I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 4167 

To authorize the Attorney General to award grants to eligible entities to 

prevent or alleviate community violence by providing education, mentoring, and counseling services to children, adolescents, teachers, families, 

and community leaders on the principles and practice of nonviolence. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

AUGUST 6, 2019 

Mr. LEWIS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Education and Labor 

A BILL 

To authorize the Attorney General to award grants to eligible 

entities to prevent or alleviate community violence by 

providing education, mentoring, and counseling services 

to children, adolescents, teachers, families, and community leaders on the principles and practice of nonviolence. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Securing American 

5 Families by Educating and Training You (SAFETY) 

6 Through Nonviolence Act of 2019’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

2 Congress finds the following: 

3 (1) The concept and practice of nonviolent 

4 thoughts, words, and actions have a history and a 

5 legacy in the United States and the global commu6 nity. 

7 (2) In the 19th century, American philosophers 

8 and authors Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry 

9 David Thoreau were leaders of the transcendentalist 

10 philosophical movement which emphasized the poten11 tial good of humanity, the importance of truth, and 

12 the courage and power of peace. 

13 (3) In the early 20th century, Mohandas (Ma14 hatma) Gandhi advanced the concepts and practices 

15 of ahimsa, or non-injury, and satya, or truth as inte16 gral to social and active concepts and practices. 

17 (4) Gandhi continued Thoreau’s ideas of Civil 

18 Disobedience in developing the doctrine of satyagra19 ha which connects truth and nonviolence to active ef20 forts in nonviolent, civil disobedience. 

21 (5) Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., built upon 

22 these philosophies in developing six principles of 

23 nonviolence. He explained these to be a way of life 

24 which sought to build friendships and under25 standing, defeat injustice, accept suffering as a way 

26 to educate and transform, and to choose love instead 


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1 of hate. Nonviolence’s strength is reinforced by the 

2 universe siding with justice. 

3 (6) Rev. James E. Lawson, Jr., a leading theo4 rist and strategist, helped spread the philosophy and 

5 doctrine of nonviolence by organizing and teaching 

6 workshops to young activists during the American 

7 Civil Rights Movement. 

8 (7) During his Presidency, Nelson Rolihlahla 

9 Mandela expanded the spirit of ubuntu, the African 

10 philosophy of the interconnectedness, caring, shar11 ing, and harmony of humanity, throughout the 

12 world. 

13 (8) According to the 2019 Global Peace Index, 

14 violence cost $14,100,000,000 in constant pur15 chasing power parity terms or $1,853 per person in 

16 2018. The fiscal loss resulting from conflict greatly 

17 exceeds investments in peacebuilding and peace18 keeping. 

19 (9) Given its proven success and evolution, the 

20 philosophy and doctrine of nonviolence can and 

21 should play an important role in breaking the cycle 

22 and reducing the frequency of violence throughout 

23 the United States and as a model to the global com24 munity. 


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1 (10) These lessons, principles, and practices 

2 should be made available to Americans of all ages 

3 and backgrounds in all parts of the country. 

4 SEC. 3. GRANTS TO EDUCATE AMERICANS ABOUT THE 

5 PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE OF NON6 VIOLENCE. 

7 (a) GRANTS.—The Attorney General may make 

8 grants to eligible entities to prevent or alleviate the effects 

9 of community violence by providing education, mentoring, 

10 and counseling regarding the principles and application of 

11 nonviolence in conflict resolution. 

12 (b) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under this sec13 tion, the Attorney General shall give priority to applicants 

14 that agree to use the grant in one or more eligible urban, 

15 rural, tribal, and suburban communities that can certify— 

16 (1) an increased or sustained level of violence or 

17 tension in the community; or 

18 (2) a lack of monetary or other resources to 

19 adopt innovative, integrated, community-based vio20 lence prevention programs. 

21 (c) LIMITATION.—The Attorney General may not 

22 make a grant to an eligible entity under this section unless 

23 the entity agrees to use not less than 70 percent of such 

24 grant for nonviolence-prevention education and program 

25 development. 


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1 (d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section, the term ‘‘eligible 

2 entity’’ means a State or local government entity (includ3 ing law enforcement), educational institution, nonprofit 

4 community, or faith-based organization. 

5 (e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—To carry 

6 out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated 

7 $60,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2020 through 

8 2025. 

Æ 


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