Break the Cycle of Violence Act

II 117TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION S. 2275 To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to build safer, thriving communities, and save lives, by investing in effective community- based violence reduction initiatives, and for other purposes. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES JUNE 24, 2021 Mr. BOOKER (for himself, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, Mr. CASEY, Ms. WARREN, Mr. WYDEN, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, Mr. MURPHY, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. PADILLA, Mr. WHITEHOUSE, Ms. DUCKWORTH, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, and Mr. MARKEY) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to build safer, thriving communities, and save lives, by investing in effective community-based violence reduction initiatives, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 3 (a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 4 ‘‘Break the Cycle of Violence Act’’. 5 (b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents of 6 this Act is as follows: 7 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:32 Jul 15, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S2275.IS S2275 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 2 •S 2275 IS Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. Sec. 2. Findings. Sec. 3. Definitions. TITLE I—DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Sec. 101. Community-based violence intervention program grants. Sec. 102. Office of Community Violence Intervention. Sec. 103. Community Violence Intervention Advisory Committee. Sec. 104. Creation of a National Community Violence Response Center. Sec. 105. Sense of Congress regarding services for victims of violent crime. Sec. 106. Authorization of appropriations. TITLE II—DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Sec. 201. Improving approaches for communities to thrive (IMPACT) grants. SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 1 The Congress finds the following: 2 (1) Community violence is a significant public 3 health, public safety, and community infrastructure 4 concern nationwide and is a leading cause of death, 5 injury, and trauma for people in the United States 6 that disrupts employment and hinders a commu- 7 nity’s social and economic development. 8 (2) From 2010 to 2019, over 175,000 people 9 were murdered in the United States. Hundreds of 10 thousands more were hospitalized or treated in 11 emergency departments after surviving life-changing 12 gunshot injuries and other violent assaults. 13 (3) In 2020, the Nation suffered the largest 14 single-year spike in homicides on record, driven 15 largely by record spikes in fatal shootings. Nation- 16 wide, 75 percent of all homicides are committed with 17 a gun. 18 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:32 Jul 15, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S2275.IS S2275 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 3 •S 2275 IS (4) Communities across the Nation experience 1 enormous disparities in safety that are driven by in- 2 equitable social and structural determinants of 3 health. Interpersonal shootings are disproportion- 4 ately concentrated in neighborhoods harmed by past 5 and present racial discrimination, segregation, red- 6 lining, disinvestment, mass incarceration, and con- 7 centrated poverty, and this violence’s toll falls over- 8 whelmingly on people of color, especially young 9 Black and brown men and boys and their loved ones. 10 From 2015 to 2019, Black children and teens were 11 14 times as likely to be shot to death as their White 12 peers. Hispanic children and teens and Native Amer- 13 ican children and teens were both about 3 times as 14 likely to be shot to death as their White peers. Over 15 this period, 72 percent of children murdered before 16 their 18th birthday were people of color, and 50 per- 17 cent were Black. 18 (5) Black boys and men make up less than 7 19 percent of the population in the United States, but 20 account for more than 50 percent of all gun homi- 21 cide victims each year. Violence is responsible for 22 nearly half of all deaths among Black boys and 23 young men, ages 15 through 24, meaning the par- 24 ents of a Black son in this age group are as likely 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:32 Jul 15, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S2275.IS S2275 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 4 •S 2275 IS to lose their child to homicide as nearly every other 1 cause of death combined. 2 (6) This violence imposes enormous human, so- 3 cial, and economic costs. The Director of the Cen- 4 ters for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division of 5 Violence Prevention presented research to Congress 6 demonstrating that ‘‘youth living in inner cities show 7 a higher prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder 8 than soldiers’’ in the Nation’s wartime military. 9 While the vast majority of these young people resil- 10 iently persevere, people who have been victims of vio- 11 lence are at substantially higher risk of being vio- 12 lently re-attacked or killed. Additionally, both direct 13 and indirect violence exposure have been associated 14 with a host of poor health outcomes, including 15 chronic illness, anxiety, depression, and substance 16 misuse. 17 (7) When properly implemented and consist- 18 ently funded, coordinated, community-based strate- 19 gies that utilize trauma-responsive care and inter- 20 rupt cycles of violence can produce lifesaving and 21 cost-saving results in a short period of time without 22 contributing to mass incarceration. These strategies 23 identify those at the highest risk, coordinate individ- 24 ualized wraparound resources, provide pathways to 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:32 Jul 15, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S2275.IS S2275 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 5 •S 2275 IS healing and stability, and monitor and support long- 1 term success. Many cities have substantially reduced 2 community violence in recent years by implementing 3 various combinations of these strategies, which in- 4 clude the following: 5 (A) Community outreach programs, which 6 hire violence intervention and prevention spe- 7 cialists who have established relationships, re- 8 latable lived experiences, and credibility with in- 9 dividuals in their communities at high risk of 10 violence and connect them with intensive coun- 11 seling, mediation, peer support, and social serv- 12 ices in order to reduce their risk. Evaluations 13 have found that these programs, particularly 14 when integrated into wider networks of sup- 15 portive services, are frequently associated with 16 significant reductions in gun violence. 17 (B) Hospital-based violence intervention 18 programs (referred to in this section as 19 ‘‘HVIP’’), which work to break cycles of vio- 20 lence by leveraging credible violence interven- 21 tion and prevention specialists to provide inten- 22 sive counseling, peer support, case management, 23 mediation, and social services to patients recov- 24 ering from gunshot wounds and other violent 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:32 Jul 15, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S2275.IS S2275 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 6 •S 2275 IS injuries. Research has shown that violently in- 1 jured patients are at high risk of retaliating 2 with violence themselves or being revictimized 3 by violence in the near future. Evaluations of 4 HVIPs have found that patients who received 5 HVIP services were often less likely to be con- 6 victed of a violent crime and less likely to be 7 subsequently reinjured by violence than patients 8 who did not receive HVIP services. 9 (C) Group violence interventions provide 10 tailored social services and support to group-in- 11 volved individuals at highest risk for involve- 12 ment in community violence. This intervention, 13 which must be trauma informed, culturally re- 14 sponsive, and community driven to be most suc- 15 cessful, includes a process for community mem- 16 bers to voice a clear demand for the violence to 17 stop and narrowly focused enforcement actions 18 against those who continue to engage in acts of 19 serious violence. The approach coordinates law 20 enforcement, service providers, and community 21 engagement efforts to reduce violence in ways 22 that do not contribute to mass incarceration. 23 (D) Violence interruption and crisis man- 24 agement, which respond to potentially violent 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:32 Jul 15, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S2275.IS S2275 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 7 •S 2275 IS incidents to mediate conflicts or to scenes where 1 violence has occurred to offer trauma-informed 2 services and community supports to survivors 3 and others exposed to violence. These strategies 4 help to prevent retaliatory violence and promote 5 healing and well-being. Programs that include 6 these components have reported deescalating 7 dozens of disputes that were highly likely to end 8 in lethal violence. 9 (8) Access to job and entrepreneurship training, 10 apprenticeship, and technological and digital literacy 11 programs are effective tools in reducing community 12 violence. A 2012 University of Pennsylvania study of 13 13 high-violence schools in the Chicago area found 14 ‘‘well-targeted, low-cost employment policies can 15 make a substantial difference’’, and the city’s most 16 violent neighborhoods saw a 43 percent drop in vio- 17 lent-crime arrests of participants in a youth job pro- 18 gram. 19 (9) Individualized wraparound services and op- 20 portunities include, but are not limited to, housing 21 support, financial assistance, reentry services, legal 22 assistance, therapeutic services, grief counseling or 23 targeted victim services, and skill building based on 24 the needs of survivors or individuals at the highest 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:32 Jul 15, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S2275.IS S2275 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 8 •S 2275 IS risk of community violence. Leveraging the relation- 1 ships of violence intervention and prevention special- 2 ists, these services are used in the context of struc- 3 tured, person-centered peer mentorship that facili- 4 tates personal transformation by meeting people 5 where they are and offering to help participants 6 change the trajectories of their lives. 7 (10) The past year has had a disproportionate 8 impact on youth unemployment, with 2.9 million 9 more unemployed youth in mid-2020 compared with 10 pre-2020 levels. Simultaneously, the 2020 recession 11 accelerated an already increasingly digital and auto- 12 mated workforce, and youth must attain the digital, 13 technological, and other technical skills necessary to 14 thrive in the future of work. While jobs in the cus- 15 tomer service and food industry could fall by 4.3 16 million between 2018 and 2030, health care and 17 STEM occupations could grow more now than ever. 18 (11) Intentional and sustained investments in 19 community-based violence reduction strategies can 20 reverse recent increases in homicides, help to heal 21 impacted communities, and reduce the enormous 22 human and economic costs of community violence, 23 without contributing to mass incarceration. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:32 Jul 15, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S2275.IS S2275 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 9 •S 2275 IS SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 1 In this Act: 2 (1) COMMUNITY VIOLENCE.—The term ‘‘com- 3 munity violence’’— 4 (A) means nonfatal firearm injuries, ag- 5 gravated assaults, homicides, and other acts of 6 life-threatening interpersonal violence com- 7 mitted outside the context of a familial or ro- 8 mantic relationship; and 9 (B) does not include acts of violence moti- 10 vated by political beliefs. 11 (2) ELIGIBLE UNIT OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT.— 12 The term ‘‘eligible unit of local government’’ means 13 a municipality or other local government that— 14 (A) for not less than 2 out of the 3 cal- 15 endar years preceding the date on which an ap- 16 plication for a grant is submitted under section 17 101— 18 (i) experienced 35 or more homicides 19 per year; or 20 (ii) experienced 20 or more homicides 21 per year and had a homicide rate that was 22 not less than double the national average; 23 or 24 (B) has a compelling need to address com- 25 munity violence, as determined by the Sec- 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:32 Jul 15, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S2275.IS S2275 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 10 •S 2275 IS retary, based on high levels of homicide relative 1 to other localities within the same State. 2 (3) OPPORTUNITY YOUTH.—The term ‘‘oppor- 3 tunity youth’’ means individuals who— 4 (A) have attained 16 years of age but not 5 yet attained 25 years of age; and 6 (B) are not— 7 (i) enrolled in education or training on 8 a full-time or part-time basis; or 9 (ii) employed on a full-time or part- 10 time basis. 11 TITLE I—DEPARTMENT OF 12 HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES 13 SEC. 101. COMMUNITY-BASED VIOLENCE INTERVENTION 14 PROGRAM GRANTS. 15 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health and 16 Human Services (in this title referred to as the ‘‘Sec- 17 retary’’) shall award grants to eligible entities to support, 18 enhance, and replicate coordinated community violence 19 intervention. 20 (b) ELIGIBILITY.—To be eligible to seek a grant 21 under this section, an entity shall be— 22 (1) a community-based, nonprofit organization 23 that— 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:32 Jul 15, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S2275.IS S2275 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 11 •S 2275 IS (A) serves the residents served by an eligi- 1 ble unit of local government; and 2 (B) has a track record of providing com- 3 munity-related activities or support program in- 4 novation in communities of color; or 5 (2) an eligible unit of local government. 6 (c) LIMITATION.—Of the amount made available to 7 carry out this title for a fiscal year, not more than 15 8 percent of such amount shall be made available to eligible 9 units of local government. 10 (d) USE OF FUNDS.— 11 (1) IN GENERAL.—A grant awarded under this 12 section shall be used to implement coordinated com- 13 munity violence intervention initiatives, through co- 14 ordinated, community-based strategies. 15 (2) REQUIREMENTS.—A community violence 16 intervention initiative implemented using grant 17 funds awarded under this section shall— 18 (A) be primarily focused on providing cul- 19 turally competent, community-based violence 20 intervention services to the portion of a grant- 21 ee’s community who are, regardless of age, 22 identified as being at high risk of being victim- 23 ized by, or engaging in, community violence; 24 and 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 0 [Text truncated for display. 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