The Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking (SMART) Support for Adam Walsh Act (AWA) Implementation Grant Program assists jurisdictions with developing and enhancing programs designed to implement the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).

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SORNA (34 U.S.C.

§ 20901 et seq.) was enacted to protect the public by establishing a comprehensive national system of standards for the registration and notification of convicted sex offenders.

The term “jurisdiction” is defined in SORNA as any state of the United States, the District of Columbia, the principal U.

S.

territories and federally recognized Indian tribes—to the extent provided by SORNA section 127—that have elected to implement SORNA.

The AWA Implementation Grant Program assists jurisdictions with developing and/or enhancing programs designed to implement SORNA requirements.

SORNA requires 1) all states, the District of Columbia, the principal U.

S.

territories and participating federally recognized Indian tribes to maintain a sex offender registry; and 2) sex offenders to register and maintain a current registration in each jurisdiction where the offender resides, is an employee or is a student.

SORNA also sets forth requirements for sex offender registries, to include specified information, duration of registration and in-person verification of sex offender registration information, as well as participation in the National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW.gov) and interjurisdictional notification of relocating offenders (e.g., SORNA Exchange Portal).