119-hr2668

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2668 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 2668

 To amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to 
 authorize the use of Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant 
 Program funds to support State and local efforts to reduce crime and 
 recidivism through the expansion and enhancement of pre-incarceration 
 diversion and rehabilitation programs, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 April 7, 2025

 Mr. Bell (for himself, Mr. Cleaver, Ms. Clarke of New York, Mr. 
 Figures, Mrs. McIver, Mr. Jackson of Illinois, Mr. Thompson of 
 Mississippi, Mr. Thanedar, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Mr. Ivey, Ms. 
Norton, Ms. Ansari, Ms. Crockett, and Ms. Wilson of Florida) 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 
 authorize the use of Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant 
 Program funds to support State and local efforts to reduce crime and 
 recidivism through the expansion and enhancement of pre-incarceration 
 diversion and rehabilitation programs, 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.

 This Act may be cited as the ``Diversion And Rehabilitation 
Transformation Act of 2025'' or the ``DART Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

 The Congress finds the following:

    (1) Drug addiction, mental health disorders, and systemic 
 poverty are significant contributing factors to crime rates 
 across the United States.

    (2) Traditional criminal justice approaches, particularly 
 incarceration, often fail to address the underlying causes of 
 criminal behavior and can result in negative collateral 
 consequences for individuals, families, and communities, 
 including--
        (A) loss of employment and housing;
        (B) disruption of family relationships;
            (C) increased risk of future criminal behavior; and
            (D) strain on State and local resources.

    (3) Pre-incarceration diversion and rehabilitation programs 
 offer a cost-effective and evidence-based alternative to 
 incarceration by connecting individuals with appropriate 
 treatment, life-skills training, support services, and 
 increasing connectivity to behavioral health services, thereby 
 addressing the root causes of crime and promoting long-term 
 public safety.

    (4) Many States and local jurisdictions, including St. 
 Louis County, Missouri, have successfully implemented diversion 
 and rehabilitation programs, demonstrating their effectiveness 
 in reducing recidivism and improving community outcomes.

    (5) The Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant 
 Program

    (JAG) is a critical source of Federal funding for State 
 and local criminal justice initiatives.

    (6) Expanding the allowable uses of JAG funds to 
 specifically include pre-arrest diversion, specialty courts, 
 and post-release rehabilitation will enhance the effectiveness 
 of the JAG program and promote a more comprehensive approach to 
 criminal justice reform.

    (7) The implementation of evidence-based and trauma-
 informed practices within diversion and rehabilitation programs 
 is essential for ensuring positive outcomes and reducing 
 recidivism rates.

SEC. 3. PURPOSES.

 The purposes of this Act are as follows:

    (1) To reduce crime and recidivism rates nationwide by 
 supporting the expansion and enhancement of pre-arrest 
 diversion, court-based intervention, and post-release 
 rehabilitation at the State and local levels.

    (2) To promote a more effective and equitable criminal 
 justice system that addresses the underlying causes of crime 
 and provides opportunities for individuals to turn their lives 
 around.

    (3) To minimize the negative collateral consequences 
 associated with incarceration and the criminal justice process.

    (4) To encourage the adoption of evidence-based and trauma-
 informed practices in diversion and rehabilitation programs.

    (5) To leverage the existing infrastructure of the Edward 
 Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program to efficiently 
 and effectively support diversion and rehabilitation efforts.

    (6) To prioritize funding for programs that incorporate 
 mental health services, peer support, and restorative justice 
 practices.

SEC. 4. EXPANSION OF PROGRAM PURPOSE AREAS UNDER THE EDWARD BYRNE 
 MEMORIAL JUSTICE ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAM.

 

Section 501

    (a)

    (1) of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act 
of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10152

    (a)

    (1) ) is amended--

    (1) in subparagraph
        (H) --
        (A) by striking ``and corrections programs'' and 
 inserting ``, corrections, and diversion and 
 rehabilitation programs''; and
        (B) by inserting before the period at the end the 
 following: ``implemented at any phase of the criminal 
 justice process (including pre-arrest and pre-trial)''; 
 and

    (2) by adding at the end the following:
 ``
            (I) Specialty courts and judicial intervention 
 programs, including restorative justice programs 
 focusing on victim-involvement or community-based 
 resolutions.''.

SEC. 5. NATIONAL DIVERSION AND REHABILITATION CLEARINGHOUSE.

    (a) Establishment.--The Attorney General is authorized to establish 
a National Diversion and Rehabilitation Clearinghouse to centralize 
information on evidence-based practices related to diversion and 
rehabilitation programs.

    (b) Functions.--The Clearinghouse established under subsection

    (a) is authorized to--

    (1) collect and disseminate research on effective diversion 
 and rehabilitation programs;

    (2) provide technical assistance to States, local 
 governments, and non-profits related to implementing a 
 diversion and rehabilitation program;

    (3) conduct research and develop training materials on 
 diversion and rehabilitation programs;

    (4) identify and promote best practices for trauma-informed 
 and restorative justice approaches to implementing a diversion 
 and rehabilitation program; and

    (5) provide technical assistance to recipients of grants 
 under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant 
 Program under subpart 1 of part E of title I of the Omnibus 
 Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10151 et 
 seq.) that are using such funds for a diversion and 
 rehabilitation program.
            (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Attorney General such sums as may be necessary to 
carry out this section for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2031.
            (d) === Definitions. ===
-In this section:

    (1) The term ``diversion and rehabilitation program'' means 
 a program that--
        (A) places individuals who come into contact with 
 the criminal justice system into alternative processes 
 outside the standard scope of criminal justice 
 processing; and
        (B) reduces an individual's involvement in the 
 criminal justice system in both the short and long 
 term.

    (2) The term ``trauma-informed practice'' means, with 
 respect to criminal justice and rehabilitation, an approach 
 that recognizes the impact of trauma on individuals and seeks 
 to create safe, supportive, and empowering environments that 
 promote healing and reduce re-traumatization.

    (3) The term ``evidence-based practice'' means a program or 
 practice that--
        (A) is demonstrated to be effective when 
 implemented with fidelity;
        (B) is based on a clearly articulated and 
 empirically supported theory;
            (C) has measurable outcomes relevant to reducing 
 incarceration; and
            (D) has been scientifically tested and proven 
 effective through randomized control studies or 
 comparison group studies and with the ability to 
 replicate and scale.
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