Federal

Safer Streets Act of 2023

Source: Congress.gov · 771 words in original text

What This Bill Does

This bill creates a new grant program that gives money to local governments and community organizations in areas with high violent crime rates. The bill amends an existing federal crime law to add this new funding source for jurisdictions struggling with violence.

Who It Affects

Local government units in areas with high violent crime rates. Neighborhood or community-based organizations operating in those same areas. The Attorney General, who administers the grant program.

Key Provisions

• The Attorney General gives grants each fiscal year to eligible local governments and community organizations in areas where violent crime happens at least 2 times the national average and the population is at least 100,000 people. (Sec. 3202) • Half of available grant money goes in equal amounts to areas with violent crime rates 4 times or higher than the national average. (Sec. 3202(1)) • Twenty percent of available grant money goes in equal amounts to areas with violent crime rates 3 times or higher than the national average. (Sec. 3202(2)) • Ten percent of available grant money goes in equal amounts to all other eligible areas. The remaining money can be used for emergency grants decided by the Attorney General. (Sec. 3202(3) and (4)) • Grants can be used for hiring law enforcement officers, buying surveillance equipment, or running prevention programs. (Sec. 3204) • No more than 10 percent of a grant can be spent on administrative costs. (Sec. 3203) • Areas that see a 10 percent increase in violent crime in one year get an additional 10 percent bonus on top of their normal grant amount. (Sec. 3205)

What Changes

Federal money becomes available through the Attorney General to help areas with serious violent crime problems hire police officers, purchase surveillance technology, or fund prevention programs. Communities must qualify by proving their violent crime rate is at least double the national rate and their population exceeds 100,000 residents.

Important Definitions

"Violent crime" means whatever the Attorney General defines it as for the Uniform Crime Reporting Program in the fiscal year when grants are made. (Sec. 3206)

I 118TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 320 To amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to establish a grant program for jurisdictions with high rates of violent crime. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES JANUARY 12, 2023 Mr. COHEN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL To amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to establish a grant program for jurisdic- tions with high rates of violent crime. 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. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Safer Streets Act of 4 2023’’. 5 SEC. 2. GRANT PROGRAM. 6 Title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe 7 Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10101 et seq.) is amended 8 by adding at the end the following: 9 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:38 Jan 24, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H320.IH H320 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 320 IH ‘‘PART NN—GRANTS FOR JURISDICTIONS WITH 1 HIGH RATES OF VIOLENT CRIME 2 ‘‘SEC. 3201. IN GENERAL. 3 ‘‘The Attorney General shall, each fiscal year, make 4 grants to eligible units of local government and neighbor- 5 hood or community-based organizations. 6 ‘‘SEC. 3202. ELIGIBILITY AND INCENTIVES. 7 ‘‘To be eligible for a grant under this part, a unit 8 of local government or a neighborhood or community- 9 based organization operating in a covered jurisdiction shall 10 submit to the Attorney General information establishing 11 that the rate of occurrence of violent crime within that 12 jurisdiction is 2 times or more the national violent crime 13 rate and that the population of that jurisdiction is 14 100,000 or more. Of any amounts made available for 15 grants under this part for a fiscal year— 16 ‘‘(1) 50 percent of such amounts shall be for 17 grants, of an equal amount to each covered jurisdic- 18 tion, to eligible grantees for which such rate of oc- 19 currence is 4 times the national violent crime rate 20 or higher; 21 ‘‘(2) 20 percent of such amounts shall be for 22 grants, of an equal amount to each covered jurisdic- 23 tion, to eligible grantees for which such rate of oc- 24 currence is 3 times the national violent crime rate 25 or higher; 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:38 Jan 24, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H320.IH H320 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 320 IH ‘‘(3) 10 percent of such amounts shall be for 1 grants, of an equal amount to each covered jurisdic- 2 tion, to all other eligible grantees; and 3 ‘‘(4) remaining amounts shall be for emergency 4 grants to such eligible grantees as the Attorney Gen- 5 eral determines appropriate. 6 The Attorney General shall be responsible for awarding 7 funds between units of local government and neighborhood 8 or community-based organizations pursuant to each para- 9 graph of this section. 10 ‘‘SEC. 3203. ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS. 11 ‘‘Not more than 10 percent of a grant made under 12 this part may be used for costs incurred to administer 13 such grant. 14 ‘‘SEC. 3204. USE OF FUNDS. 15 ‘‘Amounts made available as a grant under this part 16 may be used by a grantee for law enforcement purposes 17 or community violence prevention purposes including— 18 ‘‘(1) hiring additional law enforcement officers; 19 ‘‘(2) investing in surveillance equipment; and 20 ‘‘(3) prevention programs. 21 ‘‘SEC. 3205. EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE. 22 ‘‘Any unit of local government or neighborhood or 23 community-based organization in a covered jurisdiction 24 that experiences, for a fiscal year, an increase of 10 per- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:38 Jan 24, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H320.IH H320 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 320 IH cent in the rate of occurrence in violent crime over the 1 preceding fiscal year, shall be eligible for an additional 2 amount equal to 10 percent of the amount otherwise avail- 3 able under this part. 4 ‘‘SEC. 3206. DEFINITION. 5 ‘‘The term ‘violent crime’ has the meaning given that 6 term by the Attorney General for purposes of the Uniform 7 Crime Reporting Program, for the fiscal year during 8 which the grants are made.’’. 9 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:38 Jan 24, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H320.IH H320 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS

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