparagraph (B), by striking “and demonstration”. (b) Repeal.— Subsection (b) of section 105 of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 5105(b)) is repealed. (c) Technical Assistance.— Section 105(c) of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 5105(c)) is amended— (1) by striking “(c)” and inserting “(b)”; (2) by striking “The Secretary” and inserting: “(1) In general.— The Secretary”; (3) by striking “, through the Center,”; (4) by inserting “State and local” before “public and non-profit”; (5) by inserting “assessment,” before “identification”; and (6) by adding at the end thereof the following new paragraphs: “(2) Evaluation.— Such technical assistance may include an evaluation or identification of— “(A) various methods and procedures for the investigation, assessment, and prosecution of child physical and sexual abuse cases; “(B) ways to mitigate psychological trauma to the child victim; and “(C) effective programs carried out by the States under titles I and II. “(3) Dissemination.— The Secretary may provide for and disseminate information relating to various training resources available at the State and local level to— “(A) individuals who are engaged, or who intend to engage, in the prevention, identification, and treatment of child abuse and neglect; and “(B) appropriate State and local officials to assist in training law enforcement, legal, judicial, medical, mental 110 STAT. 3069health, education, and child welfare personnel in appropriate methods of interacting during investigative, administrative, and judicial proceedings with children who have been subjected to abuse.”. (d) Grants and Contracts.— Section 105(d) of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 5105(d)) is amended— (1) by striking “(d)” and inserting “(c)”; and (2) in paragraph (2), by striking the second sentence. (e) Peer Review.— Section 105(e) of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 5105(e)) is amended— (1) in the heading preceding paragraph (1), by striking “(e)” and inserting “(d)”; (2) in paragraph (1)— (A) in subparagraph (A)— (i) by striking “establish a formal” and inserting “, in consultation with experts in the field and other federal agencies, establish a formal, rigorous, and meritorious”; (ii) by striking “and contracts”; and (iii) by adding at the end thereof the following new sentence: “The purpose of this process is to enhance the quality and usefulness of research in the field of child abuse and neglect.”; and (B) in subparagraph (B)— (i) by striking “Office of Human Development” and inserting “Administration on Children and Families”; and (ii) by adding at the end thereof the following new sentence: “The Secretary shall ensure that the peer review panel utilizes scientifically valid review criteria and scoring guidelines for review committees.”; (3) in paragraph (2)— (A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking “, contract, or other financial assistance”; and (B) by adding at the end thereof the following flush sentence: “The Secretary shall award grants under this section on the basis of competitive review.”; and (4) in paragraph (3)(B), by striking “subsection (e)(2)(B)” each place it appears and inserting “paragraph (2)(B)”. (f) Technical Amendment.— Section 105 of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 5105) is amended in the section heading by striking “OF THE NATIONAL CENTER ON CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT”