I 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2418 
To provide Federal coordination and assistance in preventing gang violence. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 14, 2009 
Mr. BACA introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Education and 
Labor, Energy and Commerce, and Financial Services, for a period to be 
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration 
of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee con-
cerned 
A BILL 
To provide Federal coordination and assistance in preventing 
gang violence. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as ‘‘Mynisha’s Law’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds— 
(1) with an estimated 24,500 gangs operating 
within the United States, gang violence and drug 
trafficking remain serious problems throughout the 
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country, causing injury and death to innocent vic-
tims, often children; 
(2) on November 13, 2005, a gang-related dis-
pute broke out in San Bernardino, California, and 
gunfire sprayed an apartment building, killing 11- 
year old Mynisha Crenshaw and seriously wounding 
her 14-year old sister as they ate Sunday dinner 
with their family; 
(3) this tragic shooting symbolizes the struggle 
that so many communities across the United States, 
like San Bernardino, face in combating gang vio-
lence, and serves as a reminder of the nationwide 
problem of protecting children from senseless vio-
lence; 
(4) according to the National Drug Threat As-
sessment, criminal street gangs are responsible for 
the distribution of much of the cocaine, meth-
amphetamine, heroin, and other illegal drugs 
throughout the United States; 
(5) the Federal Government has made an in-
creased commitment to the suppression of gang vio-
lence through enhanced law enforcement and crimi-
nal penalties; and 
(6) more Federal resources and coordination 
are needed to reduce gang violence through proven 
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and proactive prevention and intervention programs 
that focus on keeping at-risk youth in school and out 
of the criminal justice system. 
SEC. 3. DESIGNATION AS A COMPREHENSIVE GANG PRE-
VENTION AND RELIEF AREA. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—A unit of local government, city, 
county, tribal government, or a group of counties (whether 
located in 1 or more States) may submit an application 
to the Attorney General for designation as a Comprehen-
sive Gang Prevention and Relief Area. 
(b) CRITERIA.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Attorney General shall 
establish criteria for evaluating applications sub-
mitted under subsection (a) and for selecting areas 
for designation as Comprehensive Gang Prevention 
and Relief Areas. 
(2) CONSIDERATIONS.—In establishing criteria 
under subsection (a) and evaluating an application 
for designation as a Comprehensive Gang Prevention 
and Relief Area, the Attorney General shall con-
sider— 
(A) the current and predicted levels of 
gang crime activity in the area; 
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(B) the extent to which violent crime in 
the area appears to be related to criminal gang 
activity; 
(C) the extent to which the area is already 
engaged in local or regional collaboration re-
garding, and coordination of, gang prevention 
activities; and 
(D) such other criteria as the Attorney 
General determines to be appropriate. 
SEC. 4. INTERAGENCY GANG PREVENTION TASK FORCE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—In order to coordinate Federal as-
sistance to Comprehensive Gang Prevention and Relief 
Areas, the Attorney General shall establish an Interagency 
Gang Prevention Task Force (in this Act referred to as 
the ‘‘Task Force’’), consisting of a representative from— 
(1) the Department of Justice; 
(2) the Department of Education; 
(3) the Department of Labor; 
(4) the Department of Health and Human 
Services; and 
(5) the Department of Housing and Urban De-
velopment. 
(b) COORDINATION.—For each Comprehensive Gang 
Prevention and Relief Area designated by the Attorney 
General under section 3, the Task Force shall— 
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(1) coordinate the activities of the Federal Gov-
ernment to create a comprehensive gang prevention 
response, focusing on early childhood intervention, 
at-risk youth intervention, literacy, employment, 
community policing, and comprehensive community- 
based programs such as Operation Cease Fire; and 
(2) coordinate its efforts with local and regional 
gang prevention efforts. 
(c) PROGRAMS.—The Task Force shall prioritize the 
needs of Comprehensive Gang Prevention and Relief Areas 
for funding under— 
(1) the Child Care and Development Block 
Grant Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 9858 et seq.); 
(2) the Even Start programs under subpart 3 
of part B of title I of the Elementary and Secondary 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6381 et seq.); 
(3) the Healthy Start Initiative under section 
330H of the Public Health Services Act (42 U.S.C. 
254c–8); 
(4) the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9831 et 
seq.); 
(5) the 21st Century Community Learning Cen-
ters program under part B of title IV of the Ele-
mentary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 7171 et seq.); 
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(6) the Job Corps program under subtitle C of 
title I of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 
U.S.C. 2881 et seq.); 
(7) the community development block grant 
program under title I of the Housing and Commu-
nity Development Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5301 et 
seq.); 
(8) the Gang Resistance Education and Train-
ing projects under subtitle X of title III of the Vio-
lent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 
1994 (42 U.S.C. 13921); 
(9) any program administered by the Office of 
Community Oriented Policing Services; 
(10) the Juvenile Accountability Block Grant 
program under part R of title I of the Omnibus 
Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 
U.S.C. 3796ee et seq.); 
(11) the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice As-
sistance Grant Program under subpart 1 of part E 
of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe 
Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3750 et seq.); and 
(12) any other program that the Task Force 
determines to be appropriate. 
(d) REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than February 1 
of each year, the Task Force shall submit to Con-
gress and the Attorney General a report on the 
funding needs and programmatic outcomes for each 
area designated as a Comprehensive Gang Preven-
tion and Relief Area. 
(2) CONTENTS.—Each report under paragraph 
(1) shall include— 
(A) an evidence-based analysis of the best 
practices and outcomes among the areas des-
ignated as Comprehensive Gang Prevention and 
Relief Areas; and 
(B) an analysis of the adequacy of Federal 
funding to meet the needs of each area des-
ignated as a Comprehensive Gang Prevention 
and Relief Area and, if the Task Force identi-
fies any programmatic shortfalls in addressing 
gang prevention, a request for new funding or 
reprogramming of existing funds to meet such 
shortfalls. 
SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
There are authorized to be appropriated such sums 
as may be necessary to meet any needs identified by the 
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Task Force as necessary to achieve the purposes of this 
Act. 
Æ 
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