119-hr1111

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1111 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 1111

 To establish a Department of Peacebuilding, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 February 7, 2025

 Ms. Omar (for herself, Ms. Bonamici, Mr. Carson, Mr. Garcia of 
 Illinois, Mr. Grijalva, Mr. Jackson of Illinois, Mr. Johnson of 
 Georgia, Ms. Kelly of Illinois, Mr. McGovern, Ms. Moore of Wisconsin, 
 Ms. Norton, Mrs. Ramirez, Ms. Schakowsky, Ms. Tlaib, Ms. Velazquez, 
 Mrs. McIver, Mrs. Watson Coleman, Mr. Swalwell, and Mr. Turner of 
 Texas) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
 Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To establish a Department of Peacebuilding, and for other purposes.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Department of 
Peacebuilding Act of 2025''.

    (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as 
follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.

Sec. 2. Findings.
 TITLE I--ESTABLISHMENT OF DEPARTMENT OF PEACEBUILDING

Sec. 101. Establishment of Department of Peacebuilding.

Sec. 102. Responsibilities and powers.

Sec. 103. Principal officers.

Sec. 104. Office of Peace Education and Training.

Sec. 105. Office of Domestic Peacebuilding Activities.

Sec. 106. Office of International Peacebuilding Activities.

Sec. 107. Office of Technology for Peace.

Sec. 108. Office of Arms Control and Disarmament.

Sec. 109. Office of Peacebuilding Information and Research.

Sec. 110. Office of Human Rights and Economic Rights.

Sec. 111. Intergovernmental Advisory Council on Peace.

Sec. 112. Federal Interagency Committee on Peace.

Sec. 113. Staff.

Sec. 114. Consultation required.

Sec. 115. Collaboration.
 TITLE II--OTHER MATTERS

Sec. 201. Legislative recommendations of the Secretary.

Sec. 202. Peace Days.

Sec. 203. Definitions.

Sec. 204. Authorization of appropriations.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

 Congress finds the following:

    (1) On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress 
 unanimously declared the independence of the 13 colonies, and 
 the achievement of peace was recognized as one of the highest 
 duties of the new organization of free and independent States.

    (2) The Constitution of the United States, in its preamble, 
 further sets forth the insurance of the cause of peace in 
 stating, ``We the People of the United States, in Order to form 
 a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic 
 Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the 
 general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to 
 ourselves and our Posterity''.

    (3) According to the Centre for Global Research, the United 
 States has been at war for more than 90 percent of its 
 existence. Many of our citizens today have never known a 
 peaceful year in their lifetimes.

    (4) Throughout the globe, starvation, rape, denial of media 
 access to conflict zones, and dismantling of civic and societal 
 infrastructures, including housing and healthcare, are utilized 
 as weapons of war. In 2024, UNICEF warned that rape and gender-
 based violence are often used as weapons of war and that 1 out 
 of every 8 girls alive today--some 370 million people--will 
 experience rape or sexual assault before they turn 18. More 
 than 120 million individuals have been forcibly displaced 
 worldwide as a result of persecution, conflict, violence, and 
 human rights violations.

    (5) In the 21st century, the United States has spent almost 
 $8 trillion on foreign wars, with nearly 5 million lives lost.

    (6) The physical, emotional, monetary, and other costs of 
 violence are enormous, cut across all sectors of society in the 
 United States, disproportionately impact people of color, and 
 are interrelated.

    (7) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
            (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health report 1 in 7 children 
 experience some form of child abuse or neglect in their 
 lifetimes, nearly 1 in 4 women report having experienced severe 
 physical violence from an intimate partner, nearly 1 in 3 women 
 and 1 in 7 men experience some form of sexual violence during 
 their lifetimes, and Native American women are sexually 
 assaulted, murdered, and disappeared at higher rates than other 
 American women. Additionally, the lifetime economic cost 
 associated with medical services for Intimate Partner Violence-
 related injuries, lost productivity from paid work, criminal 
 justice and other costs, is $3.6 trillion according to the CDC.

    (8) There are 3.3 million reports of violence against 
 children that result in foster care placements every year; 25 
 percent of kids in foster care experience PTSD, fewer than 3 
 percent earn a college degree; 20 percent become homeless after 
 the age of 18; and only 50 percent will be employed by the age 
 of 24. One in five high school students reported being bullied 
 at school during 2017 and cyberbullying impacts many young 
 people. Criminalization disproportionately impacts African 
 Americans and other people of color, including high rates of 
 school suspensions and expulsions and incarceration. African 
 Americans are incarcerated at more than five times the rate of 
 Whites.

    (9) In 2015, 17 percent of students considered attempting 
 suicide. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among 
 Native Americans aged 10 to 34. Approximately 17 veterans a day 
 commit suicide nationwide. About 12 young people in the United 
 States die from homicides each day.

    (10) Restorative justice and practices have been proven to 
 significantly improve outcomes. In Sonoma County, California, 
 schools that introduced restorative practices saw their 
 suspension rates drop by nearly 30 percent.

    (11) More Americans have died from gunshots in the last 50 
 years than in all of the wars in American history.

    (12) Since 1968, more than 1.5 million Americans have died 
 in gun-related incidents, according to data from the CDC. 
 Firearms are the leading cause of death for American children 
 and teens, disproportionally affecting people of color, and 
 cause more deaths in young people than cancer and car crashes. 
 The Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Prevention reports 
 that in 2022, 48,204 people died due to gun violence in the 
 United States, the second highest total ever recorded. Each 
 day, an average of 132 people died from gun violence--one death 
 every 11 minutes. In 2024, there were more than 500 mass 
 shootings, defined as incidents in which 4 or more people are 
 injured or killed. From 2020-2023, the number exceeded 600 
 annually. Young people go to school wondering where to hide 
 when a shooter enters their classroom. Each gun injury and 
 fatality results in trauma to family members, loved ones, and 
 the community.

    (13) According to reports by the Institute of Economics and 
 Peace, which measures the economic impact of violence and 
 conflict to the global economy, the economic impact of violence 
 to the global economy was $16.5 trillion in 2021. One IEP 
 report found that the regional impact of violence in North 
 America, 99 percent of which can be attributed to the United 
 States, amounted to $2.73 trillion in 2017.

    (14) Violence prevention is cost effective. For every 
 dollar spent on violence prevention and peacebuilding, 
 thousands of lives and dollars are saved. The philosophy and 
 techniques of nonviolence and peacebuilding provide tools and 
 techniques that can be applied not only at the levels of 
 individual and community growth, but also within the Federal 
 Government and at national and international levels.

    (15) Peacebuilding is defined by the United Nations as a 
 range of measures targeted to reduce the risk of lapsing or 
 relapsing into conflict by strengthening national capacities at 
 all levels for conflict management and to lay the foundations 
 for sustainable peace and development. Peacebuilding is 
 predicated on research into the root causes of violence in the 
 United States and the world, through promotion and promulgation 
 of effective policies and programs that ameliorate those root 
 causes of violence, and through providing all citizens, 
 organizations, and governmental bodies with opportunities to 
 learn about and practice the essential tools of nonviolent 
 conflict resolution and peacebuilding.

    (16) Peace is a human right and a security issue. The 
 Universal Declaration of Human Rights recognizes that 
 ``recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and 
 inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the 
 foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world'', and 
 General Assembly resolution 39/11 ``solemnly proclaims that the 
 peoples of our planet have a sacred right to peace'' and 
 ``emphasizes that ensuring the exercise of the right of peoples 
 to peace demands that the policies of States be directed 
 towards the elimination of the threat of war, particularly 
 nuclear war, the renunciation of the use of force in 
 international relations and the settlement of international 
 disputes by peaceful means on the basis of the Charter of the 
 United Nations''.

    (17) In 2000, the Earth Charter Commission released the 
 Earth Charter, an international declaration of fundamental 
 values and principles created to build a just, sustainable, and 
 peaceful global society. The preamble of the Earth Charter 
 provides, ``To move forward we must recognize that in the midst 
 of a magnificent diversity of cultures and life forms we are 
 one human family and one Earth community with a common destiny. 
 We must join together to bring forth a sustainable global 
 society founded on respect for nature, universal human rights, 
 economic justice, and a culture of peace.''.

    (18) Climate change is becoming a critical multiplier of 
 global conflict. Without immediate action, water scarcity, food 
 insecurity, and other impacts of climate change threaten to 
 ignite new conflicts, particularly in already fragile regions. 
 A 2021 Lancet global health study of 10,000 youth found 59 
 percent are ``very'' or ``extremely concerned'' about climate 
 change and its impact on their mental health.

    (19) Nuclear weapons expose the world to harm on a vast, 
 extinction-level scale. It has long been held that a nuclear 
 war cannot be won and must never be fought. Yet, the United 
 States continues expanding and modernizing its nuclear arsenal, 
 spending trillions of dollars that could instead be redirected 
 to the needs of American communities.

    (20) Systemic racism is a significant driver of violence 
 and key obstacle to peace in the United States. Confronting and 
 uprooting systemic racism in America will require efforts by 
 the Federal Government both to properly acknowledge, 
 memorialize, and provide reparations for historical injustices, 
 including the institutions of slavery and Jim Crow.

    (21) Economic insecurity and poverty are forms of violence. 
 Low wages and poverty contribute to homelessness, health 
 issues, lower life expectancy, worse school attendance and many 
 other outcomes. According to the Poor People's Campaign, 
 poverty is the fourth leading cause of death in the United 
 States, claiming 295,000 lives every year.

 TITLE I--ESTABLISHMENT OF DEPARTMENT OF PEACEBUILDING

SEC. 101. ESTABLISHMENT OF DEPARTMENT OF PEACEBUILDING.

    (a) Establishment.--There is hereby established a Department of 
Peacebuilding, which shall--

    (1) be within the executive branch of the Federal 
 Government; and

    (2) be dedicated to peacebuilding, peacemaking, and the 
 study and promotion of conditions conducive to both domestic 
 and international peace and a culture of peace.

    (b) Secretary of Peacebuilding.--There shall be at the head of the 
Department a Secretary of Peacebuilding, who shall be appointed by the 
President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.
            (c) Mission.--The Department shall--

    (1) cultivate peace and peacebuilding as a strategic 
 national policy objective;

    (2) reduce and prevent violence in the United States and 
 internationally through peacebuilding and effective nonviolent 
 conflict resolution;

    (3) strengthen nonmilitary means of peacemaking;

    (4) take a proactive, strategic approach in the development 
 of field-tested best practices and policies that promote 
 national and international conflict prevention, nonviolent 
 intervention, mediation, peaceful resolution of conflict, and 
 structured mediation of conflict;

    (5) address matters both domestic and international in 
 scope;

    (6) address the interconnection of all life and the 
 intersectionality of peace and justice, equality, health, 
 healing, national security, education, the economy, rule of 
 law, democracy, planetary survival, and other aspects of civil 
 rights, civil liberties, and human rights;

    (7) provide an institutional platform for the growing 
 wealth of expertise in peacebuilding to dramatically reduce the 
 national and global epidemic of violence;

    (8) support local communities in finding, funding, 
 replicating, and expanding programs to reduce and prevent 
 violence;

    (9) invest in nongovernmental organizations that have 
 implemented successful initiatives to reduce and prevent 
 violence, both internationally and domestically; and

    (10) consult with other Federal agencies to apply and 
 practice the science of peacebuilding in their respective 
 fields of responsibility.

SEC. 102. RESPONSIBILITIES AND POWERS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary shall, on an ongoing basis--

    (1) work proactively and interactively with each branch of 
 the Federal Government on all policy matters relating to 
 conditions of peace;

    (2) call on the experience and expertise of individuals and 
 seek participation in the development of policy from private, 
 public, and nongovernmental organizations;

    (3) monitor and analyze causative principles of conflict 
 and make policy recommendations for developing conditions of 
 peace and maintaining peaceful conduct;

    (4) research effective violence reduction programs and 
 promote and promulgate such programs within the Federal 
 Government and society; and

    (5) consult with private, public, and nongovernmental 
 organizations to develop a metric model that provides the means 
 to measure and report progress toward peace in the United 
 States to the President, Congress, and the public, and issue 
 reports on such progress annually with those reports to be 
 available to the public on the website of the Department.

    (b) Domestic Responsibilities.--The Secretary shall collaborate 
with governmental and nongovernmental organizations and individuals to 
promote personal and community security and peace by--

    (1) developing new policies and supporting existing 
 policies that effectively address personal and family violence, 
 including suicide, domestic violence, spousal abuse, child 
 abuse, and mistreatment of the elderly and others;

    (2) creating new policies and programs and expanding 
 existing policies and programs that effectively reduce drug and 
 alcohol abuse;

    (3) analyzing existing policies, employing successful, 
 field-tested programs, and developing new approaches for 
 dealing with the tools of violence, including handguns and 
 assault weapons, especially among youth;

    (4) developing new and expanding effective programs that 
 address and ameliorate societal challenges such as school 
 violence, gangs, police violence, hate crimes, economic 
 injustice, human trafficking, racial or ethnic violence, 
 violence against LGBTQ+ individuals, and police-community 
 relations disputes;

    (5) making policy recommendations to the Attorney General 
 of the United States regarding civil rights and labor law;

    (6) assisting in the establishment and funding of 
 community-based violence prevention programs, including virtual 
 violence prevention programs for at-home participation, 
 violence prevention counseling and peer mediation in schools 
 and via video conferences, and unarmed civilian peacekeeping 
 and crisis mitigation at a local level;

    (7) providing counseling and advocacy on behalf of 
 individuals victimized by violence, including those with mental 
 health challenges;

    (8) providing for public education programs and counseling 
 strategies that promote acceptance and respect for the 
 diversity of all individuals in the United States without 
 regard to race, religion, creed, gender and gender 
 identification, sexual orientation, age, ethnicity, national 
 origin, class and economic status, and other perceived 
 differences; and

    (9) supporting local community initiatives that draw on 
 neighborhood resources to create peace projects that facilitate 
 the development of conflict resolution and healing of societal 
 wounds such as patriarchy, racism, war, manifest destiny, and 
 economic injustice to thereby inform and inspire national 
 policy.
            (c) International Responsibilities.--The Secretary shall--

    (1) advise the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of 
 State on matters relating to national security, including the 
 protection of human rights and the prevention of, amelioration 
 of, and de-escalation of unarmed and armed international 
 conflict;

    (2) contribute to and participate in the development of 
 training of all United States personnel who administer post-
 conflict reconstruction and demobilization in war-torn 
 societies;

    (3) sponsor national and regional conflict-prevention and 
 dispute-resolution initiatives, create special task forces, and 
 draw on local, regional, and national expertise to develop 
 plans and programs for addressing the root sources and issues 
 of conflict in troubled areas;

    (4) develop violence prevention, amelioration and violence 
 de-escalation training for the general public to provide tools 
 and educate about peacebuilding skills and to promote 
 sustainable peace, peacebuilding buy-in and peacebuilding 
 awareness;

    (5) counsel and advocate on behalf of women victimized by 
 violence, including rape, situations leading up to conflict, 
 conflicts, and post-conflict situations;

    (6) counsel and advocate on behalf of victims of human 
 trafficking both domestically and internationally and work to 
 end the trafficking of human beings;

    (7) provide for exchanges between the United States and 
 other nations that endeavor to develop domestic and 
 international peace-based initiatives;

    (8) encourage the development of international sister city 
 programs, pairing United States cities with cities around the 
 world for artistic, cultural, economic, educational, and faith-
 based exchanges;

    (9) establish and administer a budget designated for the 
 training and deployment of unarmed civilian peacekeepers to 
 participate in multinational nonviolent peacekeeping forces 
 that may be conducted by civilian, governmental, or 
 multilateral organizations;

    (10) jointly with the Secretary of the Treasury, strengthen 
 peace enforcement through hiring and training monitors and 
 investigators to help with the enforcement of international 
 arms embargoes;

    (11) in consultation with the Secretary of State, bring 
 together all stakeholders who are impacted by a conflict by 
 facilitating peace summits where such stakeholders may gather 
 under carefully prepared conditions to promote nonviolent 
 communication and mutually beneficial solutions and to prevent 
 future violence;

    (12) submit to the President recommendations for reductions 
 and elimination of weapons of mass destruction, and make annual 
 reports to the President on the sale of arms from the United 
 States to other nations, with an analysis of the impact of such 
 sales on the defense of the United States, how such sales 
 affect peace and security, and how reduction or cessation of 
 such sales affect peace and security;

    (13) in consultation with the Secretary of State, develop 
 strategies for sustainability and management of the 
 distribution of international funds;

    (14) advise the Permanent Representative of the United 
 States to the United Nations on matters pertaining to the 
 United Nations Security Council;

    (15) support the implementation of international 
 peacebuilding strategies through a balanced use of 
 peacebuilding, reconciliation, diplomacy, development, and 
 defense with the goal of preventing and ending war and 
 violence; and

    (16) encourage all nations to create infrastructures for 
 peace within their nations and among nations.
            (d) Membership of the Secretary of Peacebuilding on the National 
Security Council.--

Section 101
            (c) of the National Security Act of 1947 
(50 U.S.C. 3021
            (c) ) is amended by inserting ``, the Secretary of 
Peacebuilding'' after ``Treasury''.

    (e) Human Security Responsibilities.--The Secretary shall address 
and offer nonviolent conflict resolution strategies and suggest 
resources for unarmed civilian peacekeepers to the appropriate relevant 
parties on issues of human security if such security is threatened by 
conflict or crisis, whether such conflict or crisis is geographic, 
religious, ethnic, gender-based, racial, or class-based in its origin, 
derives from economic concerns, health concerns or is initiated through 
disputes concerning scarcity of natural resources (such as water and 
energy resources), food, health resources (such as life saving 
medicine, medical and protective equipment and supplies, including 
viral and bacterial infection testing supplies and vaccines), trade, or 
climate and environmental concerns.

    (f) Media-Related Responsibilities.--Respecting the First Amendment 
to the Constitution of the United States of America and the requirement 
for free and independent media, the Secretary shall--

    (1) seek assistance in the design and implementation of 
 nonviolent policies from media professionals;

    (2) study the role of the media in the escalation and de-
 escalation of conflict at domestic and international levels, 
 including the role of fear-inducing and hate-inducing speech 
 and actions, and making the findings of such study public; and

    (3) make recommendations to professional media 
 organizations in order to provide opportunities to increase 
 media awareness of peacebuilding initiatives.

    (g) Educational Responsibilities.--The Secretary shall--

    (1) consult with the United States Institute of Peace, the 
 Department of Education, Indigenous communities, and other 
 concerned individuals and organizations and develop a peace 
 education curriculum that includes studies of--
        (A) the civil rights movement in the United States 
 and throughout the world and human rights and liberties 
 movements, with special emphasis on the role of 
 nonviolence and how individual endeavor and involvement 
 have contributed to advancements in peace and justice;
        (B) underlying causes of violence and conditions of 
 peace;
            (C) practices that enhance peace and peacebuilding;
            (D) the contributions to the United States of its 
 diverse ethnicities, races, and religious communities;
        (E) peace agreements and circumstances in which 
 peaceful intervention has worked to stop conflict; and
        (F) the patriarchal structure of society and the 
 inherent violence of such structure in the shaping of 
 relationships and institutions;

    (2) in consultation with the Secretary of Education--
        (A) commission and participate in the development 
 of such curriculum and make such curriculum available 
 to local school districts to enable the use of peace 
 education objectives at pre-kindergarten schools, 
 elementary schools, and secondary schools in the United 
 States;
        (B) support in early childhood, pre-kindergarten 
 schools, elementary schools, secondary schools, and 
 institutions of higher education a well-resourced, 
 balanced education that includes math, environmental 
 stewardship, science, English, history, ethnic studies, 
 economics, justice, critical thinking, social studies, 
 health, physical education, foreign languages, the 
 arts, and music that will prepare students for success 
 in a globally interconnected world; and
            (C) offer incentives in the form of grants and 
 training to encourage the development of State peace 
 curricula and assist schools in applying for such 
 grants and training;

    (3) work with educators to equip students to become skilled 
 in achieving peace through reflection, and facilitate 
 instruction in the ways of peaceful conflict resolution;

    (4) ensure that schools are nonviolence zones that provide 
 a peaceful educational environment;

    (5) create school and community cultures where students and 
 staff do not feel threatened and are free from bullying and 
 harassment by developing and implementing curricula in 
 nonviolent conflict resolution education, mindfulness, and 
 restorative practices for teachers, students, parents, the 
 school community, and the community at large;

    (6) maintain a public website to solicit and receive ideas 
 for the development of peace from the wealth of the 
 politically, socially, and culturally diverse public;

    (7) proactively engage the critical thinking capabilities, 
 including civic education on citizen duties to foster 
 democratic principles, of students and teachers of pre-
 kindergarten schools, elementary schools, secondary schools, 
 and institutions of higher education through the internet and 
 other media and issue periodic reports concerning any 
 submissions from such students and teachers;

    (8) establish a Peace Academy that shall--
        (A) be modeled after the military service 
 academies; and
        (B) provide a 4-year course of instruction in peace 
 education, after which graduates will be required to 
 serve 5 years in public service in programs dedicated 
 to domestic or international nonviolent conflict 
 resolution; and

    (9) provide grants for peace studies departments in 
 institutions of higher education throughout the United States.

SEC. 103. PRINCIPAL OFFICERS.

    (a) Under Secretary of Peacebuilding.--The President shall appoint 
an Under Secretary of Peacebuilding in the Department, by and with the 
advice and consent of the Senate. During the absence or disability of 
the Secretary, or in the event of a vacancy in the office of the 
Secretary, the Under Secretary shall act as Secretary. The Secretary 
shall designate the order in which other officials of the Department 
shall act and perform the functions of the Secretary during the absence 
or disability of both the Secretary and Under Secretary or in the event 
of vacancies in both offices.

    (b) Additional Positions.--

    (1) In general.--The President shall appoint in the 
 Department, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate--
        (A) an Assistant Secretary for Peace Education and 
 Training;
        (B) an Assistant Secretary for Domestic 
 Peacebuilding Activities;
            (C) an Assistant Secretary for International 
 Peacebuilding Activities;
            (D) an Assistant Secretary for Technology for 
 Peace;
        (E) an Assistant Secretary for Arms Control and 
 Disarmament;
        (F) an Assistant Secretary for Peacebuilding 
 Information and Research;
        (G) an Assistant Secretary for Human and Economic 
 Rights; and
        (H) a General Counsel.

    (2) Establishment of inspector general of the department of 
 peacebuilding.--

Section 401 of title 5, United States Code 
 (commonly referred to as the Inspector General Act of 1978) is 
 amended--
        (A) in paragraph

    (1) , by inserting 
 ``Peacebuilding,'' after ``Homeland Security,''; and
        (B) in paragraph

    (3) , by inserting 
 ``Peacebuilding,'' after ``Homeland Security,''.

    (3) Additional officers.--The President shall appoint 4 
 additional officers in the Department, by and with the advice 
 and consent of the Senate. The officers appointed under this 
 paragraph shall perform such functions as the Secretary shall 
 prescribe, including--
        (A) congressional relations functions;
        (B) public information functions, including 
 providing, through the use of the latest technologies, 
 useful information about peace and the work of the 
 Department;
            (C) management and budget functions; and
            (D) planning, evaluation, and policy development 
 functions, including development of policies to promote 
 the efficient and coordinated administration of the 
 Department and its programs and encourage improvements 
 in conflict resolution and violence prevention.

    (4) Description of functions.--In any case in which the 
 President submits the name of an individual to the Senate for 
 confirmation as an officer of the Department under this 
 subsection, the President shall state the particular functions 
 such individual will exercise upon taking office.
            (c) Authority of Secretary.--Each officer described in this section 
shall report directly to the Secretary and shall, in addition to any 
functions vested in or required to be delegated to such officer, 
perform such additional functions as the Secretary may prescribe.

SEC. 104. OFFICE OF PEACE EDUCATION AND TRAINING.

    (a) In General.--There shall be in the Department an Office of 
Peace Education and Training, the head of which shall be the Assistant 
Secretary for Peace Education and Training. The Assistant Secretary for 
Peace Education and Training shall carry out those functions of the 
Department relating to the creation, encouragement, and impact of peace 
education and training at the pre-kindergarten, elementary, secondary, 
university, and postgraduate levels, and disseminate applicable 
policies and research in consultation with entities of the Department 
of Health and Human Services, including--

    (1) the Administration for Children and Families;

    (2) the Administration on Aging;

    (3) the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and

    (4) the National Institutes of Health.

    (b) Peace Curriculum.--The Assistant Secretary of Peace Education 
and Training, in consultation with the Secretary of Education, 
Indigenous communities, the United States Institute of Peace, 
nongovernmental organizations, public institutions, peace and conflict 
studies programs of institutions of higher education, and Federal 
agencies that provide effective peace training materials and curricula, 
shall create and support the development and dissemination of effective 
peace curricula and supporting materials for distribution to the State 
educational agency in each State and territory of the United States and 
any other interested institutions. Each peace curriculum shall 
include--

    (1) building communicative peace skills and nonviolent 
 conflict resolution skills;

    (2) teaching and fostering compassion, empathy, 
 mindfulness, kindness, acceptance, understanding, respect, 
 inclusion, and forgiveness;

    (3) teaching about historical and contemporary events 
 utilizing nonviolent and peacebuilding principles to promote a 
 culture of peace and about individuals and organizations 
 employing nonviolent and peacebuilding principles to improve 
 society;

    (4) teaching about the benefits of a peaceful society, 
 including economic, health, social, and scientific implications 
 of peace; and

    (5) promoting other objectives to increase the knowledge of 
 peace processes.
            (c) Grants.--The Assistant Secretary of Peace Education and 
Training shall--

    (1) provide peace education grants to pre-kindergarten 
 schools, elementary schools, secondary schools, and 
 institutions of higher education for the creation and expansion 
 of peace studies departments and the education and training of 
 teachers in peace studies, violence prevention, peacebuilding, 
 community building, and nonviolent conflict resolution skills; 
 and

    (2) establish a grant program to be known as the Community 
 Peace Block Grant program under which the Secretary shall make 
 grants to nonprofit organizations and nongovernmental 
 organizations for the purposes of developing innovative school 
 and neighborhood programs for nonviolent conflict resolution 
 and creating local peacebuilding initiatives.

SEC. 105. OFFICE OF DOMESTIC PEACEBUILDING ACTIVITIES.

    (a) In General.--There shall be in the Department an Office of 
Domestic Peacebuilding Activities, the head of which shall be the 
Assistant Secretary for Domestic Peacebuilding Activities. The 
Assistant Secretary for Domestic Peacebuilding Activities shall carry 
out those functions in the Department affecting domestic peace 
activities, including the development of policies that prevent domestic 
violence and that increase awareness about intervention and counseling 
on domestic violence and conflict.

    (b) Responsibilities.--The Assistant Secretary for Domestic 
Peacebuilding Activities shall--

    (1) develop policy and disseminate best practices from the 
 field for the treatment of drug and alcohol abuse;

    (2) develop community-based strategies for celebrating 
 diversity and promoting acceptance;

    (3) develop new policies and build upon existing proven 
 programs to prevent the school-to-prison pipeline by promoting 
 restorative and conflict resolution practices at pre-
 kindergarten, elementary, secondary, university, and post 
 graduate levels and in police academies, with funding for 
 teacher, staff, student, and community training in nonviolence, 
 restorative practices, conflict resolution, and diversity 
 understanding and appreciation;

    (4) develop new policies and build on existing proven 
 programs--
        (A) to assist in the prevention of hate, a culture 
 of violence and domination, violence and crime, 
 including the development of non-threatening, non-
 harassing community policing strategies, mindfulness, 
 and conflict de-escalation training, and other peaceful 
 settlement skills among police and other public safety 
 officers;
        (B) to assist in the re-entry into the community by 
 individuals who have been incarcerated by providing 
 trauma healing, including training in anger management, 
 conflict resolution, peacebuilding skills, life skills, 
 and educational and job skills;
            (C) to assist in creating strong, happy, and 
 healthy families, including supporting mental health 
 services, domestic violence prevention, gang 
 prevention, anti-bullying programs, animal cruelty 
 prevention, substance abuse prevention, and the 
 development of peaceful parenting skills;
            (D) to promote peacebuilding and community-building 
 and to provide restorative justice and restorative 
 practice programs at all levels of the criminal justice 
 system that bring together offenders, victims, and 
 community members in an effort to repair the damage 
 caused by criminal activity through accountability and 
 rehabilitation;
        (E) to develop violence prevention and violence de-
 escalation training for the general public to provide 
 peacebuilding tools for all and to promote sustainable 
 peace, peacebuilding buy-in, and peacebuilding 
 awareness;
        (F) to provide for training and deployment into 
 neighborhoods of nonmilitary domestic conflict 
 prevention and peacemaking personnel, including 
 violence interrupters, community safety task force, and 
 civilian community peacekeepers;
        (G) to implement respectful, non-targeting, and 
 non-harassing community-based policing to break down 
 barriers between law enforcement officers and the 
 people such officers serve; and
        (H) to encourage and facilitate formation of 
 locally and State-run and administered citizen's boards 
 to recommend any appropriate training as needed for 
 working compassionately and effectively with local, 
 regional, and State populations and to review and hold 
 accountable actions of all local, regional, and State 
 police and law enforcement departments in the United 
 States;

    (5) promote informal and cultural exchanges between 
 individuals and groups of proximate neighborhoods and regions 
 to encourage understanding and acceptance; and

    (6) disseminate applicable policies and research in 
 consultation with--
        (A) the Department of Justice;
        (B) the Department of Health and Human Services;
            (C) the Department of State; and
            (D) the Department of Education.
            (c) Grants.--The Assistant Secretary for Domestic Peacebuilding 
Activities shall establish a grant program to be known as the Cultural 
Diplomacy for Peace grant program under which the Secretary shall make 
grants to pre-kindergarten schools, elementary schools, secondary 
schools, institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, and 
nongovernmental organizations for the purpose of developing domestic 
cultural exchanges, including exchanges relating to the arts, sports, 
science, and other academic disciplines, that promote diplomacy and 
cultural understanding between neighborhoods and members of such 
neighborhoods.

SEC. 106. OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL PEACEBUILDING ACTIVITIES.

    (a) In General.--There shall be in the Department an Office of 
International Peacebuilding Activities, the head of which shall be the 
Assistant Secretary for International Peacebuilding Activities. The 
Assistant Secretary for International Peacebuilding Activities shall 
carry out those functions in the Department affecting international 
peace activities.

    (b) Responsibilities.--The Assistant Secretary for International 
Peacebuilding Activities shall--

    (1) develop new programs and promote existing proven 
 programs to--
        (A) provide for the training and deployment of 
 graduates of the Peace Academy established under 
 

section 102

    (g) and other nonmilitary conflict 
 prevention and peacemaking personnel;
        (B) support national and regional conflict-
 prevention, de-escalation, and peaceful dispute-
 resolution initiatives in nations experiencing social, 
 political, environmental, medical, or economic strife 
 and among all nations;
            (C) develop community building, violence 
 prevention, amelioration and de-escalation training for 
 the general public to educate about peacebuilding 
 skills and to promote sustainable peace, peacebuilding 
 buy-in and peacebuilding awareness;
            (D) provide training for the administration of 
 post-conflict reconstruction and demobilization in war-
 torn societies;
        (E) address root causes of violence;
        (F) eradicate extreme hunger, infectious and other 
 diseases, and poverty;
        (G) eradicate genocide;
        (H) achieve universal primary education;
            (I) empower women and girls;
        (J) eradicate human trafficking; and
        (K) eradicate dehumanization and mistreatment of 
 individuals;

    (2) support the creation of a multinational nonviolent 
 peace force;

    (3) provide for exchanges between individuals of the United 
 States and other nations that are endeavoring to develop 
 domestic and international peace-based initiatives; and

    (4) disseminate applicable policies and research in 
 consultation with--
        (A) the Department of State;
        (B) the Department of Labor;
            (C) the Peace Corps;
            (D) the United States Institute of Peace; and
        (E) any other applicable entities.
            (c) Grants.--The Assistant Secretary for International 
Peacebuilding Activities shall establish a grant program to be known as 
the International Cultural Diplomacy for Peace grant program under 
which the Secretary shall make grants to pre-kindergarten schools, 
elementary schools, secondary schools, institutions of higher 
education, nonprofit organizations, and nongovernmental organizations 
for the purpose of developing international cultural exchanges, 
including exchanges related to the arts, sports, science, and other 
academic disciplines, that promote diplomacy and cultural understanding 
between the United States and other nations.

SEC. 107. OFFICE OF TECHNOLOGY FOR PEACE.

    (a) In General.--There shall be in the Department an Office of 
Technology for Peace, the head of which shall be the Assistant 
Secretary for Technology for Peace. The Assistant Secretary for 
Technology for Peace shall carry out those functions in the Department 
affecting the awareness, study, ethical implications and impact of 
evolving existing technologies and developing new technologies, 
including artificial intelligence, mobile technologies, social media, 
drones, and data science and information, on the creation and 
maintenance of domestic and international peace, and disseminate 
applicable policies and research in consultation with appropriate 
entities of the Department of State.

    (b) Grants.--The Assistant Secretary for Technology for Peace shall 
make grants for the research and development of technologies in 
transportation, communications, agriculture, medicine, and energy 
that--

    (1) are nonviolent in application;

    (2) encourage the conservation and sustainability of 
 natural resources, including air, water, land, in order to 
 prevent future conflicts regarding scarce resources due to 
 overuse or natural or human-caused disasters, including climate 
 change and pandemics; and

    (3) promote a green, peaceful economy.

SEC. 108. OFFICE OF ARMS CONTROL AND DISARMAMENT.

    (a) In General.--There shall be in the Department an Office of Arms 
Control and Disarmament, the head of which shall be the Assistant 
Secretary for Arms Control and Disarmament. The Assistant Secretary for 
Arms Control and Disarmament shall carry out those functions in the 
Department affecting arms control programs and arms limitation 
agreements.

    (b) Responsibilities.--The Assistant Secretary for Arms Control and 
Disarmament shall--

    (1) advise the Secretary on interagency discussions and 
 international negotiations, including discussions involving the 
 United Nations, the Secretary of State, the Atomic Energy 
 Commission, and the Secretary of Defense, regarding the 
 increase or reduction and elimination of weapons of mass 
 destruction throughout the world, including the dismantling of 
 such weapons and the safe and secure storage of materials 
 related thereto and efforts to limit or cease development, 
 testing, manufacture or possession of nuclear weapons or 
 threats to use them or to allow any nuclear arms to be 
 stationed in the territory of any nation;

    (2) assist nations, international agencies, and 
 nongovernmental organizations in assessing the locations of the 
 buildup of nuclear arms and other weapons of mass destruction;

    (3) develop nonviolent strategies to prevent and deter 
 testing or use of offensive or defensive nuclear weapons, 
 weaponized drones, assault weapons, and other weapons of mass 
 destruction, whether based on land, underground, air, sea, or 
 in space;

    (4) serve as a depository for copies of all contracts, 
 agreements, and treaties that address the reduction and 
 elimination of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass 
 destruction, and the protection of space from militarization;

    (5) provide technical support and legal assistance for the 
 implementation of such contracts, agreements, and treaties;

    (6) disseminate applicable policies and research in 
 consultation with the Department of State and the Department of 
 Commerce; and

    (7) address and support nuclear waste cleanup at nuclear 
 test sites, nuclear research facilities and laboratories, 
 Superfund Sites of former and present military bases in the 
 United States and abroad and at lands, in waters, and in the 
 air adjacent to old and new nuclear reactors and nuclear-
 contaminated sites.

SEC. 109. OFFICE OF PEACEBUILDING INFORMATION AND RESEARCH.

    (a) In General.--There shall be in the Department an Office of 
Peacebuilding Information and Research, the head of which shall be the 
Assistant Secretary for Peacebuilding Information and Research. The 
Assistant Secretary for Peacebuilding Information and Research shall 
carry out those functions in the Department affecting research and 
analysis relating to creating, initiating, and modeling approaches to 
peaceful coexistence and nonviolent conflict resolution and shall make 
this information available to Congress, the public, and other 
interested entities on an ongoing basis.

    (b) Responsibilities.--The Assistant Secretary for Peacebuilding 
Information and Research shall--

    (1) commission or compile studies on the impact of war, 
 mass shootings, police violence and other types of violence, 
 especially on the physical and mental condition of children 
 (using the 10-point anti-war agenda in the United Nations 
 Children's Fund report, State of the World's Children 1996, as 
 a guide) that shall include the study of the effect of war on 
 the environment and public health;

    (2) commission or compile studies on the impact of war and 
 other types of violence on soldiers, veterans and civilians;

    (3) commission or compile studies on the effect of war and 
 other types of violence on the environment, public health, the 
 economy, and national security;

    (4) commission or compile studies on the impact of 
 violence, racism and inequality on such conditions of peace as 
 health care, employment, education, economic equity, food 
 security, voting rights, housing, justice, and rule of law;

    (5) compile information on effective community 
 peacebuilding activities and disseminate such information to 
 local governments and nongovernmental organizations in the 
 United States and abroad;

    (6) commission or compile research on the effect of 
 violence in the media, including the use of untruths, 
 misinformation and false information and make such reports 
 available to Congress and the public annually;

    (7) commission or compile research on the number and 
 circumstances of deaths caused by law enforcement using guns or 
 other weapons, devices or methods, the number and circumstances 
 of deaths to law enforcement officials caused by guns or other 
 weapons, devices or methods, the effects of gun violence in the 
 United States, and make such reports available to Congress and 
 the public annually;

    (8) commission or compile research on the effect of 
 teaching nonviolent conflict resolution skills and practices 
 and social emotional education in schools and disseminate such 
 information to educational institutions, Congress and the 
 public annually;

    (9) commission or compile any other such research that will 
 foster understanding of the root causes of violence, the root 
 conditions of peace, and policies and practices to promote a 
 culture of peace;

    (10) publish a monthly journal of the activities of the 
 Department and encourage scholarly participation;

    (11) sponsor conferences throughout the United States to 
 create awareness of the work of the Department;

    (12) make available to the public reports, studies, and 
 compiled research described in this Act; and

    (13) where applicable, work to carry out the 
 responsibilities under this subsection in consultation with the 
 United States Institute of Peace and other governmental and 
 nongovernmental organizations, including--
        (A) the Department of Health and Human Services;
        (B) the Department of Justice; and
            (C) the Department of State.

SEC. 110. OFFICE OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND ECONOMIC RIGHTS.

    (a) In General.--There shall be in the Department an Office of 
Human Rights and Economic Rights, the head of which shall be the 
Assistant Secretary for Human Rights and Economic Rights. The Assistant 
Secretary for Human Rights and Economic Rights shall carry out those 
functions in the Department that support the principles of the 
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the General Assembly 
of the United Nations on December 10, 1948.

    (b) Responsibilities.--The Assistant Secretary for Human Rights and 
Economic Rights shall--

    (1) assist the Secretary, in consultation with the 
 Secretary of State, in furthering the incorporation of the 
 principles of human rights, as enunciated in the Universal 
 Declaration of Human Rights, into all agreements between the 
 United States and other nations to help prevent and reduce the 
 causes of violence;

    (2) consult with the Secretary of State, the United 
 Nations, the Atrocities Prevention Board of the White House, 
 the Department of Justice, and other similarly concerned 
 governmental and nongovernmental organizations to gather 
 information on and document domestic and international human 
 rights abuses, including genocide, torture, State executions, 
 police brutality, detention for profit, caging of children and 
 other individuals, murder of unarmed civilians, solitary 
 confinement (especially among children), human trafficking, 
 child soldiers, child labor, and slave labor and recommend to 
 the Secretary nonviolent responses to promote awareness, 
 understanding, and correction of abuses;

    (3) make such information available to other governmental 
 and nongovernmental organizations in order to facilitate 
 nonviolent conflict resolution;

    (4) provide trained observers to work with nongovernmental 
 organizations for purposes of creating a climate conducive to 
 the respect for human rights;

    (5) conduct economic analyses of the scarcity of human and 
 natural resources as a source of conflict and make 
 recommendations to the Secretary for nonviolent prevention of 
 such scarcity, nonviolent intervention in case of such 
 scarcity, and the development of programs to assist people 
 facing such scarcity, whether due to armed conflict, greed, 
 misdistribution of resources, overuse or other human causes, 
 including climate disruption, or natural causes;

    (6) conduct economic analyses of the impact of violence 
 within and among nations as a source of human displacement and 
 criminalization, vilification, victimization and mistreatment 
 of those fleeing their homes to seek better and safer lives and 
 make recommendations to the Secretary for nonviolent solutions 
 and development of programs to assist people facing such 
 conditions;

    (7) assist the Secretary, in consultation with the 
 Secretary of State and the Secretary of the Treasury, in 
 developing strategies regarding the sustainability and the 
 management of the distribution of funds from international 
 agencies, the conditions regarding the receipt of such funds, 
 and the impact of those conditions on the peace and stability 
 of the recipient nations;

    (8) assist the Secretary, in consultation with the 
 Secretary of State and the Secretary of Labor, in developing 
 strategies to promote full compliance with domestic and 
 international labor rights law;

    (9) conduct policy analysis to ensure that the 
 international development investments of the United States 
 positively impact the peace and stability of the recipient 
 country; and

    (10) disseminate policies and research in consultation with 
 appropriate entities of the Department of State.

SEC. 111. INTERGOVERNMENTAL ADVISORY COUNCIL ON PEACE.

    (a) In General.--There shall be in the Department an advisory 
committee known as the Intergovernmental Advisory Council on Peace (in 
this section referred to as the ``Council''). The Council shall provide 
assistance and make recommendations to the President and the Secretary 
concerning intergovernmental policies relating to peace and nonviolent 
conflict resolution.

    (b) Responsibilities.--The Council shall--

    (1) provide a forum for representatives of international 
 bodies, the Federal Government, Tribal governments, and State 
 and local governments to discuss peace issues, including 
 practices, traditions and policies that promote peacebuilding 
 and crises and wellness issues;

    (2) promote better intergovernmental relations and offer 
 professional mediation services to ameliorate and resolve 
 intergovernmental and intragovernmental conflict as needed, 
 including elimination of inflammatory rhetoric; and

    (3) submit biennially, or more frequently if determined 
 necessary by the Council, a report to the President, the 
 Secretary, and Congress reviewing the impact of Federal peace 
 activities on the Federal Government and on State and local 
 governments.
            (c) Membership.--The Secretary shall appoint the members of the 
Council.

SEC. 112. FEDERAL INTERAGENCY COMMITTEE ON PEACE.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established a Federal Interagency 
Committee on Peace (in this section referred to as the ``Committee''). 
The Committee shall--

    (1) assist the Secretary in providing a mechanism to assure 
 that the procedures and actions of the Department and other 
 Federal agencies are fully coordinated; and

    (2) study and make recommendations for assuring effective 
 coordination of Federal programs, policies, and administrative 
 practices affecting peace, peacebuilding and violence 
 prevention, and wellness.

    (b) Membership.--The Secretary shall appoint the members of the 
Committee.

SEC. 113. STAFF.

 The Secretary may appoint and fix the compensation of such 
employees as may be necessary to carry out the functions of the 
Secretary and the Department. Except as otherwise provided by law, such 
employees shall be appointed in accordance with applicable laws and the 
compensation of such employees fixed in accordance with title 5, United 
States Code.

SEC. 114. CONSULTATION REQUIRED.

    (a) Consultation in Cases of Conflict and Violence Prevention.--

    (1) In general.--In any case in which a conflict between 
 the United States and any other government or entity is 
 foreseeable, imminent, or occurring, the Secretary of Defense 
 and the Secretary of State shall consult with the Secretary of 
 Peacebuilding concerning violence prevention, nonviolent means 
 of conflict resolution, and peacebuilding.

    (2) Diplomatic initiatives.--In any case in which a 
 conflict described in paragraph

    (1) is ongoing or recently 
 concluded, the Secretary shall conduct an independent study of 
 diplomatic initiatives undertaken by the United States and 
 other parties to such conflict.

    (3) Initiative assessment.--In any case in which a conflict 
 described in paragraph

    (1) has recently concluded, the 
 Secretary shall assess the effectiveness of any initiatives in 
 ending such conflict.

    (4) Consultation process.--The Secretary shall establish a 
 formal process of consultation in a timely manner with the 
 Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, and the National 
 Security Council--
        (A) prior to the initiation of policies or 
 withdrawal of resources that may lead to violence and 
 of any armed conflict between the United States and any 
 other country; and
        (B) for any matter involving--
            (i) the use of Department of Defense 
 personnel within the United States; or
            (ii) the proposed or actual distribution of 
 equipment of the Department of Defense to local 
 or State law enforcement entities or to other 
 individuals or entities.

    (b) Consultation in Drafting Treaties and Agreements.--The head of 
each appropriate Federal agency shall consult with the Secretary in 
drafting treaties and peace agreements.

SEC. 115. COLLABORATION.

 The Secretary shall, for the greatest effectiveness in promoting 
peace and peacebuilding, collaborate with other Federal agencies, 
applicable experts, nongovernmental organization stakeholders, 
appropriate non-profit organization stakeholders and State, Tribal, and 
local leaders and stakeholders regarding all related programs in all 
Federal agencies. The collaboration shall include and prioritize those 
who are most impacted by the programs for the purpose implementing or 
updating such programs and for the purpose of evaluating the 
effectiveness and impacts of such programs.

 TITLE II--OTHER MATTERS

SEC. 201. LEGISLATIVE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE SECRETARY.

 Not later than 1 year after the date of the appointment of the 
first Secretary, the Secretary shall prepare and submit to Congress 
proposed legislation containing any necessary and appropriate 
amendments to the laws of the United States to carry out the purposes 
of this Act.

SEC. 202. PEACE DAYS.

 The Secretary shall encourage citizens to observe and celebrate the 
blessings of peace and endeavor to create peace on Peace Days. Such 
days shall include discussions of the professional activities and the 
achievements in the lives of peacemakers.

SEC. 203. DEFINITIONS.

 In this Act:

    (1) Department.--The term ``Department'' means the 
 Department of Peacebuilding established under 

section 101

    (a) .

    (2) ESEA terms.--The terms ``elementary school'', 
 ``secondary school'', and ``State educational agency'' have the 
 meaning given those terms in 

section 8101 of the Elementary and 
 Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).

    (3) Federal agency.--The term ``Federal agency'' has the 
 meaning given the term ``agency'' in 

section 551

    (1) of title 5, 
 United States Code.

    (4) Institution of higher education.--The term 
 ``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given that 
 term in 

section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
 U.S.C. 1001).

    (5) Nonprofit organization.--The term ``nonprofit 
 organization'' means an entity that--
        (A) is described in 

section 501
            (c) (3) of the 
 Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (26 U.S.C. 501
            (c) (3) ); 
 and
        (B) is exempt from tax under 

section 501

    (a) of such 
 Code.

    (6) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
 of Peacebuilding appointed under 

section 101

    (b) .

SEC. 204. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) In General.--There is authorized to be appropriated to carry 
out this Act such sums as may be necessary.

    (b) Limitation on Use of Funds.--Of the amounts appropriated 
pursuant to subsection

    (a) , at least 85 percent shall be used for 
domestic peace programs, including administrative costs associated with 
such programs.
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