HR 3968
School Violence Prevention Act
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Bill overview
The School Violence Prevention Act authorizes grants to establish or expand comprehensive school-based programs aimed at preventing gun violence among youth at high risk. These programs must utilize evidence-based strategies, be culturally competent, and address trauma and social-emotional needs. The grants will be awarded to partnerships including state and local educational agencies and community-based nonprofits, prioritizing areas with high rates of violence. The act also includes provisions for program evaluation and data collection to assess effectiveness and inform future prevention efforts.
Key provisions
- Grants are awarded to partnerships of state and local educational agencies and community-based nonprofits.
- Programs must utilize evidence-based strategies, including trauma-informed care and culturally competent approaches.
- Grants support activities like promoting community engagement, providing mental health services, and strengthening interpersonal skills.
- Eligible areas are those with high rates of homicides, violent injury, or juvenile arrests.
- The Secretary will distribute grants equitably across the United States.
- Grants are for a period of 5 years and may be renewed.
- The act mandates a comprehensive evaluation process, including data collection and reporting.
- Independent researchers will evaluate program performance and impacts.
Who is affected
- Students (K-12 and under 19)
- Local educational agencies
- Community-based nonprofit organizations
- Families of at-risk youth
Sponsors
Official sponsors from legislative records.
Primary sponsor
Cosponsors
Becca [D-VT-At Large] Balint
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119th CONGRESS — 1st Session
H. R. 3968
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
A BILL
To authorize the establishment of a comprehensive school-based violence prevention program to assist youth at highest risk for involvement in gun violence in local communities and schools, and for other purposes.
This Act may be cited as the School Violence Prevention Act
.
The second part G (relating to services provided through religious organizations) of title V of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290kk et seq.) is amended—
by redesignating such part as part J; and
by redesignating sections 581 through 584 as sections 596 through 596C, respectively.
Section 581 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290hh) (relating to children and violence) is amended to read as follows:
The Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Education, shall award grants to eligible entities to establish or expand a comprehensive school-based violence prevention program to assist youth at highest risk for involvement in gun violence in local communities and schools (including schools funded by the Bureau of Indian Education).
Grants awarded under subsection (a), shall, as appropriate, be used for—
the implementation of school-based violence prevention programs that—
are primarily focused on providing services to students enrolled in kindergarten through 12th grade or youth younger than 19; and
promote community engagement that supports healthy development, including emphasizing self-esteem and cultural or ethnic pride;
promote healing from trauma and other adverse childhood experiences that increase a young person’s risk for involvement in gun violence;
strengthen the interpersonal and emotional skills of youth, such as communication, problem-solving, empathy, and conflict management;
technical assistance to local educational agencies and community-based nonprofit organizations with respect to the development of programs described in paragraph (1);
facilitating community partnerships among youth, families, schools, local businesses, and agencies with respect to such programs;
collecting data in accordance with subsection (g).
To be eligible for a grant under subsection (a), an entity shall be a partnership that includes—
a State educational agency, in coordination with 1 or more local educational agencies located in a municipality or other local government—
that, for not fewer than 2 of the 3 years preceding the grant application—
experienced 35 or more homicides per year;
experienced 20 or more homicides per year and had a homicide rate that was not less than double the national average;
that demonstrates a unique and compelling need for additional resources to address youth gun violence; and
The Secretary shall ensure that grants under subsection (a) are distributed equitably among the regions of the United States.
A grant under subsection (a) shall be for a period of 5 years, and may be renewed by the Secretary.
the development of guidelines for the submission of program data by grantees;
the development of measures of outcomes (in accordance with subparagraph (B)) to be applied by grantees in evaluating programs carried out through a grant under this section; and
to evaluate the impacts of programs carried out through a grant under this section, including outcomes related to the students, families, and local educational systems supported under this section; and
to disaggregate data on such outcomes by the subgroups of students listed in section 1111(c)(2) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.
includes data to evaluate the success of the program carried out by the grantee based on whether such program is achieving the purposes of the program; and
To carry out subsection (f)(2) for a fiscal year, the Secretary may reserve not more than 5 percent of the funds made available to carry out this section for such fiscal year.
Part G of title V of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290hh et seq.), as amended by subsection (b), is further amended by striking the part designation and heading and inserting the following: