119-hr4387

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4387 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 4387

 To establish within the Department of Health and Human Services a 
 Division on Community Safety, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 July 15, 2025

Ms. Lee of Pennsylvania (for herself, Ms. Pressley, Ms. Schakowsky, Mr. 
 McGarvey, and Ms. Jayapal) introduced the following bill; which was 
 referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the 
 Committees on Energy and Commerce, Education and Workforce, 
Transportation and Infrastructure, and Financial Services, for a period 
 to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
 committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To establish within the Department of Health and Human Services a 
 Division on Community Safety, 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; PURPOSES.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``People's Response 
Act''.

    (b) 

=== Purpose ===
-It is the purpose of this Act to--

    (1) catalyze, coordinate, and disseminate research on 
 approaches to community safety that reduce criminal legal 
 contact while expanding opportunity, including a particular 
 focus on groups that have been disproportionately harmed by the 
 criminal legal system;

    (2) support State governments, local governments, and 
 community-based organizations in implementing qualified 
 approaches to community safety;

    (3) mobilize and coordinate Federal resources to advance 
 qualified approaches to community safety;

    (4) expand resources to holistically support survivors of 
 mass incarceration, police violence, rape and other forms of 
 sexual assault, harm resulting from detention or deportation, 
 and other forms of violence and abuse; and

    (5) expand resources to holistically support marginalized 
 communities, including Black communities, Latine/x communities, 
 Indigenous communities, communities of color, poor and working 
 class communities, and LGBTQIA+ communities, to implement 
 qualified approaches to community safety, with an emphasis on 
 culturally and linguistically appropriate approaches.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

 In this Act:

    (1) Community-based organization.--The term ``community-
 based organization'' means a public or private nonprofit 
 organization of demonstrated effectiveness that--
        (A) is representative of a community or significant 
 segments of a community; and
        (B) provides educational or related services to 
 individuals in the community.

    (2) Community health worker.--The term ``community health 
 worker'' means a frontline public health worker who--
        (A) is a trusted member of, or has a close 
 understanding of, the community served, enabling the 
 worker to serve as a link between health and social 
 services and the community, so as to facilitate access 
 to services and improve the quality and cultural 
 competence of service delivery; and
        (B) builds individual and community capacity by 
 increasing health knowledge and self-sufficiency 
 through a range of activities such as outreach, 
 community education, counseling (as allowed under State 
 licensing requirements), social support, and advocacy.

    (3) Community land trust.--The term ``community land 
 trust'' means a community-based organization that is designed 
 to ensure community stewardship of land and--
        (A) is not sponsored by a for-profit organization;
        (B) has a membership open to any adult who resides 
 in the particular geographic area in which the 
 organization operates; and
            (C) provides low-cost land and housing while 
 maintaining community control over neighborhood 
 resources, including by acquiring land that will be 
 held in perpetuity so as to provide permanently 
 affordable homeownership to those who might not 
 otherwise be able to afford a home.

    (4) First responder.--The term ``first responder'' means an 
 individual with relevant experience who responds to crises in a 
 way that meets the definition of qualified approaches to 
 community safety.

    (5) Qualified approach to community safety.--The term 
 ``qualified approach to community safety'' means evidence-
 informed, nonpunitive approaches to prevent, address, and 
 respond to violence and otherwise enhance public safety using 
 programs, services, and infrastructure investments that provide 
 alternatives to law enforcement, criminal courts, prosecution, 
 probation, child welfare services, involuntary treatment, and 
 immigration enforcement.

    (6) Participatory budgeting.--The term ``participatory 
 budgeting'' means a democratic engagement process in which 
 community members deliberate and decide directly how to 
 allocate a portion of a public budget.

    (7) Rural area.--The term ``rural area'' means an area that 
 is not classified by the Census Bureau as urban.

    (8) Safety needs assessment.--The term ``safety needs 
 assessment'' means a systematic, participatory process for 
 identifying the safety needs in the local community. Such 
 process shall include--
        (A) soliciting input from persons who represent the 
 broad interests of the local community, including those 
 who have been harmed by arrest, incarceration, criminal 
 supervision, immigration detention, or other criminal 
 legal system involvement;
        (B) identifying the structural, systemic factors 
 that may lead community members to feel unsafe or may 
 increase the risk that community members may become 
 involved with the criminal legal system;
            (C) identifying existing resources that are 
 potentially available to address those safety needs as 
 well as any other gaps in necessary resources; and
            (D) providing opportunities that allow people 
 meaningful opportunities to review, comment on, and 
 provide suggested modifications to the draft 
 assessment, such as through public hearings, online 
 publication, and a comment period that allows 
 sufficient time for community feedback.

    (9) State.--The term ``State'' means any State of the 
 United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of 
 Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, the 
 Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, 
 the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau.

    (10) Unit of local government.--The term ``unit of local 
 government'' means any city, county, township, town, borough, 
 parish, village, or other general purpose political subdivision 
 of a State.

 TITLE I--DIVISION ON COMMUNITY SAFETY

SEC. 101. DIVISION ON COMMUNITY SAFETY.

    (a) In General.--There is established within the Department of 
Health and Human Services a Division on Community Safety (referred to 
in this Act as the ``Division''). The Division shall be headed by an 
Assistant Secretary for Community Safety (referred to in this Act as 
the ``Assistant Secretary'') who shall be designated by and report 
directly to the Secretary of Health and Human Services.

    (b) Responsibilities.--The Division shall have responsibility for 
overseeing activities that promote qualified approaches to community 
safety, including--

    (1) coordinating and carrying out other oversight 
 activities with respect to the grant programs established under 
 title II;

    (2) funding, conducting, coordinating, and publicly 
 disseminating the findings of, research into policies, 
 programs, infrastructure, and other investments that serve to 
 increase qualified approaches to community safety, including 
 through interdisciplinary collaborations involving scholars, 
 nonprofits, and other nongovernmental actors;

    (3) providing and funding technical assistance to State and 
 local governments to implement qualified approaches to 
 community safety;

    (4) establishing--
        (A) the National Advisory Committee under 

section 102;
        (B) the Interagency Task Force under 

section 103;
            (C) the Community Safety Grant for community-led 
 organizations under 

section 201;
            (D) the Community Safety Grant for Local 
 Governments under 

section 202;
        (E) the Community Safety Grant for States under 
 

section 203; and
        (F) the First Responder Hiring Grants under 

section 204;

    (5) coordinating, streamlining, and implementing qualified 
 approaches to community safety in collaboration with the 
 Assistant Secretary for the Administration for Children and 
 Families, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and 
 Prevention, Administrator of the Health Resources and Services 
 Administration, Director of the Indian Health Service, the 
 Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substances Use, and 
 other relevant agencies within the Department of Health and 
 Human Services;

    (6) supporting and helping to coordinate interagency 
 initiatives that advance, streamline, and otherwise implement 
 qualified approaches to community safety;

    (7) administering grant programs that support State 
 governments, local governments, and community-based 
 organizations in implementing qualified approaches to 
 increasing community safety;

    (8) developing data systems and processes for evaluating 
 the impact of grants made under title II, including through the 
 use of data matching and other tools to inform target 
 populations and geographic areas;

    (9) providing to the public updates, findings, and 
 recommendations on qualified approaches to community safety 
 collected from the reports made by recipients of grants under 
 title II; and

    (10) establishing and maintaining a complaint system 
 responsible for the resolution of complaints from members of 
 the general public regarding grant funding for programs not 
 compliant with the qualified approaches to community safety 
 standards.

SEC. 102. NATIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

    (a) In General.--The Division shall establish a national advisory 
committee to advise and make recommendations to the Assistant Secretary 
about the activities of the Division established under 

section 101 and 
grant programs under title II, to be known as the National Advisory 
Committee (referred to in this Act as the ``Advisory Committee'').

    (b) Composition.--

    (1) In general.--The Advisory Committee shall be composed 
 of individuals to be selected by the Secretary.

    (2) Representation.--The Assistant Secretary shall ensure 
 that individuals selected to serve as members of the Advisory 
 Committee--
        (A) have personal experience with the criminal 
 legal system, including--
            (i) individuals who have been detained or 
 incarcerated;
            (ii) individuals who are currently on 
 community supervision (such as probation or 
 parole) or who have been on community 
 supervision;
            (iii) individuals who have been arrested or 
 cited by law enforcement;
            (iv) individuals who have been harmed by 
 police violence or other forms of violence, 
 including domestic violence, sexual assault, 
 rape, and other forms of sexual or intimate 
 partner violence; and
            (v) immediate family members of individuals 
 who have been harmed by police violence; and
        (B) are advocates or grassroots practitioners 
 working to advance educational equity, health equity, 
 housing equity, environmental justice, racial justice, 
 gender justice, disability justice, or Indigenous 
 justice.

    (3) Pay.--Members of the Advisory Committee shall serve at 
 a rate of pay to be determined by the Secretary.

    (4) Responsibilities.--The duties of the Advisory Committee 
 are as follows:
        (A) Making recommendations regarding annual 
 priorities and funding for research and technical 
 assistance and evaluating, on an annual basis, research 
 conducted or supported by the Division and technical 
 assistance provided by the Division.
        (B) Based on the evaluations conducted under 
 subparagraph
        (A) , producing, and submitting to the 
 Administrator, annual recommendations on the following:
            (i) Whether activities conducted by the 
 Division adequately reflect the specific needs 
 and interests of all individuals, including 
 Black individuals, Asian-American individuals, 
 Latinx individuals, Indigenous individuals, 
 lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender 
 individuals, disabled individuals, and other 
 individuals who are members of communities that 
 have been disproportionately impacted by the 
 immigration and criminal legal system.
            (ii) Whether funding made available to the 
 Division is sufficiently flowing to 
 organizations that are led by individuals who 
 represent communities that have been 
 disproportionately impacted by the criminal-
 legal system, such as those referred to in 
 clause
            (i) .
            (iii) Changes that the Division could make 
 to address any issues uncovered during such 
 evaluations, including ways to ensure that 
 grants awarded under this title are serving to 
 enhance racial equity and benefit community-
 based organizations that have diverse 
 leadership and composition.

    (5) Report.--Not later than 90 days after the date on which 
 the Division receives the recommendations under paragraph

    (4)
        (B) , the Division shall submit a report to Congress, which 
 details--
        (A) steps the Division has taken or will take to 
 implement the Advisory Committee's recommendations; or
        (B) for any recommendations not implemented or 
 planned to be implemented, an explanation as to why 
 such recommendation was infeasible or conflicted with 
 the Division's statutory obligations.
            (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out the duties of 
the Advisory Committee.

SEC. 103. INTERAGENCY TASK FORCE.

    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services 
shall establish an interagency task force (referred to in this Act as 
the ``Task Force'') to coordinate and promote holistic, qualified 
approaches to community safety.

    (b) Members.--The Task Force shall be composed of the following 
members:

    (1) The Secretary of Health and Human Services, or the 
 designee of the Secretary.

    (2) The Attorney General, or the designee of the Attorney 
 General.

    (3) The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, or the 
 designee of the Secretary.

    (4) The Secretary of Education, or the designee of the 
 Secretary.

    (5) The Secretary of Labor, or the designee of the 
 Secretary.

    (6) The Administrator of the Environmental Protection 
 Agency, or the designee of the Administrator.

    (7) Other agencies, as determined necessary by the 
 Secretary of Health and Human Services.
            (c) Duties.--The Task Force shall carry out the following:

    (1) Conduct a comprehensive audit of all funds allocated 
 and programs supported by the Department of Justice and other 
 Federal agencies that fund law enforcement, jails, prisons, and 
 other detention facilities, and other coercive or carceral 
 approaches to public safety.

    (2) Conduct a comprehensive audit that assesses all Federal 
 funds allocated to, as well as Federal programs supporting, 
 initiatives that are intended to enhance qualified approaches 
 to community safety, disaggregated by jurisdiction.

    (3) Facilitate ongoing efforts to streamline the 
 application, monitoring, and reporting processes to make 
 Federal funds provided pursuant to any grant made under this 
 Act maximally accessible to small, grassroots organizations 
 that work to develop, implement, or evaluate qualified 
 approaches to community safety.
            (d) Meetings.--For the purpose of carrying out this section, the 
Task Force may hold such meetings, and sit and act at such times and 
places, as the Task Force considers appropriate.

    (e) Information.--The Task Force may secure directly from any 
Federal agency such information as may be necessary to enable the Task 
Force to carry out this section. Upon request of the Chairperson of the 
Task Force, the head of such agency shall furnish such information to 
the Task Force.

    (f) Report to Congress.--Not later than 90 days after the date on 
which the Task Force completes the audits described in subsection
            (c) , 
the Task Force shall submit a report to Congress, which summarizes--

    (1) the contents of such audits; and

    (2) any recommendations, based on such audits, with respect 
 to additional investments or policy changes that would improve 
 the implementation of qualified community safety approaches and 
 maximize community safety outcomes in all jurisdictions served.

 TITLE II--GRANTS IN SUPPORT OF COMMUNITY SAFETY

SEC. 201. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMUNITY SAFETY GRANT FOR COMMUNITY-LED 
 ORGANIZATIONS.

    (a) Grant Program Established.--The Secretary of Health and Human 
Services (in this Act referred to as the ``Secretary''), shall award 
grants, on a rolling basis, to community-based organizations that are 
designing, implementing, monitoring, or otherwise supporting qualified 
approaches to community safety, including as intermediaries making 
subgrants to other local organizations and community leaders who are 
leading qualified community safety programming.

    (b) Application.--A community-based organization seeking a grant 
under this section shall submit an application to the Secretary at such 
time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary 
may require.
            (c) Priority.--In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary 
shall give priority to community-based organizations that--

    (1) serve, are located in, and directly employ people who 
 live in communities that have been disproportionately impacted 
 by the immigration or criminal legal system, as evidenced by 
 high rates of individuals who have been cited, arrested, or 
 incarcerated in the year preceding the year for which the 
 application for such grant is submitted, compared to the 
 surrounding region;

    (2) are led by, or employ, individuals who have been harmed 
 by the criminal legal system, including via arrests, 
 incarceration, witnessing or being victims of police violence, 
 or having a family member who was arrested, incarcerated, or a 
 victim of police violence;

    (3) are led by individuals who have proven ties to the 
 community in which the organization operates; or

    (4) primarily serve federally recognized Native American 
 Tribes and their members.
            (d) Use of Funds.--A community-based organization receiving funds 
under this section shall use such grant funds for any purpose that has 
demonstrable connection to improving community safety through the use 
of qualified approaches to community safety, including grant writing or 
funding that furthers one or more of the following purposes:

    (1) Crisis intervention, including unarmed first responder 
 agencies and 9-1-1 dispatchers for diverting calls to first 
 responders.

    (2) Programs that interrupt or prevent violence, including 
 violence and abuse interruption and prevention programs, 
 neighborhood mediation programs, community violence 
 intervention programs, school-based violence prevention 
 programs, and safe passage to school programs.

    (3) Participatory investments into the built environment, 
 including park redevelopment, streetlights, home repairs, 
 remediating vacant lots, trash collection, and public 
 transportation.

    (4) Public health activities and voluntary health services, 
 including harm reduction-based treatment for mental health and 
 substance use, hiring of community health workers, long-term 
 supportive housing, lead abatement, pollution reduction, and 
 nutrition access, such as through establishing farmers markets, 
 nonprofit and employee-owned grocery stores, and school-based 
 nutrition programs.

    (5) Housing security programs and initiatives, including 
 outreach programs, permanent supportive housing, community land 
 trusts, and housing for individuals experiencing temporary or 
 chronic homelessness.

    (6) Support for youth and families, including school-based 
 counselors, trauma-informed practices, youth and mentorship 
 programs, after-school and enrichment programs, credible 
 messenger in schools programs, social-emotional learning 
 programs, wraparound services, summer jobs, targeted workforce 
 development, and two-intergenerational programming.

    (7) Support for victims, including survivors of domestic 
 violence, sexual violence, and rape, and targeted services to 
 help victims, witnesses, and survivors process trauma, achieve 
 financial and housing independence, make individualized, needs-
 based safety plans, and otherwise access the help that they 
 need.

    (8) Reentry support for people who are exiting 
 incarceration or criminal supervision, including educational 
 and workforce programs, stipends, housing programs, and support 
 for worker coops.

    (9) Capacity building support to local advocates and 
 community-based organizations, including legal assistance, and 
 startup assistance for coops, community land trusts, and 
 nonprofit organizations.

    (e) Additional Use of Funds.--The Secretary may authorize 
additional uses of funds that--

    (1) have a demonstrable connection to improving community 
 safety through the use of qualified approaches to community 
 safety; and

    (2) support the objectives of the Division on Community 
 Safety.

    (f) Additional Grants.--The Secretary may authorize additional 
funds under this section to community-based organizations that 
previously received funds under this section if the Secretary 
determines the previously received funds were successfully deployed and 
additional funding would assist in expanding qualified approaches to 
community safety and ensuring a sustainable, coordinated approach in 
the jurisdiction the organization serves.

    (g) Grant Amounts.--In determining the amount of a grant awarded to 
a single community-based organization under this section, the Secretary 
shall base such determination on--

    (1) the number of people who will be served by the program 
 or intervention;

    (2) the depth of need demonstrated, including attention to 
 specific activities planned, the socioeconomic characteristics 
 of the community served by the organization, and current 
 patterns of criminal legal involvement; and

    (3) such other factors as the Secretary determines are 
 relevant.

    (h) Limitations.--

    (1) Qualified approaches to community safety.--Funds made 
 available under this section may be used only to carry out 
 programs, services, or activities that use qualified approaches 
 to community safety.

    (2) Rural areas.--Not less than 30 percent of the total 
 amount of funding made available for grants under this section 
 shall be awarded to organizations located in rural areas.
            (i) Reporting.--

    (1) In general.--Beginning not later than one year after 
 the date on which a community-based organization receives a 
 grant under this section, and biannually thereafter, the 
 organization shall prepare and submit a report to the Secretary 
 and Assistant Secretary containing such information as the 
 Secretary may require, including--
        (A) the use of grant funds;
        (B) an estimation of the number of people served 
 through activities carried out using grant funds, 
 including demographic information disaggregated by 
 race, ethnicity, age, gender, disability status 
 sexuality, ZIP Code, and socioeconomic status (where 
 such information is reasonably available and 
 voluntarily provided); and
            (C) any relevant feedback received by such 
 organization from the populations served by such 
 organization regarding--
            (i) the efficacy of support from sources 
 other than programs and services provided by 
 such organization using grant funds; and
            (ii) additional resources and services 
 needed by such populations with respect to 
 improving community safety.

    (2) Privacy.--The report submitted to the Secretary and 
 Division on Community Safety pursuant to this section must 
 protect the privacy of the individuals served. All of the 
 information gathered as part of the reporting process shall be 
 aggregated, anonymized, and, except as required to be disclosed 
 by State or Federal law, used only for the purposes listed in 
 this section and shall not be used to initiate or contribute to 
 any criminal, legal, immigration, or Child Protective Services 
 actions of proceedings.

    (j) Evaluation.--

    (1) In general.--The Division on Community Safety shall 
 review and evaluate information provided in the reports 
 submitted by organizations receiving funds under this section, 
 and other information available to the Division, including by 
 conducting data matching and other forms of data analysis, and 
 periodically submit such analyses to the Secretary.

    (2) Incorporation of analyses.--The Secretary shall 
 incorporate analyses provided by the Division on Community 
 Safety into decision-making regarding awarding additional 
 grants under this section.

    (k) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $4,000,000,000 for the period of 
fiscal years 2026 through 2030.

SEC. 202. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMUNITY SAFETY GRANT FOR LOCAL 
 GOVERNMENTS.

    (a) Grant Program Established.--The Secretary shall award grants, 
on a rolling basis, to units of local government to assess safety 
needs, conduct research on, fund programming on, and otherwise support 
the development of qualified approaches to community safety.

    (b) Application.--A unit of local government seeking a grant under 
this section shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, 
in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may 
require, including an assurance that the unit of local government shall 
develop, and submit to the Secretary, during the grant period, a safety 
needs assessment to guide local investments in qualified approaches to 
community safety.
            (c) Priority.--In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary 
shall give priority to a unit of local government that--

    (1) has taken steps toward, or is submitting proposals 
 within the application for such a grant for purposes of--
        (A) increasing human liberty, including through 
 measures that reduce incarceration, pretrial detention, 
 arrests, criminal supervision, immigration detention, 
 and other forms of criminal justice involvement;
        (B) ending the criminalization of poverty, mental 
 illness, homelessness, substance use, and related 
 issues by addressing root causes of those issues rather 
 than imposing criminal punishment and other punitive 
 responses; or
            (C) ending racial, economic, gender, and other 
 disparities in criminal punishment, and discipline in 
 schools;

    (2) has a high rate of poverty, as well as 
 disproportionately high shares of residents who have been 
 impacted by violence and the criminal legal system (as 
 determined by the Secretary and compared to the surrounding 
 region); or

    (3) has prepared and developed the application submitted 
 under this section in consultation with the community the unit 
 of local government serves, especially individuals in such 
 community who have been harmed by the criminal legal system.
            (d) Use of Funds.--A unit of local government receiving funds under 
this section shall use such grant funds to carry out the following:

    (1) Establish or designate a community-led entity that--
        (A) employs qualified approaches to community 
 safety; and
        (B) can coordinate and make investments in 
 community safety, including by using participatory 
 budgeting or other community-led processes.

    (2) Develop a safety needs assessment and create an action 
 plan targeted to address such safety needs.

    (3) Invest in programs, interventions, or policy 
 initiatives that have a demonstrable connection to improving 
 community safety, including programs interventions, or policy 
 initiatives that are designed to address needs related to 
 economic stability, survivor safety, physical and behavioral 
 health, environmental safety, housing stability, and 
 educational equity and opportunity such as those listed in 
 

section 201
            (d) .

    (4) Train and hire community health workers, including 
 individuals who are trained in first response and violence 
 prevention, who can help to address such identified safety 
 needs.

    (5) Administer programming, including via grants to 
 community-based organizations and the direct deployment of 
 community health workers, to implement the action plan.

    (e) Additional Use of Funds.--The Secretary may authorize 
additional uses of funds that--

    (1) have a demonstrable connection to improving community 
 safety through the use of qualified approaches to community 
 safety; and

    (2) support the objectives of the Division on Community 
 Safety.

    (f) Grant Amounts.--In determining the amount of a grant awarded to 
a unit of local government under this section, the Secretary shall base 
such determination on--

    (1) the number of people who live in the jurisdiction of 
 the local government;

    (2) the depth of need demonstrated, including attention to 
 activities planned, the socioeconomic characteristics of the 
 community and residents within that jurisdiction, and current 
 patterns of spending in systems of incarceration; and

    (3) such other factors as the Secretary determines are 
 relevant.

    (g) Additional Grants.--The Secretary may authorize additional 
funds under this section to units of local government that previously 
received funds under this section if the Secretary determines the 
previously received funds were successfully deployed and additional 
funding would assist in expanding qualified approaches to community 
safety and ensuring a sustainable, coordinated approach in the 
jurisdiction of the local government.

    (h) Limitations.--

    (1) Funds made available under this section may be used 
 only to carry out programs, services, or activities that use 
 qualified approaches to community safety.

    (2) Not less than 30 percent of the total amount made 
 available for grants under this section shall be awarded to 
 units of local government with less than 50 percent of their 
 total land area jurisdiction classified as urban by the Census 
 Bureau.

    (3) Each unit of local government receiving a grant under 
 this section shall certify to the Secretary that any individual 
 hired using funds received through such grant will be paid a 
 wage, which shall be at least the highest of the following:
        (A) $17 an hour.
        (B) The minimum wage under the applicable State or 
 local minimum wage law.
            (C) The prevailing rates of pay for individuals 
 employed in similar occupations by the same employer.
            (D) The Federal minimum wage in effect under 
 

section 6

    (a)

    (1) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 
 (29 U.S.C. 206

    (a)

    (1) ).
            (i) Reporting.--Beginning not later than 6 months after the date on 
which a local government receives a grant under this section, and 
biannually thereafter, the unit of local government shall prepare and 
submit to the Secretary, and make publicly available, a report 
containing information about--

    (1) how the grant funds were used;

    (2) the number of people who were cited, arrested, or 
 jailed by any State or local law enforcement officers in the 
 previous year in the jurisdiction of the local government, as 
 compared to the number cited, arrest, or jailed during the term 
 of the grant;

    (3) the reasons for such citing, arresting, or detained or 
 imprisoned;

    (4) demographic data of individuals cited, arrested, or 
 jailed or referred by local law enforcement officers, 
 disaggregated by race, ethnicity, age, gender, and disability 
 status; and

    (5) the percentage of grant funds that ultimately benefited 
 community-based organizations.

    (j) Evaluation.--

    (1) In general.--The Division on Community Safety shall 
 review and evaluate information provided in the reports 
 submitted by units of local government receiving funds under 
 this section, and other information available to the Division, 
 including by conducting data matching and other forms of data 
 analysis, and submit such analyses to the Secretary.

    (2) Incorporation of analyses.--The Secretary shall 
 incorporate analyses provided by the Division on Community 
 Safety into decision-making regarding awarding additional 
 grants under this section.

    (k) Supplement, Not Supplant.--An unit of local government 
receiving a grant under this section may use Federal funds received 
through the grant only to supplement the funds that would, without such 
Federal funds, be made available from State and local sources, and not 
to supplant such funds.
            (l) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to implement this section $3,500,000,000 for the period of 
fiscal years 2026 through 2030.

SEC. 203. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMUNITY SAFETY GRANT FOR STATES.

    (a) Grant Program Established.--The Secretary shall award grants, 
on a rolling basis, to States to conduct research on, fund, and 
otherwise support the development of qualified approaches to community 
safety.

    (b) Application.--A State seeking a grant under this section shall 
submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, 
and containing such information as the Secretary may require, including 
an assurance that the State shall--

    (1) establish or designate a State agency, department, or 
 office equivalent to the Division on Community Safety 
 established under 

section 101, to oversee and support the use 
 of qualified approaches to community safety statewide; and

    (2) provide matching funds equal to the amount of Federal 
 funds received under the grant--
        (A) to fund qualified approaches to community 
 safety; and
        (B) to provide an ongoing framework for continued 
 funding of such qualified approaches.
            (c) Priority.--In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary 
shall give priority to a State that meets one or more of the same 
criteria specified in paragraphs

    (1) ,

    (2) , and

    (3) of 

section 202
            (c) .
            (d) Use of Funds.--A State receiving funds under this section shall 
use such grant funds to--

    (1) make grants to community-based organizations 
 implementing one or more qualified approaches to community 
 safety, including as intermediaries making subgrants to other 
 local organizations and community leaders who are leading 
 qualified community safety programming on these issues;

    (2) fund local governments to undertake the activities 
 described in 

section 202
            (d) ; or

    (3) fund education training for individuals who are taking 
 jobs that advance qualified approaches to community safety.

    (e) Additional Use of Funds.--The Secretary may authorize 
additional uses of funds that--

    (1) have a demonstrable connection to improving community 
 safety through the use of qualified approaches to community 
 safety; and

    (2) support the objectives of the Division on Community 
 Safety.

    (f) Grant Amounts.--In determining the amount of a grant awarded to 
a single recipient under this section, the Secretary shall base such 
determination on--

    (1) the number of people who live in the State;

    (2) the depth of need demonstrated, including attention to 
 activities planned, the socioeconomic characteristics of the 
 community, and current patterns of involvement in the criminal 
 legal system; and

    (3) such other factors as the Secretary determines are 
 relevant.

    (g) Additional Grants.--The Secretary may authorize additional 
funds under this section to States that previously received funds under 
this section if the Secretary determines the previously received funds 
were successfully deployed and additional funding would assist in 
expanding qualified approaches to community safety and ensuring a 
sustainable, coordinated approach in the State.

    (h) Limitations.--

    (1) Funds made available under this section may be used 
 only to carry out programs, services, or activities that use 
 qualified approaches to community safety.

    (2) Not less than 30 percent of the total amount made 
 available for grants under this section shall be awarded to 
 States with less than 50 percent of their total land area 
 classified as urban by the Census Bureau.
            (i) Reporting.--Beginning not later than 6 months after the date on 
which a State receives a grant under this section, and biannually 
thereafter, such State shall prepare and submit a report to the 
Secretary containing information about--

    (1) how the grant funds were used;

    (2) the number of people who were cited, arrested, or 
 jailed by State or local law enforcement officers in the 
 previous year, as compared to the number cited, arrest, or 
 jailed during the term of the grant;

    (3) the reasons for such citing, arresting, or jailing; and

    (4) demographic data of individuals cited, arrested, or 
 jailed or referred by State or local law enforcement officers, 
 disaggregated by race, ethnicity, age, gender, and disability 
 status.

    (j) Evaluation.--

    (1) In general.--The Division on Community Safety shall 
 review and evaluate information provided in the reports 
 submitted by States receiving funds under this section, and 
 other information available to the Division, including by 
 conducting data matching and other forms of data analysis, and 
 submit such analyses to the Secretary.

    (2) Incorporation of analyses.--The Secretary shall 
 incorporate analyses provided by the Division on Community 
 Safety into decision-making regarding awarding additional 
 grants under this section.

    (k) Supplement, Not Supplant.--A State shall use Federal funds 
received under this section only to supplement the funds that would, 
without such Federal funds, be made available from State and local 
sources, and not to supplant such funds.
            (l) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to implement this section $3,500,000,000 for the period of 
fiscal years 2026 through 2030.

SEC. 204. FIRST RESPONDER HIRING GRANTS.

    (a) Grant Authorization.--The Secretary shall carry out a grant 
program under which the Secretary makes grants to community-based 
organizations, health departments, States, units of local government, 
Indian tribal governments, other public and private entities, and 
multi-jurisdictional or regional consortia for the purposes described 
under subsection

    (b) .

    (b) Use of Funds.--A grant awarded under subsection

    (a) may be used 
to--

    (1) recruit, hire, and train first responders;

    (2) procure equipment, technology, support systems, or pay 
 overtime, to increase the number of first responders available 
 to a community;

    (3) increase the number of first responders involved in 
 activities that are focused on interaction with members of the 
 community on crisis response and community violence and trauma 
 prevention;

    (4) provide education and training to first responders to 
 enhance their conflict resolution, mediation, problem solving, 
 service, and other skills needed to work in partnership with 
 members of the community, including by programs that 
 incentivize individuals to complete such education and 
 training;

    (5) develop and implement innovative programs that support 
 members of the community to work with community-based 
 organizations, emergency first responders, and State, Tribal, 
 and local officials in community violence and trauma prevention 
 efforts; and

    (6) establish school-based partnerships by employing and 
 retaining first responders in pre-Kindergarten, elementary, and 
 secondary schools to support trauma-informed care and 
 behavioral and mental health services, and to operate school-
 based health centers in local schools.
            (c) Additional Use of Funds.--The Secretary may authorize 
additional uses of funds that--

    (1) have a demonstrable connection to improving community 
 safety through the use of qualified approaches to community 
 safety; and

    (2) support the objectives of the Division on Community 
 Safety.
            (d) Additional Grants.--The Secretary may authorize additional 
funds under this section to entities that previously received funds 
under this section if the Secretary determines the previously received 
funds were successfully deployed and additional funding would assist in 
expanding qualified approaches to community safety and ensuring a 
sustainable, coordinated approach in the jurisdiction the entity 
serves.

    (e) Limitations.--

    (1) Funds made available under this section may be used 
 only to carry out programs, services, or activities that use 
 qualified approaches to community safety.

    (2) Not less than 30 percent of the total amount made 
 available for grants under this section shall be awarded to 
 entities located in rural areas.

    (3) Each entity that receives a grant under this section 
 shall certify to the Secretary that any individual hired using 
 funds received through such grant will be paid a wage, which 
 shall be at least the highest of the following:
        (A) $17 an hour.
        (B) The minimum wage under the applicable State or 
 local minimum wage law.
            (C) The prevailing rates of pay for individuals 
 employed in similar occupations by the same employer.
            (D) The Federal minimum wage in effect under 
 

section 6

    (a)

    (1) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 
 (29 U.S.C. 206

    (a)

    (1) ).

    (f) Evaluation.--

    (1) In general.--The Division on Community Safety shall 
 review and evaluate information provided in the reports 
 submitted by entities receiving funds under this section, and 
 other information available to the Division, including by 
 conducting data matching and other forms of data analysis, and 
 submit such analyses to the Secretary.

    (2) Incorporation of analyses.--The Secretary shall 
 incorporate analyses provided by the Division on Community 
 Safety into decision-making regarding awarding additional 
 grants under this section.

    (g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $2,500,000,000 for the period of 
fiscal years 2026 through 2030.
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