Sponsors (50)
Introduced February 7, 2025 by Ilhan Omar · Last progress February 7, 2025
The bill would expand federal support, coordination, and funding for domestic and diplomatic peacebuilding—potentially reducing violence and improving services for communities and survivors—but does so by creating new federal bureaucracy and spending, raising questions about costs, agency overlap, local control, and effects on military and international flexibility.
Nonprofits and local communities will receive federal grants and support to expand violence‑prevention programs, increasing local safety and services.
Students, teachers, and schools will gain access to peace education curricula, counseling, peer mediation, and events (e.g., Peace Days), which can reduce bullying and school violence and support social-emotional learning.
Survivors of domestic, intimate-partner, and sexual violence (including people with disabilities and children) will get expanded counseling, advocacy, and victim services, improving access to trauma‑informed care.
Taxpayers and federal budgets will face higher costs because the bill authorizes new spending and creates a new Department/office with staff and programs.
Federal agencies, state governments, and taxpayers will face increased bureaucracy and administrative overhead as a new Department and expanded interagency requirements could overlap with existing agencies and create duplication.
Military personnel, diplomats, veterans, and foreign‑policy operations could face trade‑offs and reduced flexibility because shifting resources toward domestic peacebuilding and strict domestic funding quotas could limit defense spending priorities and slow urgent military or diplomatic actions.
Based on analysis of 8 sections of legislative text.
Creates a Cabinet Department of Peacebuilding to coordinate, fund, and advance domestic and international violence prevention, nonviolent conflict resolution, and related programs.
Creates a new Cabinet-level Department of Peacebuilding led by a Senate-confirmed Secretary whose mission is to prevent and reduce violence, foster nonviolent conflict resolution, and support community- and federally-funded peacebuilding programs at home and abroad. The Department would coordinate federal peace and violence-prevention activities, fund and expand community-based and school programs, study and report on causes of violence, consult with other agencies on conflict and withdrawals, and propose legislative recommendations within one year of the Secretary’s appointment. Funding is authorized as "such sums as may be necessary," with at least 85% required for domestic peace programs.