Title: Securing American Families by Educating and Training You (SAFETY) Through Nonviolence Act of 2017
Policy area: Education

Summary:
Securing American Families by Educating and Training You (SAFETY) Through Nonviolence Act of 2017
This bill authorizes the Department of Justice (DOJ) to award grants to eligible entities for the purpose of preventing or alleviating the effects of community violence by providing education, mentoring, and counseling related to principles of nonviolence in conflict resolution. "Eligible entities" include state or local government entities, educational institutions, nonprofit communities, and faith-based organizations.
In awarding grants under the program, DOJ shall give priority to applicants that agree to use the grant funds in at least one community that can certify: (1) an increased or sustained level of violence or tension in the community; or (2) a lack of resources to adopt innovative, integrated, community-based violence prevention programs.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3908 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3908

To authorize the Attorney General to award grants to eligible entities 
  to prevent or alleviate community violence by providing education, 
mentoring, and counseling services to children, adolescents, teachers, 
   families, and community leaders on the principles and practice of 
                              nonviolence.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 2, 2017

Mr. Lewis of Georgia introduced the following bill; which was referred 
            to the Committee on Education and the Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To authorize the Attorney General to award grants to eligible entities 
  to prevent or alleviate community violence by providing education, 
mentoring, and counseling services to children, adolescents, teachers, 
   families, and community leaders on the principles and practice of 
                              nonviolence.

    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 ``Securing American Families by 
Educating and Training You (SAFETY) Through Nonviolence Act of 2017''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) The concept and practice of nonviolent thoughts, words, 
        and actions have a history and a legacy in the United States 
        and the global community.
            (2) In the 19th century, American philosophers and authors 
        Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau were leaders of the 
        transcendentalist philosophical movement which emphasized the 
        potential good of humanity, the importance of truth, and the 
        courage and power of peace.
            (3) In the early 20th century, Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi 
        advanced the concepts and practices of ahimsa, or non-injury, 
        and satya, or truth as integral to social and active concepts 
        and practices.
            (4) Gandhi continued Thoreau's ideas of Civil Disobedience 
        in developing the doctrine of satyagraha which connects truth 
        and nonviolence to active efforts in nonviolent, civil 
        disobedience.
            (5) Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., built upon these 
        philosophies in developing six principles of nonviolence. He 
        explained these to be a way of life which sought to build 
        friendships and understanding, defeat injustice, accept 
        suffering as a way to educate and transform, and to choose love 
        instead of hate. Nonviolence's strength is reinforced by the 
        universe siding with justice.
            (6) Rev. James E. Lawson, Jr., a leading theorist and 
        strategist, helped spread the philosophy and doctrine of 
        nonviolence by organizing and teaching workshops to young 
        activists during the American Civil Rights Movement.
            (7) During his Presidency, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela 
        expanded the spirit of ubuntu, the African philosophy of the 
        interconnectedness, caring, sharing, and harmony of humanity, 
        throughout the world.
            (8) According to the 2017 Global Peace Index, violence cost 
        $14,300,000,000 in 2016. The fiscal loss resulting from 
        conflict greatly exceeds investments in peacebuilding and 
        peacekeeping.
            (9) Given its proven success and evolution, the philosophy 
        and doctrine of nonviolence can and should play an important 
        role in breaking the cycle and reducing the frequency of 
        violence throughout the United States and as a model to the 
        global community.
            (10) These lessons, principles, and practices should be 
        made available to Americans of all ages and backgrounds in all 
        parts of the country.

SEC. 3. GRANTS TO EDUCATE AMERICANS ABOUT THE PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE 
              OF NONVIOLENCE.

    (a) Grants.--The Attorney General may make grants to eligible 
entities to prevent or alleviate the effects of community violence by 
providing education, mentoring, and counseling regarding the principles 
and application of nonviolence in conflict resolution.
    (b) Priority.--In awarding grants under this section, the Attorney 
General shall give priority to applicants that agree to use the grant 
in one or more eligible urban, rural, tribal, and suburban communities 
that can certify--
            (1) an increased or sustained level of violence or tension 
        in the community; or
            (2) a lack of monetary or other resources to adopt 
        innovative, integrated, community-based violence prevention 
        programs.
    (c) Limitation.--The Attorney General may not make a grant to an 
eligible entity under this section unless the entity agrees to use not 
less than 70 percent of such grant for nonviolence-prevention education 
and program development.
    (d) Definitions.--In this section, the term ``eligible entity'' 
means a State or local government entity (including law enforcement), 
educational institution, nonprofit community, or faith-based 
organization.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--To carry out this section, 
there is authorized to be appropriated $60,000,000 for each of the 
fiscal years 2018 through 2023.
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