SMART FY25 Support for Adam Walsh Act Implementation Grant Program | O SMART 2025 172307

Opportunity Information: Apply for O SMART 2025 172307

The SMART FY25 Support for Adam Walsh Act Implementation Grant Program is a discretionary federal grant from the U.S. Department of Justice SMART Office aimed at helping jurisdictions develop, improve, or expand the policies, systems, and operational capacity needed to implement the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). SORNA, enacted under the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act, sets nationwide standards for how sex offender registration and notification should work, with the broader goal of improving consistency across jurisdictions and strengthening public safety through reliable registration, tracking, and information-sharing practices.

At its core, the opportunity is designed to support jurisdictions as they work toward meeting SORNA requirements for maintaining a sex offender registry and ensuring that individuals who are required to register do so and keep their information current in every jurisdiction where they live, work, or attend school. The program also supports efforts to ensure registries contain the required data elements, that registrants provide specified information, and that jurisdictions can manage the ongoing administrative and technical demands associated with compliance. In practical terms, grant-funded projects often relate to upgrading registry management processes, improving data accuracy and completeness, strengthening interagency coordination, and building the ability to exchange registration information across jurisdictional lines in the way SORNA contemplates.

The solicitation highlights several specific SORNA-driven responsibilities that jurisdictions must support, including participation in the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW.gov), which is the national public-facing portal that links participating jurisdictions and enables public searches. It also emphasizes interjurisdictional information exchange, reflecting SORNA's expectation that jurisdictions share timely, consistent information when registrants move or otherwise trigger cross-border public safety needs. Another noted area is the requirement tied to international travel, where offenders must provide advance notice when traveling internationally, which in turn requires jurisdictions to have procedures and systems capable of receiving, processing, and transmitting that information as required.

Eligible applicants are limited to governmental entities that qualify as SORNA "jurisdictions" under federal law. This includes state-level government entities, where "state" is broadly defined to cover the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and major U.S. territories and commonwealths (including Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands). It also includes federally recognized tribal governments that are eligible under 34 U.S.C. 20929 to carry out SORNA functions and that have elected to implement SORNA. In other words, the program is intended for governments responsible for operating or overseeing sex offender registration functions, not for private organizations acting independently of those authorities.

Applicants are directed to base their proposals on the federal guidance that explains and interprets SORNA requirements, including the National Guidelines for Sex Offender Registration and Notification, multiple supplemental guidelines (including guidance related to juvenile registration), and Attorney General rules. These documents, along with other implementation resources, are available through the SMART Office website (SMART.gov) and serve as the main roadmap for designing projects that align with federal standards. The notice also flags the importance of following the required application contents and budget guidance, including a Budget Detail Form that identifies allowable and unallowable costs, since that will shape what kinds of implementation activities can be funded and how proposed spending must be justified.

From the funding details provided, the opportunity number is O-SMART-2025-172307 (CFDA 16.750). Awards are expected to be competitive, with an anticipated total of about 50 awards and a maximum award ceiling of $400,000 per grant. The original application closing date is March 3, 2025, and the opportunity was created on January 15, 2025. Overall, this program is best understood as targeted implementation support for jurisdictions that are building or strengthening their ability to meet SORNA standards, operate effective registries, connect to national systems like NSOPW, and reliably manage the administrative and technical requirements that come with sex offender registration and notification.

• The SMART in the law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "SMART FY25 Support for Adam Walsh Act Implementation Grant Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.750.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2025-01-15.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-03-03. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $400,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 50 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Others.

Apply for O SMART 2025 172307

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