Break the Cycle of Violence Act
Bill: S.2275 | Sponsor: Sen. Booker, Cory A. (D-NJ)
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement

Summary:
Break the Cycle of Violence Act
This bill establishes federal grant programs and related entities to support violence intervention initiatives.
Specifically, the bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award grants for coordinated community violence intervention initiatives in communities disproportionately impacted by homicides and community violence. HHS must also establish several related entities, including
Additionally, the bill directs the Department of Labor to award grants for job training and workforce programs in communities disproportionately affected by gun violence to connect youth ages 16 to 24 to in-demand occupations.

To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to build safer, 
    thriving communities, and save lives, by investing in effective 
community-based violence reduction initiatives, 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; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Break the Cycle of 
Violence Act''.
    (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents of this Act is as 
follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Findings.
Sec. 3. Definitions.
            TITLE I--DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Sec. 101. Community-based violence intervention program grants.
Sec. 102. Office of Community Violence Intervention.
Sec. 103. Community Violence Intervention Advisory Committee.
Sec. 104. Creation of a National Community Violence Response Center.
Sec. 105. Sense of Congress regarding services for victims of violent 
                            crime.
Sec. 106. Authorization of appropriations.
                     TITLE II--DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Sec. 201. Improving approaches for communities to thrive (IMPACT) 
                            grants.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds the following:
            (1) Community violence is a significant public health, 
        public safety, and community infrastructure concern nationwide 
        and is a leading cause of death, injury, and trauma for people 
        in the United States that disrupts employment and hinders a 
        community's social and economic development.
            (2) From 2010 to 2019, over 175,000 people were murdered in 
        the United States. Hundreds of thousands more were hospitalized 
        or treated in emergency departments after surviving life-
        changing gunshot injuries and other violent assaults.
            (3) In 2020, the Nation suffered the largest single-year 
        spike in homicides on record, driven largely by record spikes 
        in fatal shootings. Nationwide, 75 percent of all homicides are 
        committed with a gun.
            (4) Communities across the Nation experience enormous 
        disparities in safety that are driven by inequitable social and 
        structural determinants of health. Interpersonal shootings are 
        disproportionately concentrated in neighborhoods harmed by past 
        and present racial discrimination, segregation, redlining, 
        disinvestment, mass incarceration, and concentrated poverty, 
        and this violence's toll falls overwhelmingly on people of 
        color, especially young Black and brown men and boys and their 
        loved ones. From 2015 to 2019, Black children and teens were 14 
        times as likely to be shot to death as their White peers. 
        Hispanic children and teens and Native American children and 
        teens were both about 3 times as likely to be shot to death as 
        their White peers. Over this period, 72 percent of children 
        murdered before their 18th birthday were people of color, and 
        50 percent were Black.
            (5) Black boys and men make up less than 7 percent of the 
        population in the United States, but account for more than 50 
        percent of all gun homicide victims each year. Violence is 
        responsible for nearly half of all deaths among Black boys and 
        young men, ages 15 through 24, meaning the parents 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, social, and 
        economic costs. The Director of the Centers 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 resiliently 
        persevere, people who have been victims of violence are at 
        substantially higher risk of being violently 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 consistently funded, 
        coordinated, community-based strategies that utilize trauma-
        responsive care and interrupt 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 individualized 
        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 include the following:
                    (A) Community outreach programs, which hire 
                violence intervention and prevention specialists who 
                have established relationships, relatable lived 
                experiences, and credibility with individuals in their 
                communities at high risk of violence and connect them 
                with intensive counseling, mediation, peer support, and 
                social services in order to reduce their risk. 
                Evaluations have found that these programs, 
                particularly when integrated into wider networks of 
                supportive 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 violence by leveraging credible 
                violence intervention and prevention specialists to 
                provide intensive counseling, peer support, case 
                management, mediation, and social services to patients 
                recovering from gunshot wounds and other violent 
                injuries. Research has shown that violently injured 
                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 convicted 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-involved 
                individuals at highest risk for involvement in 
                community violence. This intervention, which must be 
                trauma informed, culturally responsive, and community 
                driven to be most successful, includes a process for 
                community members 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 
                enforcement, service providers, and community 
                engagement efforts to reduce violence in ways that do 
                not contribute to mass incarceration.
                    (D) Violence interruption and crisis management, 
                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 violent-
        crime arrests of participants in a youth job program.
            (9) Individualized wraparound services and opportunities 
        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 
        relationships of violence intervention and prevention 
        specialists, these services are used in the context of 
        structured, person-centered peer mentorship that facilitates 
        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 
        automated workforce, and youth must attain the digital, 
        technological, and other technical skills necessary to thrive 
        in the future of work. While jobs in the customer 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.
            (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 ``community violence''--
                    (A) means nonfatal firearm injuries, aggravated 
                assaults, homicides, and other acts of life-threatening 
                interpersonal violence committed outside the context of 
                a familial or romantic relationship; and
                    (B) does not include acts of violence motivated 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 calendar years 
                preceding the date on which an application for a grant 
                is submitted under section 101--
                            (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 community 
                violence, as determined by the Secretary, based on high 
                levels of homicide relative to other localities within 
                the same State.
            (3) Opportunity youth.--The term ``opportunity 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 ``Secretary'') 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 eligible unit 
                of local government; and
                    (B) has a track record of providing community-
                related activities or support program innovation 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 community violence 
        intervention initiatives, through coordinated, community-based 
        strategies.
            (2) Requirements.--A community violence intervention 
        initiative implemented using grant funds awarded under this 
        section shall--
                    (A) be primarily focused on providing culturally 
                competent, community-based violence intervention 
                services to the portion of a grantee's community who 
                are, regardless of age, identified as being at high 
                risk of being victimized by, or engaging in, community 
                violence; and
                    (B) use strategies that--
                            (i) are evidence-informed and have 
                        demonstrated promise at reducing community 
                        violence without contributing to mass 
                        incarceration;
                            (ii) utilize trauma-responsive care and 
                        interrupt cycles of violence;
                            (iii) expand economic opportunity through 
                        new jobs, educational opportunities, or 
                        training programs; and
                            (iv) are primarily focused on individuals 
                        at high risk of being victimized by, or 
                        engaging in, community violence.
            (3) Community partnerships.--
                    (A) Eligible units of local government.--Each 
                eligible unit of local government awarded a grant under 
                this section shall distribute 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 prevention 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 capacity as a community-
                based, nonprofit organization described in subsection 
                (b)(1) shall distribute 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 direct 
                        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 proposal, which shall, at a minimum--
            (1) describe how the applicant proposes to use the grant to 
        implement a coordinated community violence intervention 
        initiative in accordance with this section;
            (2) describe how the applicant proposes to use the grant to 
        promote or improve coordination between relevant agencies and 
        community organizations in order to minimize duplication of 
        services, complement other community violence intervention 
        efforts, and achieve maximum impact;
            (3) provide evidence indicating that the proposed community 
        violence intervention initiative would likely reduce community 
        violence or address the trauma and collateral consequences for 
        individuals 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 implemented in a 
        manner that is--
                    (A) evidence-informed; and
                    (B) coordinated with the programs and activities of 
                other entities for addressing community violence; and
            (5) in the case of a unit of local government applicant, 
        demonstrate strong support from community 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 steering 
                committee that--
                            (i) provides advice and assistance to the 
                        locality in administering grants awarded under 
                        this section; and
                            (ii) is composed of individuals who 
                        substantially reflect local populations 
                        impacted by community violence, including 
                        survivors of community violence and individuals 
                        with expertise in culturally competent 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 community-
                        based organizations that provide services to 
                        individuals at high risk of being victimized 
                        by, or engaging in, community violence.
    (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 applicant under this 
section shall be commensurate with--
            (1) the scope of the proposal; and
            (2) the demonstrated need for additional resources to 
        effectively reduce community violence in the applicant's 
        community.
    (i) Matching Funds Required.--
            (1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraphs (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.--Paragraph (1) shall not 
        apply to a grant awarded to a community-based organization 
        described in subsection (b)(1).
            (3) Waiver.--The Federal share of a grant awarded to a unit 
        of local government (that is an eligible entity under 
        subsection (b)(2)) may be up to 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 supplemental 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 Secretary, 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
                    (C) shown that the grantee would likely achieve 
                more substantial reductions in community 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 grantee, the Secretary shall 
        publish a statement on the website of the Department of Health 
        and Human Services that clearly explains the basis for the 
        decision to award such funds to a particular grantee.
    (l) Evaluation and Intensive Site Implementation 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 
        implementation providers with experience implementing community 
        violence intervention strategies;
            (2) providing grants to applicants under subsection (a) 
        that provide training and certification to community violence 
        intervention and prevention professionals in order to expand 
        the field and build capacity of frontline workers and other 
        providers; and
            (3) contracting with independent researchers to evaluate 
        the implementation, performance, and impact of selected 
        initiatives supported by the grants made under this section, 
        which evaluations shall be made publicly available on the 
        website of the Department of Health and Human Services.
    (m) Supplement, Not Supplant.--A grantee receiving 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 INTERVENTION.

    (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 director.
    (b) Duties.--The Secretary shall delegate to the Director 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 expenses of the Office.

SEC. 103. COMMUNITY VIOLENCE INTERVENTION ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish a Community 
Violence Intervention Advisory Committee (in this title referred to as 
the ``Advisory Committee'') to provide advice and assistance to the 
Secretary and Office in carrying out this title, including--
            (1) development of grant solicitations;
            (2) raising awareness about grant solicitations among 
        potentially eligible units of government and organizations;
            (3) selection of grant proposals;
            (4) selection of grantees to receive supplemental funds in 
        accordance with section 101(l); and
            (5) formation of the National Community Violence Response 
        Center under section 104.
    (b) Members.--In appointing members of the Advisory Committee, the 
Secretary shall--
            (1) appoint the members from among individuals with 
        expertise implementing or evaluating community violence 
        intervention initiatives;
            (2) include a representative with expertise in workforce 
        development selected by the Secretary of Labor;
            (3) ensure the membership of the Advisory Committee 
        reflects a commitment to culturally competent and trauma-
        informed approaches to preventing violence among individuals at 
        high risk of violence; and
            (4) ensure that the members of the Advisory Committee 
        include substantial representation of communities of color 
        disproportionately impacted by community violence.

SEC. 104. CREATION OF A NATIONAL COMMUNITY VIOLENCE RESPONSE CENTER.

    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish and operate a 
National Community Violence Response Center (referred to in this 
section as the ``Center'').
    (b) Duties.--The Center shall have the following roles and 
responsibilities:
            (1) Assessment; technical assistance.--The Office and the 
        Center, with the advice of the Advisory Committee, shall--
                    (A) develop a four-tier taxonomy to assess the 
                maturity of community violence infrastructure among 
                grantees under section 101; and
                    (B) provide technical assistance to grantees under 
                section 101 in the implementation of coordinated 
                community violence intervention funded through the 
                grant.
            (2) Intensive site implementation support.--The Center 
        shall--
                    (A) develop intensive site implementation support 
                for each of the four tiers to maximize the 
                effectiveness of the development of community violence 
                initiatives;
                    (B) develop intensive site implementation support 
                for each eligible unit of local government that is a 
                grant recipient to assess the contours of the community 
                violence within the jurisdiction and identify relevant 
                community-based interventions that may be successful at 
                preventing future community violence; and
                    (C) provide ongoing support to community-based 
                organizations to facilitate site infrastructure 
                building, program implementation and operation, and 
                quality improvement assistance.
            (3) Data collection.--
                    (A) Policies.--The Office and the Center shall 
                develop data collection policies for grant recipients 
                that measure safety, community health, opportunity 
                youth engagement, economic development, and recidivism.
                    (B) Assistance.--The Center shall assist grant 
                recipients in establishing data collection systems and 
                practices, and collect data from the grant recipients.
            (4) Research coordination.--
                    (A) Establishment of advisory council.--The Center, 
                in consultation with nonprofit, nongovernmental 
                organizations and researchers whose primary expertise 
                is in community violence, shall establish a Community 
                Violence Research Advisory Council (in this paragraph 
                referred to as the ``Research Advisory Council'')--
                            (i) to coordinate research on community 
                        violence; and
                            (ii) to report to the Congress on any gaps 
                        on issues related to community violence.
                    (B) Membership.--The Research Advisory Council 
                shall include representatives from--
                            (i) all Federal agencies that fund research 
                        on community violence; and
                            (ii) the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
                    (C) Duties.--The Research Advisory Council shall 
                provide advice and assistance to the Center to--
                            (i) develop a coordinated strategy to 
                        strengthen research focused on community 
                        violence education, prevention, and 
                        intervention strategies;
                            (ii) track and report all Federal research 
                        and expenditures related to community violence; 
                        and
                            (iii) identify gaps in community violence 
                        research, governmental expenditures on 
                        community violence issues, and promising 
                        strategies that have not yet been rigorously 
                        evaluated.
            (5) Conferral.--
                    (A) In general.--The Center shall establish a 
                biennial conference to include--
                            (i) grantees and providers of intensive 
                        site implementation support in the community 
                        violence field that receive funding under this 
                        title or title II; and
                            (ii) other key stakeholders.
                    (B) Topics.--The topics to be addressed at the 
                biennial conference shall include--
                            (i) the administration of grants;
                            (ii) challenges and gaps in community 
                        violence intervention initiatives;
                            (iii) strategies for overcoming such 
                        challenges and gaps;
                            (iv) promising practices in the field; and
                            (v) emerging trends.
                    (C) Report.--Not later than 90 days after the 
                conclusion of each biennial conference, the Center 
                shall publish a comprehensive report that--
                            (i) summarizes the issues presented during 
                        the conference and what, if any, policies the 
                        Center intends to implement to address those 
                        issues; and
                            (ii) is made available to the public on the 
                        Center's website and submitted to the Congress.
            (6) Capacity building and fostering innovation.--The Center 
        shall--
                    (A) promote expansion and development of the field 
                of community violence intervention and prevention, 
                including fostering collaboration, information sharing, 
                and dissemination of best practices among 
                practitioners, providers of intensive site 
                implementation support, and programs and individuals 
                working in the same regions or States, including the 
                identification and dissemination to the public of best 
                practices for addressing community violence;
                    (B) develop a plan for expanding providers of 
                intensive site implementation support in the field of 
                community violence intervention and prevention;
                    (C) develop a plan for identifying innovative 
                community violence intervention and prevention 
                strategies that are in need of further research and 
                evaluation; and
                    (D) develop a plan for providing ongoing intensive 
                site support to organizations implementing community 
                violence intervention and prevention strategies.
            (7) Reporting.--The Center shall annually provide a report 
        to the Congress addressing topics to include--
                    (A) national trends in community violence 
                statistics;
                    (B) a summary of the activities of the Center and 
                the Office under this title; and
                    (C) recommendations for improving the national 
                response to community violence.

SEC. 105. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING SERVICES FOR VICTIMS OF VIOLENT 
              CRIME.

    It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) community-based violence intervention programs have 
        shown effective results as a strategy in reducing the risk of 
        reinjury of, or retaliation by, victims of community violence, 
        and promoting victims' recovery and well-being;
            (2) young men, boys, girls, and women of color are 
        disproportionately victimized by community violence, but are 
        frequently underserved by victim service providers; and
            (3) States and territories should consider using funding 
        provided through the Crime Victims Fund to support community-
        based violence intervention initiatives that provide services 
        for direct and secondary victims of community violence at high 
        risk for reinjury and involvement in community violence.

SEC. 106. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There is authorized to be appropriated to the Department of Health 
and Human Services to carry out this title, in addition to any amounts 
otherwise authorized to be appropriated or made available to the 
Department of Health and Human Services for such purpose--
            (1) $300,000,000 for fiscal year 2022;
            (2) $500,000,000 for fiscal year 2023; and
            (3) $700,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2024 through 
        2029.

                     TITLE II--DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

SEC. 201. IMPROVING APPROACHES FOR COMMUNITIES TO THRIVE (IMPACT) 
              GRANTS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Labor (in this section referred 
to as the ``Secretary'') shall award grants to eligible entities for 
year-round job training and workforce programs authorized under section 
129(c)(1) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 
3164(c)), with the elements described in section 129(c)(2)(C) of such 
Act (29 U.S.C. 3164(c)(2)(C)), for opportunity youth in communities 
disproportionately affected by gun violence for the purposes of 
connecting opportunity youth to in-demand occupations.
    (b) Eligibility.--To be eligible to seek a grant under subsection 
(a), an entity shall be--
            (1) a community-based, nonprofit organization that--
                    (A) serves the residents served by an eligible unit 
                of local government;
                    (B) has a track record of providing community-
                related activities or support program innovation in 
                communities of color;
                    (C) focuses on training technical skills to prepare 
                opportunity youth for in-demand occupations; and
                    (D) provides--
                            (i) training for opportunity youth who are 
                        basic skills deficient; and
                            (ii) soft skills training that enables 
                        opportunity youth to engage successfully in 
                        work culture;
            (2) an Indian Tribe or an agency primarily serving Native 
        Americans;
            (3) an entity that carries out activities authorized under 
        the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3101 et 
        seq.) that has a focus on opportunity youth;
            (4) a federally or State recognized apprenticeship program;
            (5) an accredited community college; or
            (6) an eligible unit of local government.
    (c) Reporting.--The Secretary shall require grantees under this 
section to report to the Secretary on primary measures funded under 
this section for--
            (1) entry into job training, education, apprenticeship, 
        skilled trades training, or other paid and unpaid work 
        experiences that have as a component academic and occupational 
        education programs; and
            (2) changes in overall school enrollment, unemployment, or 
        weekly earnings for opportunity youth participating in 
        activities of the respective grantee.
    (d) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Basic skills deficient.--The term ``basic skills 
        deficient'' means an individual who--
                    (A) is a youth and has English reading, writing, or 
                computing skills at or below the 8th grade level on a 
                generally accepted standardized test; or
                    (B) is unable to compute or solve problems, or 
                read, write, or speak English, at a level necessary to 
                function on the job, in the individual's family, or in 
                society.
            (2) In-demand occupation.--The term ``in-demand 
        occupation'' means an occupation described in section 
        3(23)(A)(ii) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act 
        (29 U.S.C. 3102(23)(A)(ii)).
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--To carry out this section, 
there is authorized to be appropriated $1,500,000,000 for fiscal year 
2022, to remain available through fiscal year 2029.
                                 <all>