Community Partnership Act of 2015

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Community Partnership Act of 2015''.

SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF THE OFFICE FOR COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS OF THE 
              DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY.

    (a) In General.--Title I of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 
U.S.C. 101 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 104. OFFICE FOR COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS.

    ``(a) Definitions.--In this section--
            ``(1) the term `countering violent extremism' means 
        proactive and relevant actions to counter efforts by extremists 
        to radicalize, recruit, and mobilize followers to violence and 
        to address the conditions that allow for violent extremist 
        recruitment and radicalization; and
            ``(2) the term `violent extremism' means ideologically 
        motivated violence as a method of advancing a cause.
    ``(b) Establishment.--There is in the Department an Office for 
Community Partnerships.
    ``(c) Head of Office.--The Office for Community Partnerships shall 
be headed by an Assistant Secretary for Community Partnerships, who 
shall be designated by the Secretary.
    ``(d) Deputy Assistant Secretary; Assignment of Personnel.--The 
Secretary shall--
            ``(1) designate a career Deputy Assistant Secretary for 
        Community Partnerships; and
            ``(2) assign or hire, as appropriate, permanent staff to 
        the Office for Community Partnerships.
    ``(e) Responsibilities.--The Assistant Secretary for Community 
Partnerships shall be responsible for the following:
            ``(1) Leading the efforts of the Department to counter 
        violent extremism across all the components and offices of the 
        Department that conduct strategic and supportive efforts to 
        counter violent extremism. Such efforts shall include the 
        following:
                    ``(A) Partnering with communities to address 
                vulnerabilities that can be exploited by violent 
                extremists in the United States and explore potential 
                remedies for government and nongovernment institutions.
                    ``(B) Working with civil society groups and 
                communities to counter violent extremist propaganda, 
                messaging, or recruitment.
                    ``(C) In coordination with the Office for Civil 
                Rights and Civil Liberties of the Department, managing 
                the outreach and engagement efforts of the Department 
                directed toward communities at risk for radicalization 
                and recruitment for violent extremist activities.
                    ``(D) Ensuring relevant information, research, and 
                products inform efforts to counter violent extremism.
                    ``(E) Developing and maintaining Departmentwide 
                plans, strategy guiding policies, and programs to 
                counter violent extremism. Such plans shall, at a 
                minimum, address each of the following:
                            ``(i) The Department's plan to leverage new 
                        and existing Internet and other technologies 
                        and social media platforms to improve 
                        nongovernment efforts to counter violent 
                        extremism, as well as the best practices and 
                        lessons learned of other Federal, State, local, 
                        tribal, territorial, and foreign partners 
                        engaged in similar counter-messaging efforts.
                            ``(ii) The Department's countering violent 
                        extremism-related engagement efforts.
                            ``(iii) The use of cooperative agreements 
                        with State, local, tribal, territorial, and 
                        other Federal departments and agencies 
                        responsible for efforts relating to countering 
                        violent extremism.
                    ``(F) Coordinating with the Office for Civil Rights 
                and Civil Liberties of the Department to ensure all of 
                the activities of the Department related to countering 
                violent extremism fully respect the privacy, civil 
                rights, and civil liberties of all persons.
                    ``(G) In coordination with the Under Secretary for 
                Science and Technology and in consultation with the 
                Under Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis, 
                identifying and recommending new research and analysis 
                requirements to ensure the dissemination of information 
                and methods for Federal, State, local, tribal, and 
                territorial countering violent extremism practitioners, 
                officials, law enforcement, and nongovernmental 
                partners to utilize such research and analysis.
                    ``(H) Assessing the methods used by violent 
                extremists to disseminate propaganda and messaging to 
                communities at risk for recruitment by violent 
                extremists.
            ``(2) Developing a digital engagement strategy that expands 
        the outreach efforts of the Department to counter violent 
        extremist messaging by--
                    ``(A) exploring ways to utilize relevant Internet 
                and other technologies and social media platforms; and
                    ``(B) maximizing other resources available to the 
                Department.
            ``(3) Serving as the primary representative of the 
        Department in coordinating countering violent extremism efforts 
        with other Federal departments and agencies and nongovernmental 
        organizations.
            ``(4) Serving as the primary Department-level 
        representative in coordinating with the Department of State on 
        international countering violent extremism issues.
            ``(5) In coordination with the Administrator of the Federal 
        Emergency Management Agency, providing guidance regarding the 
        use of grants made to State, local, and tribal governments 
        under sections 2003 and 2004 under the allowable uses 
        guidelines related to countering violent extremism.
            ``(6) Developing a plan to expand philanthropic support for 
        domestic efforts related to countering violent extremism, 
        including by identifying viable community projects and needs 
        for possible philanthropic support.
            ``(7) Administering the assistance described in subsection 
        (f).
    ``(f) Grants To Counter Violent Extremism.--
            ``(1) In general.--In accordance with this subsection, the 
        Secretary may award grants or cooperative agreements directly 
        to eligible recipients identified in paragraph (2) to support 
        the efforts of local communities in the United States to 
        counter violent extremism.
            ``(2) Eligible recipients.--The Secretary may award 
        competitive grants or cooperative agreements based on need 
        directly to--
                    ``(A) States;
                    ``(B) local governments;
                    ``(C) tribal governments;
                    ``(D) nonprofit organizations; or
                    ``(E) institutions of higher education.
            ``(3) Use of funds.--Each entity receiving a grant or 
        cooperative agreement under this subsection shall use the grant 
        or cooperative agreement for one or more of the following 
        purposes:
                    ``(A) To train or exercise for countering violent 
                extremism, including building training or exercise 
                programs designed to improve cultural competency and to 
                ensure that communities, government, and law 
                enforcement receive accurate, intelligence-based 
                information about the dynamics of radicalization to 
                violence.
                    ``(B) To develop, implement, or expand programs or 
                projects with communities to discuss violent extremism 
                or to engage communities that may be targeted by 
                violent extremist radicalization.
                    ``(C) To develop and implement projects that 
                partner with local communities to prevent 
                radicalization to violence.
                    ``(D) To develop and implement a comprehensive 
                model for preventing violent extremism in local 
                communities, including existing initiatives of State or 
                local law enforcement agencies and existing mechanisms 
                for engaging the resources and expertise available from 
                a range of social service providers, such as education 
                administrators, mental health professionals, and 
                religious leaders.
                    ``(E) To educate the community about countering 
                violent extremism, including the promotion of 
                community-based activities to increase the measures 
                taken by the community to counter violent extremism.
                    ``(F) To develop or assist social service programs 
                that address root causes of violent extremism and 
                develop, build, or enhance alternatives for members of 
                local communities that may be targeted by violent 
                extremism.
                    ``(G) To develop or enhance State or local 
                government initiatives that facilitate and build 
                overall capacity to address the threats post by violent 
                extremism.
                    ``(H) To support such other activities, consistent 
                with the purposes of this subsection, as the Secretary 
                determines appropriate.
            ``(4) Grant guidelines.--
                    ``(A) In general.--For each fiscal year, before 
                awarding a grant or cooperative agreement under this 
                subsection, the Secretary shall develop guidelines 
                published in a notice of funding opportunity that 
                describe--
                            ``(i) the process for applying for grants 
                        and cooperative agreements under this 
                        subsection;
                            ``(ii) the criteria that the Secretary will 
                        use for selecting recipients based on the need 
                        demonstrated by the applicant; and
                            ``(iii) the requirements that recipients 
                        must follow when utilizing funds under this 
                        subsection to conduct training and exercises 
                        and otherwise engage local communities 
                        regarding countering violent extremism.
                    ``(B) Considerations.--In developing the 
                requirements under subparagraph (A)(iii), the Secretary 
                shall consider the following:
                            ``(i) Training objectives should be clearly 
                        defined to meet specific countering violent 
                        extremism goals, such as community engagement, 
                        cultural awareness, or community-based 
                        policing.
                            ``(ii) Engaging diverse communities in the 
                        United States to counter violent extremism may 
                        require working with local grassroots community 
                        organizations to develop engagement and 
                        outreach initiatives.
                            ``(iii) Training programs should--
                                    ``(I) be sensitive to 
                                constitutional values, such as 
                                protecting fundamental civil rights and 
                                civil liberties, and eschew notions of 
                                racial and ethnic profiling; and
                                    ``(II) adhere to the standards and 
                                ethics of the Department, ensuring that 
                                the clearly defined objectives are in 
                                line with the strategies of the 
                                Department to counter violent 
                                extremism.
                            ``(iv) Establishing vetting procedures for 
                        self-selected countering violent extremism 
                        training experts who offer programs that may 
                        claim to counter violent extremism, but serve 
                        to demonize certain individuals or whole cross 
                        sections of a community.
                            ``(v) Providing a review process to 
                        determine if countering violent extremism 
                        training focuses on community engagement and 
                        outreach.
                            ``(vi) Providing support to law enforcement 
                        to enhance knowledge, skills, and abilities to 
                        increase engagement techniques with diverse 
                        communities in the United States.
    ``(g) Annual Report.--Beginning in the first fiscal year beginning 
after the date of enactment of this section, and in each of the next 5 
fiscal years, the Assistant Secretary of the Office for Community 
Partnerships shall submit to Congress an annual report on the Office 
for Community Partnerships, which shall include--
            ``(1) a description of the status of the programs and 
        policies of the Department for countering violent extremism in 
        the United States;
            ``(2) a description of the efforts of the Office for 
        Community Partnerships to cooperate with and provide assistance 
        to other Federal departments and agencies;
            ``(3) qualitative and quantitative metrics for evaluating 
        the success of such programs and policies and the steps taken 
        to evaluate the success of such programs and policies; and
            ``(4) an accounting of--
                    ``(A) grants awarded by the Department to counter 
                violent extremism; and
                    ``(B) all training specifically aimed at countering 
                violent extremism sponsored by the Department.''.
    (b) Technical and Conforming Amendment.--The table of contents in 
section 1(b) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (Public Law 107-296; 
116 Stat. 2135) is amended by inserting after the item relating to 
section 103 the following:

``Sec. 104. Office for Community Partnerships.''.

Summary: Community Partnership Act of 2015 This bill amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) an Office for Community Partnerships, headed by an Assistant Secretary for Community Partnerships. The Assistant Secretary shall be responsible for: leading strategic and supportive efforts by DHS components and offices to counter violent extremism. Developing a digital engagement strategy that expands the outreach efforts of DHS to counter violent extremist messaging. Serving as the primary DHS representative in coordinating countering violent extremism efforts with other federal agencies and nongovernmental organizations and in coordinating with the Department of State on international countering violent extremism issues. Providing guidance, in coordination with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), regarding the use of grants made to state, local, and tribal governments under the Urban Area Security Initiative and the State Homeland Security Grant Program under the allowable uses guidelines related to countering violent extremism. Developing a plan to expand philanthropic support for domestic efforts related to countering violent extremism. And administering grants to counter extremism, as authorized below. DHS may award grants or cooperative agreements directly, based on need, to states, local governments, tribal governments, nonprofit organizations, or institutions of higher education to support the efforts of local communities in the United States to prevent and counter violent extremism.