,i #aafth ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,r4 #dhcf ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,october #bc1 #bjai,mr4 ,horsford 7for himself1 ,ms4 ,norton1 and ,ms4 ,kelly of ,illinois7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on the ,judiciary1 and in addition to the ,committee on ,energy and ,commerce1 for a period to be subsequently determined by the ,speaker1 in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned ,a ,,bill ,to build safer1 thriving communities1 and save lives by investing in effective violence reduction initiatives4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,break the ,cycle of ,violence ,act4 #b4 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,gun violence is a significant public health and safety concern nationwide and is a leading cause of death for people in the ,united ,states of nearly all ages4 7#b7 ,from #bjab to #bjag1 over #aje1jjj people in the ,united ,states were murdered4 ,nearly #c_/d of these victims were murdered with a gun4 ,hundreds of thousands more were hospitalized or treated in emergency departments after surviving life-changing gunshot injuries4 7#c7 ,gun violence has sharply increased in the ,united ,states in recent years4 ,gun homicide rates spiked by #cj percent between #bjad and #bjag1 driven by large spikes in violence in some cities in the ,united ,states4 7#d7 ,shootings1 homicides1 and group-related violence are disproportionately concentrated in the poorest and most segregated urban areas of the ,nation1 and have an enormously disproportionate impact on young people of color in particular4 ,from #bjab to #bjag1 ,african-,american children and teens were #ad times as likely to be shot to death as their ,white peers4 ,hispanic children and teens and ,native ,american children and teens were both nearly #c times as likely to be shot to death as their ,white peers4 7#e7 ,african-,american men make up just #f percent of the population in the ,united ,states1 but account for more than #ej percent of all gun homicide victims each year4 7#f7 ,violence is responsible for half of all deaths among young ,african-,american men1 ages #ae through #bd1 as many as every other cause of death combined4 7#g7 ,this violence imposes enormous human1 social1 and economic costs4 ,nationwide1 the annual societal cost of firearm violence was estimated at #bbi1jjj1jjj1jjj per year in #bjab4 ,economists estimate that each firearm homicide generates hundreds of thousands of dollars in direct public costs1 including medical care and criminal justice expenses4 7#h7 ,several evidence-based violence intervention strategies have demonstrated remarkable success at interrupting entrenched cycles of violence1 victimization1 and retaliation4 ,these strategies reflect the important fact that in most cities1 the vast majority of violence is perpetrated by a relatively small number of identifiable groups or individuals that comprise less than #j4e percent of the city's total population4 7#i7 ,when properly implemented and consistently funded1 coordinated1 evidence-based strategies focused on interrupting cycles of violence among individuals at highest risk can produce life-saving and cost-saving results in a short period of time without contributing to mass incarceration4 ,multiple cities have substantially reduced community violence in recent years by implementing such strategies1 including the following3 7,a7 ,hospital-based violence intervention programs 7referred to in this section as ,,hvip71 which work to break cycles of violence by providing intensive counseling1 peer support1 case management1 mediation1 and social services to patients recovering from gunshot wounds and other violent injuries4 ,research has shown that violently injured patients are at high risk of retaliating with violence themselves and being revictimized by violence in the near future4 ,evaluations of ,h,v,i,ps have found that patients who received ,,hvip services were #d times less likely to be convicted of a violent crime and roughly #d times less likely to be subsequently reinjured by violence than patients who did not receive ,,hvip services4 7,b7 ,evidence-based street outreach programs1 which treat gun violence as a communicable disease and work to interrupt its transmission among community members4 ,these public health-centered initiatives use street outreach workers to build relationships with high-risk individuals in their communities and connect them with intensive counseling1 mediation1 peer support1 and social services in order to reduce their risk of violence4 ,evaluations have found that these programs are associated with significant reductions in gun violence1 with some sites reporting up to #gj-percent reductions in homicides or assaults4 7,c7 ,strategies1 including group violence interventions 7referred to in this section as ,,gvi71 which are a form of problem-oriented policing that provides targeted social services and support to individuals at highest risk for involvement in community violence1 and a process for community members to voice a clear demand for the violence to stop4 ,this approach coordinates law enforcement1 service providers1 and community engagement efforts to reduce violence among a small1 identifiable segment of the population that is responsible for the vast majority of gun violence in most cities4 ,in one evaluation of the ,,gvi program in ,boston1 researchers found a #fc-percent reduction in youth homicides and a #be-percent decline in monthly gun assaults across the city4 ,other studies have found that ,,gvi programs were associated with homicide reductions of up to #fj percent4 7#aj7 ,these strategies are often most effective when local officials and dedicated staff work to coordinate stakeholders1 relevant public agencies1 and service providers4 ,mayors in cities like ,los ,angeles and ,new ,york have established city departments that are primarily dedicated to violence prevention1 and their offices have played a critical role in ensuring cross-agency collaboration and information-sharing4 7#aa7 ,these strategies are also most effective when they receive consistent funding4 ,for example1 large cuts in funding for violence prevention programs in ,chicago in #bjjh1 #bjab1 and #bjae through #bjaf corresponded with large spikes in homicides in those years4 ,similarly1 the city of ,stockton1 ,california1 saw an increase in homicides after discontinuing funding for its highly successful ,,gvi program4 ,when ,stockton's funding was restored1 homicides decreased4 7#ab7 ,a national strategy for reducing gun violence must include substantial and targeted ,federal funding to expand and replicate the most effective strategies in communities most impacted by violence4 7#ac7 ,at present1 however1 these strategies are implemented in only a handful of cities and are funded through an unreliable patchwork of discretionary grant programs4 ,the current level of ,federal funding to support the scaling of these strategies is woefully inadequate4 7#ad7 ,intentional and sustained investments in evidence-based violence reduction strategies can reverse recent crime trends1 help to heal impacted communities1 and reduce the enormous human and financial costs of violence1 without contributing to mass incarceration4 #c4 ,community-based violence intervention program grants 7a7 ,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 ,director ,the term ,director means the ,director of the ,bureau of ,justice ,assistance4 7#b7 ,eligible unit of local government ,the term eligible unit of local government means a unit of local government that-- 7,a7 for not less frequently than two out of the #c years preceding the grant application1 experienced twenty or more homicides per year and had a homicide rate that was not less than double the national average2 or 7,b7 demonstrates a unique and compelling need for additional resources to address gun and group-related violence within the community of the unit of local government4 7b7 ,grants ,the ,director shall award ,community-,based ,violence ,intervention ,program grants to support1 enhance1 and replicate coordinated violence reduction initiatives in units of local government that are disproportionately impacted by gun and group-related violence4 7c7 ,eligibility ,the ,director shall award grants under this section on a competitive basis to-- 7#a7 eligible units of local government2 and 7#b7 community-based organizations that serve the residents of an eligible unit of local government4 7d7 ,use of funds 7#a7 ,in general ,a grant awarded under this section shall be used to implement coordinated violence reduction initiatives1 through strategies such as hospital-based violence intervention1 evidence-based street outreach1 and group violence intervention4 7#b7 ,requirements ,a coordinated violence reduction initiative implemented using grant funds awarded under this section shall-- 7,a7 be primarily focused on providing community-based violence intervention services to the small portion of a grantee's community who are1 regardless of age1 identified as having the highest risk of perpetrating or being victimized by gun or group-related violence in the near future2 and 7,b7 use strategies that are evidence-based and have demonstrated effectiveness at reducing violence4 7e7 ,application requirements ,each applicant for a grant under this section shall submit a grant proposal1 which shall1 at a minimum-- 7#a7 describe how the applicant proposes to use the grant to implement a coordinated violence reduction initiative in accordance with this section2 7#b7 describe how the applicant proposes to use the grant to promote or improve coordination between relevant agencies and community organizations in order to minimize duplication of services and achieve maximum impact2 7#c7 provide evidence indicating that the proposed violence reduction initiative would likely reduce gun and group-related violence2 and 7#d7 in the case of a unit of local government applicant1 demonstrate strong support within the unit of local government for the proposed violence reduction initiative1 such as letters of support from-- 7,a7 the mayor or chief executive officer2 7,b7 the chief of police2 7,c7 the local health department director2 and 7,d7 the director of one or more community-based organizations that provide services to individuals at high risk of violence in the area4 7f7 ,prioritization ,in awarding grants under this section1 the ,director shall give preference to applicants whose grant proposals demonstrate the greatest likelihood of reducing gun and group-related violence in the community of the applicant without contributing to mass incarceration4 7g7 ,grant duration ,a grant awarded under this section shall be for a #e-year period4 7h7 ,grant award ,the amount of funds awarded to an applicant under this section shall be commensurate with the scope of the proposal of the applicant and the demonstrated need for additional resources to effectively reduce gun and group-related violence in the community of the applicant4 7i7 ,matching funds required 7#a7 ,in general ,except as provided in paragraphs 7#b7 and 7#c71 the ,federal share of each grant awarded under this section shall be #ge percent of the eligible costs incurred by the grant recipient4 7#b7 ,exemption from requirement ,paragraph 7#a7 shall not apply to a grant awarded to community-based organization under subsection 7c77#b74 7#c7 ,waiver ,the ,federal share of a grant awarded to a unit of local government under subsection 7c77#a7 may be up to #ajj percent if the ,director determines there is good cause to waive the ,federal share requirement in paragraph 7#a7 of this subsection4 7j7 ,community partnerships ,each unit of local government awarded a grant under this section shall distribute not less than #ej percent of the grant funds received under this section to-- 7#a7 one or more community-based organizations that provide services to individuals at high risk of perpetrating or being victimized by violence2 or 7#b7 a public agency or department that is not a law enforcement agency1 but that is an agency or department primarily dedicated to the prevention of violence or community safety4 7k7 ,reports ,not later than #a year after the date on which the first #e-year grant period under this section ends1 the ,director shall publish a report identifying best practices for cities implementing evidence-based violence intervention initiatives4 7l7 ,rewarding success 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,director may reserve not more than #aj percent of the funds appropriated for a fiscal year under subsection 7o7 for supplemental incentive funds to be distributed to grantees outside the competitive grant process in accordance with paragraph 7#b74 7#b7 ,distribution of additional funds ,the ,director may distribute amounts reserved under paragraph 7#a71 in the discretion of the ,director1 to a grantee under subsection 7b7 that has-- 7,a7 implemented the grant for not less than #b years2 7,b7 demonstrated exceptional commitment and progress toward implementing the violence reduction initiatives of the grantee2 and 7,c7 shown that the grantee would likely achieve more substantial reductions in violence with additional ,federal funding4 7#c7 ,federal share ,subsection 7i7 shall not apply to any amounts distributed to a grantee under this subsection4 7#d7 ,explanation of distribution ,upon distributing supplemental incentive funds to a grantee1 the ,director shall publish a statement on the website of the ,bureau of ,justice ,assistance that clearly explains the basis for the decision to award these funds to a particular grantee4 7m7 ,evaluation and technical assistance ,the ,director may reserve not more than #h percent of the funds appropriated for a fiscal year under subsection 7o7 for the purpose of-- 7#a7 contracting with or hiring technical assistance providers with experience implementing community-based violence reduction initiatives2 and 7#b7 contracting with independent researchers to evaluate the performance and impact of selected initiatives supported by the ,community-,based ,violence ,intervention ,program grant1 and such evaluations shall be made publicly available on the website of the ,bureau of ,justice ,assistance4 7n7 ,nonsupplanting clause ,a grantee receiving a grant under this section shall use the grant to supplement1 and not supplant1 the amount of funds the grantee would otherwise dedicate to reducing gun and group-related violence in the community of the grantee4 7o7 ,authorization of appropriations ,there are authorized to be appropriated to the ,bureau of ,justice ,assistance1 in addition to any amounts otherwise authorized to be appropriated or made available to the ,bureau of ,justice ,assistance1 #fe1jjj1jjj for each of fiscal years #bjbj through #bjbi4 #d4 ,hospital-,based ,violence ,intervention ,grants 7a7 ,grants ,the ,director of the ,national ,institutes of ,health 7referred to in this section as the ,director7 shall award grants on a competitive basis to support hospital-based or hospital-linked violence intervention programs that work to interrupt cycles of violence and reduce risk of violent injury and retaliation among patients identified as being at highest risk for involvement in community violence4 7b7 ,eligibility ,grants shall be made available under this section to private and public hospitals that treat at least #bej patients annually for firearm assault or stabbing injuries1 and to community-based organizations that operate violence intervention programs in such hospitals4 7c7 ,priority ,in awarding grants under this section1 the ,director shall give priority to nonprofit hospitals that serve communities with the highest incidence of violent injury and injury recidivism1 and community-based organizations that operate violence intervention programs in such hospitals4 7d7 ,grant requirements 7#a7 ,in general ,each grant awarded under this section shall be used to implement or enhance a hospital-based or hospital-linked violence intervention program1 to reduce risk of violent injury and retaliatory violence among patients identified as being at highest risk for involvement in community violence4 7#b7 ,other requirements ,any program supported by this grant shall be evidence-informed and implemented in accordance with standards prescribed by the ,director1 in consultation with the ,health ,alliance for ,violence ,intervention4 7e7 ,application requirements ,each application for a grant under this section shall describe-- 7#a7 how the applicant proposes to use the grant to implement or enhance a hospital-based or hospital-linked violence intervention program in accordance with this section2 and 7#b7 how the applicant plans to coordinate its violence intervention program with other relevant stakeholders or violence intervention programs in the community1 if any1 to maximize impact and minimize duplication of services4 7f7 ,grant duration ,a grant awarded under this section shall be for a #e-year period4 7g7 ,evaluation and technical assistance ,the ,director may reserve not more than #aj percent of the funds appropriated under subsection 7i7 for the purpose of contracting with or hiring technical assistance providers with experience implementing hospital-based or hospital-linked violence intervention initiatives1 and for the purpose of contracting with independent researchers to evaluate the performance and impact of selected programs supported by grants awarded under this section4 ,such evaluations shall be made publicly available on the internet website of the ,national ,institutes of ,health4 7h7 ,nonsupplanting clause ,an entity receiving a grant under this section shall use such grant to supplement1 and not supplant1 funds otherwise available to support violence intervention programs of the entity4 7i7 ,authorization of appropriations ,to carry out this section1 there is authorized to be appropriated1 in addition to any amounts otherwise made available to the ,national ,institutes of ,health1 #be1jjj1jjj for each of fiscal years #bjbj through #bjbi4 #e4 ,sense of ,congress regarding services for victims of violent crime ,it is the sense of ,congress that-- 7#a7 hospital-based and hospital-linked violence intervention programs have shown effective results as a strategy in reducing violently injured crime victims' risk of injury recidivism and retaliation2 and 7#b7 young men of color are disproportionately victimized by violent crime and gun and group-related violence in particular1 but are frequently underserved by the victim services field4