Sponsors (47)
The bill would create a federally led, well‑funded civilian peacebuilding architecture and expand prevention services and education—potentially reducing violence and improving community supports—while increasing federal spending, bureaucracy, and political friction over local curricula and the federal role in policing and security.
Survivors of domestic and sexual violence, and other victimized people, will gain expanded counseling, advocacy, trauma-informed services and prevention programs through new grants and funded services.
Students (pre-K through higher education), schools, and youth will get broader access to restorative-justice approaches, standardized peace curricula, and grant-funded peace education (including 'Peace Days'), which could reduce suspensions and improve school climate and outcomes.
Communities, local governments, and nonprofits will receive new federal grants and program resources for violence-prevention, community-based conflict resolution, and peacebuilding activities, expanding local service capacity.
All Americans (taxpayers) will face increased federal spending and recurring administrative costs from creating a new cabinet-level Department/Secretary and funding open-ended grant programs (authorization of 'such sums as necessary').
Shifting some law-enforcement and conflict functions toward civilian peacebuilding and requiring consultations could create capability gaps, complicate urgent defense/diplomatic actions, and slow emergency transfers of DoD equipment to state/local agencies.
Mandating and funding peace curricula that address topics like patriarchy and systemic violence may provoke local political disagreement, school-content disputes, and backlash from parents and school boards.
Based on analysis of 8 sections of legislative text.
Creates a Cabinet Department of Peacebuilding to lead and fund domestic and international violence‑prevention, peacebuilding, research, and interagency coordination.
Introduced February 7, 2025 by Ilhan Omar · Last progress February 7, 2025
Creates a new Department of Peacebuilding led by a Senate‑confirmed Secretary to coordinate and lead domestic and international violence‑prevention, nonviolent conflict resolution, and peacebuilding programs. The Department would run research, publish peace metrics and reports, fund and expand community and school violence‑prevention programs, advise other agencies on conflict prevention, and require formal consultation with Defense, State, and the National Security Council on actions that could cause or escalate violence. The bill also sets up an interagency council and federal committee, requires biennial reporting to the President and Congress, defines eligible institutions and terms by reference to existing law, authorizes unspecified funding (with at least 85% earmarked for domestic peace programs), and directs the new Secretary to submit legislative proposals within one year of appointment and to promote public observances of “Peace Days.”