account for more than 50 percent of all gun homi-
cide victims each year. Violence is responsible for 
nearly half of all deaths among Black boys and 
young men, ages 15 through 24, meaning the par-
ents of a Black son in this age group are as likely 
to lose their child to homicide as nearly every other 
cause of death combined. 
(6) This violence imposes enormous human, so-
cial, and economic costs. The Director of the Cen-
ters for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division of 
Violence Prevention presented research to Congress 
demonstrating that ‘‘youth living in inner cities show 
a higher prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder 
than soldiers’’ in the Nation’s wartime military. 
While the vast majority of these young people resil-
iently persevere, people who have been victims of vio-
lence are at substantially higher risk of being vio-
lently re-attacked or killed. Additionally, both direct 
and indirect violence exposure have been associated 
with a host of poor health outcomes, including 
chronic illness, anxiety, depression, and substance 
misuse. 
(7) When properly implemented and consist-
ently funded, coordinated, community-based strate-
gies that utilize trauma-responsive care and inter-
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rupt cycles of violence can produce lifesaving and 
cost-saving results in a short period of time without 
contributing to mass incarceration. These strategies 
identify those at the highest risk, coordinate individ-
ualized wraparound resources, provide pathways to 
healing and stability, and monitor and support long- 
term success. Many cities have substantially reduced 
community violence in recent years by implementing 
various combinations of these strategies, which in-
clude the following: 
(A) Community outreach programs, which 
hire violence intervention and prevention spe-
cialists who have established relationships, re-
latable lived experiences, and credibility with in-
dividuals in their communities at high risk of 
violence and connect them with intensive coun-
seling, mediation, peer support, and social serv-
ices in order to reduce their risk. Evaluations 
have found that these programs, particularly 
when integrated into wider networks of sup-
portive services, are frequently associated with 
significant reductions in gun violence. 
(B) Hospital-based violence intervention 
programs (referred to in this section as 
‘‘HVIP’’), which work to break cycles of vio-
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lence by leveraging credible violence interven-
tion and prevention specialists to provide inten-
sive counseling, peer support, case management, 
mediation, and social services to patients recov-
ering from gunshot wounds and other violent 
injuries. Research has shown that violently in-
jured patients are at high risk of retaliating 
with violence themselves or being revictimized 
by violence in the near future. Evaluations of 
HVIPs have found that patients who received 
HVIP services were often less likely to be con-
victed of a violent crime and less likely to be 
subsequently reinjured by violence than patients 
who did not receive HVIP services. 
(C) Group violence interventions provide 
tailored social services and support to group-in-
volved individuals at highest risk for involve-
ment in community violence. This intervention, 
which must be trauma informed, culturally re-
sponsive, and community driven to be most suc-
cessful, includes a process for community mem-
bers to voice a clear demand for the violence to 
stop and narrowly focused enforcement actions 
against those who continue to engage in acts of 
serious violence. The approach coordinates law 
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enforcement, service providers, and community 
engagement efforts to reduce violence in ways 
that do not contribute to mass incarceration. 
(D) Violence interruption and crisis man-
agement, which respond to potentially violent 
incidents to mediate conflicts or to scenes where 
violence has occurred to offer trauma-informed 
services and community supports to survivors 
and others exposed to violence. These strategies 
help to prevent retaliatory violence and promote 
healing and well-being. Programs that include 
these components have reported deescalating 
dozens of disputes that were highly likely to end 
in lethal violence. 
(8) Access to job and entrepreneurship training, 
apprenticeship, and technological and digital literacy 
programs are effective tools in reducing community 
violence. A 2012 University of Pennsylvania study of 
13 high-violence schools in the Chicago area found 
‘‘well-targeted, low-cost employment policies can 
make a substantial difference’’, and the city’s most 
violent neighborhoods saw a 43 percent drop in vio-
lent-crime arrests of participants in a youth job pro-
gram. 
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(9) Individualized wraparound services and op-
portunities include, but are not limited to, housing 
support, financial assistance, reentry services, legal 
assistance, therapeutic services, grief counseling or 
targeted victim services, and skill building based on 
the needs of survivors or individuals at the highest 
risk of community violence. Leveraging the relation-
ships of violence intervention and prevention special-
ists, these services are used in the context of struc-
tured, person-centered peer mentorship that facili-
tates personal transformation by meeting people 
where they are and offering to help participants 
change the trajectories of their lives. 
(10) The past year has had a disproportionate 
impact on youth unemployment, with 2.9 million 
more unemployed youth in mid-2020 compared with 
pre-2020 levels. Simultaneously, the 2020 recession 
accelerated an already increasingly digital and auto-
mated workforce, and youth must attain the digital, 
technological, and other technical skills necessary to 
thrive in the future of work. While jobs in the cus-
tomer service and food industry could fall by 4.3 
million between 2018 and 2030, health care and 
STEM occupations could grow more now than ever. 
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(11) Intentional and sustained investments in 
community-based violence reduction strategies can 
reverse recent increases in homicides, help to heal 
impacted communities, and reduce the enormous 
human and economic costs of community violence, 
without contributing to mass incarceration. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) COMMUNITY VIOLENCE.—The term ‘‘com-
munity violence’’— 
(A) means nonfatal firearm injuries, ag-
gravated assaults, homicides, and other acts of 
life-threatening 
interpersonal 
violence 
com-
mitted outside the context of a familial or ro-
mantic relationship; and 
(B) does not include acts of violence moti-
vated by political beliefs. 
(2) ELIGIBLE UNIT OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT.— 
The term ‘‘eligible unit of local government’’ means 
a municipality or other local government that— 
(A) for not less than 2 out of the 3 cal-
endar years preceding the date on which an ap-
plication for a grant is submitted under section 
101— 
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(i) experienced 35 or more homicides 
per year; or 
(ii) experienced 20 or more homicides 
per year and had a homicide rate that was 
not less than double the national average; 
or 
(B) has a compelling need to address com-
munity violence, as determined by the Sec-
retary, based on high levels of homicide relative 
to other localities within the same State. 
(3) OPPORTUNITY YOUTH.—The term ‘‘oppor-
tunity youth’’ means individuals who— 
(A) have attained 16 years of age but not 
yet attained 25 years of age; and 
(B) are not— 
(i) enrolled in education or training on 
a full-time or part-time basis; or 
(ii) employed on a full-time or part- 
time basis. 
TITLE I—DEPARTMENT OF 
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES 
SEC. 101. COMMUNITY-BASED VIOLENCE INTERVENTION 
PROGRAM GRANTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health and 
Human Services (in this title referred to as the ‘‘Sec-
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retary’’) shall award grants to eligible entities to support, 
enhance, and replicate coordinated community violence 
intervention. 
(b) ELIGIBILITY.—To be eligible to seek a grant 
under this section, an entity shall be— 
(1) a community-based, nonprofit organization 
that— 
(A) serves the residents served by an eligi-
ble unit of local government; and 
(B) has a track record of providing com-
munity-related activities or support program in-
novation in communities of color; or 
(2) an eligible unit of local government. 
(c) LIMITATION.—Of the amount made available to 
carry out this title for a fiscal year, not more than 15 
percent of such amount shall be made available to eligible 
units of local government. 
(d) USE OF FUNDS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—A grant awarded under this 
section shall be used to implement coordinated com-
munity violence intervention initiatives, through co-
ordinated, community-based strategies. 
(2) REQUIREMENTS.—A community violence 
intervention initiative implemented using grant 
funds awarded under this section shall— 
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(A) be primarily focused on providing cul-
turally competent, community-based violence 
intervention services to the portion of a grant-
ee’s community who are, regardless of age, 
identified as being at high risk of being victim-
ized by, or engaging in, community violence; 
and 
(B) use strategies that— 
(i) are evidence-informed and have 
demonstrated promise at reducing commu-
nity violence without contributing to mass 
incarceration; 
(ii) utilize trauma-responsive care and 
interrupt cycles of violence; 
(iii) expand economic opportunity 
through new jobs, educational opportuni-
ties, or training programs; and 
(iv) are primarily focused on individ-
uals at high risk of being victimized by, or 
engaging in, community violence. 
(3) COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS.— 
(A) ELIGIBLE UNITS OF LOCAL GOVERN-
MENT.—Each eligible unit of local government 
awarded a grant under this section shall dis-
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tribute not less than 75 percent of such grant 
funds to one or more of the following: 
(i) A community-based organization 
or nonprofit organization. 
(ii) A public agency or department 
that is primarily dedicated to the preven-
tion of violence or to community safety, 
but is not a law enforcement agency. 
(B) HOSPITALS.—Each hospital awarded a 
grant under this section in the hospital’s capac-
ity as a community-based, nonprofit organiza-
tion described in subsection (b)(1) shall dis-
tribute not less than 90 percent of such grant 
funds to one or more of the following: 
(i) A community-based organization 
or nonprofit organization that provides di-
rect services to individuals who have been 
victimized by community violence. 
(ii) Direct program staff. 
(iii) Individual subcontractors who 
provide direct program-related services. 
(e) APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS.—Each applicant 
for a grant under this section shall submit a grant pro-
posal, which shall, at a minimum— 
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(1) describe how the applicant proposes to use 
the grant to implement a coordinated community vi-
olence intervention initiative in accordance with this 
section; 
(2) describe how the applicant proposes to use 
the grant to promote or improve coordination be-
tween relevant agencies and community organiza-
tions in order to minimize duplication of services, 
complement other community violence intervention 
efforts, and achieve maximum impact; 
(3) provide evidence indicating that the pro-
posed community violence intervention initiative 
would likely reduce community violence or address 
the trauma and collateral consequences for individ-
uals at high risk of being victimized by, or engaging 
in, community violence; 
(4) describe how the applicant plans to ensure 
the community violence intervention initiative is im-
plemented in a manner that is— 
(A) evidence-informed; and 
(B) coordinated with the programs and ac-
tivities of other entities for addressing commu-
nity violence; and 
(5) in the case of a unit of local government ap-
plicant, demonstrate strong support from community 
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partners with experience engaging individuals at 
high risk of being victimized by, or engaging in, 
community violence, as demonstrated by— 
(A) the development of a community steer-
ing committee that— 
(i) provides advice and assistance to 
the locality in administering grants award-
ed under this section; and 
(ii) is composed of individuals who 
substantially reflect local populations im-
pacted by community violence, including 
survivors of community violence and indi-
viduals with expertise in culturally com-
petent and trauma-informed approaches to 
reducing community violence; and 
(B) letters of support from individuals, 
such as— 
(i) the mayor or chief executive officer 
of the unit of local government; and 
(ii) the director of one or more com-
munity-based organizations that provide 
services to individuals at high risk of being 
victimized by, or engaging in, community 
violence. 
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(f) PRIORITIZATION.—In awarding grants under this 
section, the Secretary shall give preference to applicants 
whose grant proposals demonstrate the greatest likelihood 
of reducing community violence in the target area without 
contributing to mass incarceration. 
(g) GRANT DURATION.—A grant awarded under this 
section shall be for a 4-year period. 
(h) GRANT AWARD.—The amount awarded to an ap-
plicant under this section shall be commensurate with— 
(1) the scope of the proposal; and 
(2) the demonstrated need for additional re-
sources to effectively reduce community violence in 
the applicant’s community. 
(i) MATCHING FUNDS REQUIRED.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para-
graphs (2) and (3), the Federal share of each grant 
awarded under this section shall be 90 percent of 
the eligible costs incurred by the grant recipient. 
(2) EXEMPTION
FROM
REQUIREMENT.—Para-
graph (1) shall not apply to a grant awarded to a 
community-based organization described in sub-
section (b)(1). 
(3) WAIVER.—The Federal share of a grant 
awarded to a unit of local government (that is an el-
igible entity under subsection (b)(2)) may be up to 
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100 percent if the Secretary determines there is 
good cause to waive the Federal share requirement 
under paragraph (1) of this subsection. 
(j) REPORTS.—Not later than 1 year after the date 
on which the first 4-year grant period under this section 
ends, the Secretary shall publish a report identifying best 
practices for grantees under this section to implement 
community-based violence intervention initiatives. 
(k) REWARDING SUCCESS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may reserve 
not more than 10 percent of the funds appropriated 
for a fiscal year to carry out this title for supple-
mental incentive funds to be distributed to grantees 
outside the competitive grant process in accordance 
with paragraph (2). 
(2) DISTRIBUTION OF ADDITIONAL FUNDS.— 
The Secretary may distribute amounts reserved 
under paragraph (1), in the discretion of the Sec-
retary, to grantees under subsection (a) that have— 
(A) implemented the grant for not less 
than 2 years; 
(B) demonstrated exceptional commitment 
and progress toward implementing the grantee’s 
community violence reduction initiative; and 
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(C) shown that the grantee would likely 
achieve more substantial reductions in commu-
nity violence with additional Federal funding. 
(3) FEDERAL SHARE.—Subsection (i) shall not 
apply to any amounts distributed to a grantee under 
this subsection. 
(4) EXPLANATION
OF
DISTRIBUTION.—Upon 
distributing supplemental incentive funds to a grant-
ee, the Secretary shall publish a statement on the 
website of the Department of Health and Human 
Services that clearly explains the basis for the deci-
sion to award such funds to a particular grantee. 
(l) EVALUATION AND INTENSIVE SITE IMPLEMENTA-
TION SUPPORT.—The Secretary may reserve not more 
than 8 percent of the funds appropriated for a fiscal year 
to carry out this title for the purpose of— 
(1) contracting with or hiring intensive site im-
plementation providers with experience implementing 
community violence intervention strategies; 
(2) providing grants to applicants under sub-
section (a) that provide training and certification to 
community violence intervention and prevention pro-
fessionals in order to expand the field and build ca-
pacity of frontline workers and other providers; and 
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(3) contracting with independent researchers to 
evaluate the implementation, performance, and im-
pact of selected initiatives supported by the grants 
made under this section, which evaluations shall be 
made publicly available on the website of the De-
partment of Health and Human Services. 
(m) SUPPLEMENT, NOT SUPPLANT.—A grantee re-
ceiving a grant under this section shall use the grant to 
supplement, and not supplant, the amount of funds the 
grantee would otherwise dedicate to a community violence 
intervention initiative. 
SEC. 102. OFFICE OF COMMUNITY VIOLENCE INTERVEN-
TION. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall establish 
within the Department of Health and Human Services, 
the Office of Community Violence Intervention (in this 
title referred to as the ‘‘Office’’), to be headed by a direc-
tor. 
(b) DUTIES.—The Secretary shall delegate to the Di-
rector of the Office responsibility for implementing the 
provisions of this title. 
(c) RESERVATION.—Of the amount made available to 
carry out this title for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall 
reserve not more than 5 percent for the administrative ex-
penses of the Office. 
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