Title: Preventing Gang Violence Act of 2018
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement

Summary:
Preventing Gang Violence Act of 2018
This bill establishes the Community-Based Violence Prevention Grants Program. The Department of Justice may award competitive grants to regional gang task forces to reduce and prevent violence committed by and against youths.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5960 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5960

  To direct the Attorney General to make grants to regional gang task 
  forces to prevent violence committed by and against youths, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 24, 2018

Mr. Connolly (for himself and Mr. Rutherford) introduced the following 
       bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To direct the Attorney General to make grants to regional gang task 
  forces to prevent violence committed by and against youths, 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 ``Preventing Gang Violence Act of 
2018''.

SEC. 2. COMMUNITY-BASED VIOLENCE PREVENTION GRANTS PROGRAM.

    (a) Name of Program.--The grant program established under this 
section shall be known as the ``Community-Based Violence Prevention 
Grants Program''.
    (b) Authorization.--The Attorney General is authorized to award 
grants, on a competitive basis, to regional gang task forces in order 
to reduce and prevent violence committed by and against youths.
    (c) Application.--A regional gang task force, or a State or unit of 
local government on behalf of a regional gang task force, seeking a 
grant under this section shall submit to the Attorney General an 
application at such time, in such manner, and containing such 
information as the Attorney General may reasonably require. At a 
minimum, each such application shall include each of the following:
            (1) Documentation of the applicant's record of addressing 
        youth violence by--
                    (A) addressing multiple influences in a child's 
                life, including individual, family, school, community, 
                and societal influences;
                    (B) embracing positive youth development and well-
                being;
                    (C) ensuring prevention, intervention, and 
                treatment strategies are trauma-informed;
                    (D) using a comprehensive spectrum of evidence-
                based (research and practice) strategies;
                    (E) considering the differential impact on 
                populations and how they should be factored into 
                strategy development;
                    (F) involving stakeholders from various sectors, 
                including youth and families, Federal, State, and local 
                governments, tribal law enforcement, and faith and 
                community-based organizations;
                    (G) training all professionals who interact with 
                youth on their role in preventing and reducing trauma 
                and violence, promoting well-being, and avoiding 
                retraumatization through the use of gender-responsive 
                and culturally competent programming for impacted 
                communities;
                    (H) making effective and appropriate use of data;
                    (I) supporting long-term investment to sustain 
                initial changes, including public-private funding and 
                development; and
                    (J) allocating efforts and resources based on 
                potential impact and outcome.
            (2) Evidence of collaboration between the State agency 
        designated by the Governor under section 223(a)(1) of the 
        Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 (34 
        U.S.C. 11133(a)(1)) and relevant stakeholders in developing the 
        grant implementation plan described in paragraph (5).
            (3) Annual performance measures and targets for the 
        activities intended to be carried out with the grant.
            (4) A description of the applicant's plan to conduct a 
        rigorous evaluation of the effectiveness of the activities 
        carried out with the grant.
            (5) A grant implementation plan, including a proposed 
        strategy to reduce the violence described in subsection (b) 
        that is evidence-based.
            (6) In the case of an applicant that is a State or unit of 
        local government, a designation of a regional gang task force 
        that will be the beneficiary of the funds.
    (d) Evaluation of Applications.--
            (1) In general.--In evaluating an application submitted 
        under subsection (c), the Attorney General shall evaluate--
                    (A) the applicant's record of addressing youth 
                violence described in subsection (c)(1);
                    (B) the applicant's evaluation plan described in 
                subsection (c)(4); and
                    (C) the quality and likelihood of success of the 
                applicant's grant implementation plan described in 
                subsection (c)(5), including the applicant's capacity 
                to implement the plan, and evidence of the 
                collaboration described in subsection (c)(2).
            (2) Publication.--The Attorney General shall publish an 
        explanation of how applications for grants submitted under 
        subsection (c) will be evaluated in order to ensure an 
        objective and fair review process.
    (e) Matching Funds.--The Federal share of a grant received under 
this part may not exceed 75 percent of the total program costs.
    (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out the grant program under this section 
$18,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023.
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