IIB 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 3249 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
MARCH 15, 2018 
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 
AN ACT 
To authorize the Project Safe Neighborhoods Grant 
Program, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Project Safe Neighbor-
hoods Grant Program Authorization Act of 2017’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
For the purposes of this Act— 
(1) the term ‘‘criminal street gangs’’ has the 
meaning given such term in section 521 of title 18, 
United States Code; 
(2) the term ‘‘gang crime’’ means a felony or 
misdemeanor crime, under State or Federal law, 
committed by one or more persons who are a mem-
ber of, or directly affiliated with, a criminal street 
gang; 
(3) the term ‘‘transnational organized crime 
group’’ has the meaning given such term in section 
36(k)(6) of the State Department Basic Authorities 
Act of 1956 (22 U.S.C. 2708(k)(6)); 
(4) the term ‘‘transnational organized crime’’ 
has the meaning given such term in section 36(k)(5) 
of the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 
1956 (22 U.S.C. 2708(k)(5)); and 
(5) the term ‘‘firearms offenses’’ means an of-
fense under section 922 or 924 of title 18, United 
States Code. 
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SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT. 
The Attorney General of the United States is author-
ized to establish and carry out a program, to be known 
as the ‘‘Project Safe Neighborhoods Block Grant Pro-
gram’’ or, in this Act, as the ‘‘Program’’, within the Office 
of Justice Programs at the Department of Justice. 
SEC. 4. PURPOSE. 
The purpose of the Project Safe Neighborhoods Block 
Grant Program is to foster and improve existing partner-
ships between Federal, State, and local agencies, including 
the United States Attorney in each Federal judicial dis-
trict, to create safer neighborhoods through sustained re-
ductions in violent crimes by— 
(1) developing and executing strategic plans to 
assist law enforcement agencies in combating gang 
crimes, including the enforcement of gun laws and 
drug interdiction; and 
(2) developing intervention and prevention ini-
tiatives, including juvenile justice projects and activi-
ties which may include street-level outreach, conflict 
mediation, and the changing of community norms, in 
order to reduce violence. 
SEC. 5. RULES AND REGULATIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Attorney General shall, not 
later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act, 
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make rules to create, carry out, and administer the Pro-
gram in accordance with this section. 
(b) FUNDS TO BE DIRECTED TO LOCAL CONTROL.— 
Amounts made available as grants under the Program 
shall be, to the greatest extent practicable, locally con-
trolled to address problems that are identified locally. 
(c) REGIONAL GANG TASK FORCES.—30 percent of 
the amounts made available as grants under the Program 
each fiscal year shall be granted to established Regional 
Gang Task Forces in regions experiencing a significant 
or increased presence of, or high levels of activity from, 
transnational organized crime groups posing threats to 
community safety in terms of violent crime, firearms of-
fenses, human trafficking, trafficking and distribution of 
illegal opioids and heroin, and other crimes. 
SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS; CONSOLIDA-
TION OF PROGRAMS. 
(a) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated for the Program under this 
Act $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 
2021. 
(b) CONSOLIDATION OF PROGRAMS.—For each of fis-
cal years 2019 through 2023, no funds are authorized to 
be separately appropriated to the Department of Justice 
Office of Justice Programs for— 
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(1) competitive and evidence-based programs to 
reduce gun crime and gang violence; 
(2) an Edward Byrne Memorial criminal justice 
innovation program; 
(3) community-based violence prevention initia-
tives; or 
(4) gang and youth violence education, preven-
tion and intervention, and related activities. 
Passed the House of Representatives March 14, 
2018. 
Attest: 
KAREN L. HAAS, 
Clerk. 
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