Safer Streets Act of 2022
Bill: H.R.6440 | Sponsor: Rep. Cohen, Steve (D-TN)
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement

Summary:
Safer Streets Act of 2022
This bill directs the Department of Justice to award grants to units of local governments and neighborhood or community-based organizations in jurisdictions with high rates of violent crime. Grants may be used to support law enforcement purposes or community violence prevention purposes, such as hiring additional officers, acquiring surveillance equipment, and promoting prevention programs.

To amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to 
establish a grant program for jurisdictions with high rates of violent 
                     crime, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Safer Streets Act of 2022''.

SEC. 2. GRANT PROGRAM.

    Title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 
(34 U.S.C. 10101 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the 
following:

  ``PART NN--GRANTS FOR JURISDICTIONS WITH HIGH RATES OF VIOLENT CRIME

``SEC. 3201. IN GENERAL.

    ``The Attorney General shall, each fiscal year, make grants to 
eligible units of local government and neighborhood or community-based 
organizations.

``SEC. 3202. ELIGIBILITY AND INCENTIVES.

    ``To be eligible for a grant under this part, a unit of local 
government or a neighborhood or community-based organization operating 
in a covered jurisdiction shall submit to the Attorney General 
information establishing that the rate of occurrence of violent crime 
within that jurisdiction is 2 times or more the national violent crime 
rate and that the population of that jurisdiction is 100,000 or more. 
Of any amounts made available for grants under this part for a fiscal 
year--
            ``(1) 50 percent of such amounts shall be for grants, of an 
        equal amount to each covered jurisdiction, to eligible grantees 
        for which such rate of occurrence is 4 times the national 
        violent crime rate or higher;
            ``(2) 20 percent of such amounts shall be for grants, of an 
        equal amount to each covered jurisdiction, to eligible grantees 
        for which such rate of occurrence is 3 times the national 
        violent crime rate or higher;
            ``(3) 10 percent of such amounts shall be for grants, of an 
        equal amount to each covered jurisdiction, to all other 
        eligible grantees; and
            ``(4) remaining amounts shall be for emergency grants to 
        such eligible grantees as the Attorney General determines 
        appropriate.
The Attorney General shall be responsible for awarding funds between 
units of local government and neighborhood or community-based 
organizations pursuant to each paragraph of this section.

``SEC. 3203. ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.

    ``Not more than 10 percent of a grant made under this part may be 
used for costs incurred to administer such grant.

``SEC. 3204. USE OF FUNDS.

    ``Amounts made available as a grant under this part may be used by 
a grantee for law enforcement purposes or community violence prevention 
purposes including--
            ``(1) hiring additional law enforcement officers;
            ``(2) investing in surveillance equipment; and
            ``(3) prevention programs.

``SEC. 3205. EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE.

    ``Any unit of local government or neighborhood or community-based 
organization in a covered jurisdiction that experiences, for a fiscal 
year, an increase of 10 percent in the rate of occurrence in violent 
crime over the preceding fiscal year, shall be eligible for an 
additional amount equal to 10 percent of the amount otherwise available 
under this part.

``SEC. 3206. DEFINITION.

    ``The term `violent crime' has the meaning given that term by the 
Attorney General for purposes of the Uniform Crime Reporting Program, 
for the fiscal year during which the grants are made.''.
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