SMART FY26 Support for Adam Walsh Act Implementation Grant Program
Open Posted
- Opportunity number
- O-SMART-2026-172794
- Agency
-
Office of Justice Programs
Department of Justice
- Applications due
- Award size
- Up to $400,000
Opportunity facts
- Assistance listings
- Funding instrument
- Grant
- Category
-
- Law, Justice and Legal Services
- Eligible applicants
-
- State Governments
- Other
- Tribal Governments (Federally Recognized)
- Points of contact
-
- The SMART Office asksmart@usdoj.gov (202) 514-4689
- Full announcement
Opportunity details come from Grants.gov. Updated .
About this opportunity
The Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs is soliciting applications for the FY 2026 Support for Adam Walsh Act Implementation Grant Program to fund jurisdictions developing and enhancing sex offender registration and notification programs under SORNA, with applications due November 25, 2026. Eligible applicants are state governments (including the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and Northern Mariana Islands), U.S. territories, and federally recognized tribal governments that have elected to implement SORNA. No cost sharing or matching funds are required.
Total program funding is $15 million distributed across approximately 50 awards, with individual award ceilings of up to $400,000. The 36-month period of performance begins January 1, 2027. Each eligible jurisdiction may submit only one application.
Allowable activities include improving the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW.gov) system efficiency and capacity; enhancing sex offender information collection and sharing methods; strengthening registration verification and absconder investigations; implementing the 21-day advance notice requirement for international travel; addressing FBI Criminal Justice Information Service audit findings; developing inter-jurisdictional collaborations with victim services agencies, courts, and schools; and conducting training for law enforcement and criminal justice personnel.
Applications are submitted in two steps: the SF-424 must be submitted in Grants.gov by November 25, 2026, 11:59 p.m. ET; the full application including the FY 2026 AWA Proposal Questionnaire must be submitted in JustGrants by December 9, 2026, 8:59 p.m. ET. Evaluation criteria weight need (5%), project goals and objectives (15%), project design and implementation (35%), capabilities and competencies (30%), and budget (15%).
CFDA 16.750.
Synopsis
General Purpose of the Funding: The Adam Walsh Act (AWA) Implementation Grant Program assists jurisdictions with developing and enhancing programs designed to implement SORNA. SORNA was enacted to provide a set of comprehensive standards for sex offender registration and notification in the United States. "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 34 U.S.C. § 20911(10) - that have elected to implement SORNA. SORNA requires all states, the District of Columbia, the principal U.S. territories, and participating federally recognized Indian tribes to maintain a sex offender registry and sex offenders to register and maintain a current registration in each jurisdiction where the individual lives, works, or goes to school. SORNA also sets forth requirements regarding what jurisdictions must include in their sex offender registries, what information sex offenders and sex offender registries must provide, requires jurisdictions to participate in the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW.gov) and exchange interjurisdictional information, and offenders must provide advance notice when traveling internationally. For more information about SORNA's requirements, applicants should review the National Guidelines for Sex Offender Registration and Notification, the Supplemental Guidelines for Sex Offender Registration and Notification, the Supplemental Guidelines for Juvenile Registration Under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, and Attorney General Rules. These, and other guidance documents, are available on the SMART Office website (SMART.gov). Applicants should refer to the Application Contents and Format section, Budget and Associated Information subsection for information on allowable and unallowable costs that may inform the development of their project design.
Eligibility
State Government Entities: For the purposes of this NOFO, "state" means any state of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
Files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| PKG00294361.pdf |
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