School Violence Prevention Act · Introduced in House (2025-06-12) · Congress.wiki

H.R. 3968

119th CONGRESS 1st Session

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.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES · June 12, 2025 · Sponsor: Mrs. Hayes · Committee: Committee on Energy and Commerce

H.R. 3968
- SEC. 1. Short title
- SEC. 2. Comprehensive school-based violence prevention program

SEC. 1. Short title

This Act may be cited as the School Violence Prevention Act.

SEC. 2. Comprehensive school-based violence prevention program

(a) Technical amendments
- The second part G (relating to services provided through religious organizations) of title V of the Public Health Service Act () is amended— 42 U.S.C. 290kk et seq.
  - by redesignating such part as part J; and
  - by redesignating sections 581 through 584 as sections 596 through 596C, respectively.
(b) Grants authorized
- Section 581 of the Public Health Service Act () (relating to children and violence) is amended to read as follows: 42 U.S.C. 290hh
  - (a) In general
    - 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).
  - (b) Activities
    - 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
        
        use strategies that are evidence-based, culturally competent, trauma-informed, and linguistically and developmentally inclusive, and have demonstrated effectiveness at preventing or reducing violence among youth at highest risk for involvement in gun violence, including strategies that—
        
        (i) promote community engagement that supports healthy development, including emphasizing self-esteem and cultural or ethnic pride;
        
        (ii) promote healing from trauma and other adverse childhood experiences that increase a young person’s risk for involvement in gun violence;
        
        (iii) strengthen the interpersonal and emotional skills of youth, such as communication, problem-solving, empathy, and conflict management;
        
        (iv) connect youth to mental health professionals, counselors, mentors, community leaders, crisis intervention professionals, community violence interrupters, or educators trained in trauma-informed care and activities;
        
        (v) foster community engagement and safe community environments; or
        
        (vi) lessen harms of escalating violence and prevent future risk of violence, including gun violence;
      - 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;
      - increasing teacher, school leader, and other school personnel access to evidence-based trauma support services, social and emotional learning, and mental health services through professional development; and
      - collecting data in accordance with subsection (g).
  - (c) Eligibility
    - 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—
        
        (i) experienced 35 or more homicides per year;
        
        (ii) experienced 20 or more homicides per year and had a homicide rate that was not less than double the national average;
        
        (iii) had high rates of violent injury or injury recidivism among youth as determined by the State; or
        
        (iv) had a juvenile arrest rate for violent crime that was not less than double the national average; or
        
        that demonstrates a unique and compelling need for additional resources to address youth gun violence; and
      - at least 1 community-based nonprofit organization that serves the youth or families of the youth of the 1 or more local educational agencies referred to in paragraph (1).
  - (d) Geographical distribution
    - The Secretary shall ensure that grants under subsection (a) are distributed equitably among the regions of the United States.
  - (e) Duration of awards
    - A grant under subsection (a) shall be for a period of 5 years, and may be renewed by the Secretary.
  - (f) Evaluation and measures of outcomes
    - (1) In general
      - (A) Development of evaluation process
        
        The Secretary, in coordination with the Secretary of Education, shall develop a process for evaluating activities carried out through a grant under this section. Such process shall include—
        
        (i) the development of guidelines for the submission of program data by grantees;
        
        (ii) 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
        
        (iii) the submission of regular reports by grantees concerning the impacts of programs carried out through a grant under this section.
      - (B) Measures of outcomes
        
        The Secretary shall develop measures of outcomes to be applied by grantees under this section—
        
        (i) 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
        
        (ii) 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.
      - (C) Submission of data
        
        Not later than the end of each of the second and last academic years covered by the period of a grant under this section, the grantee shall submit to the Secretary and the Director of the Institute of Education Sciences a report that—
        
        (i) 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
        
        (ii) utilizes the measures of outcomes developed under subparagraph (B), including high school graduation rates, employment rates, and rates of enrollment in postsecondary education and trade schools, in a reasonable manner to demonstrate the progress of the program in achieving such purposes.
      - (D) Evaluation by Secretary and the Director of the Institute of Education Sciences
        
        Based on the data submitted under subparagraph (C), the Secretary and the Director of the Institute of Education Sciences shall submit to Congress a report at least once every three years concerning the results and impacts of the programs carried out with assistance received under this section, including recommendations on how to conduct gun violence prevention activities with limited resources following a co-occurring emergency (such as a national public health emergency or a natural disaster).
    - (2) Independent researcher
      - The Secretary shall contract with independent researchers, including researchers with expertise in violence prevention programs, to evaluate the performance and impacts of selected programs funded through grants under this section. Such evaluations shall be made publicly available on the internet website of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
  - (g) Information and education
    - The Secretary shall disseminate best practices to the public based on the findings resulting from programs funded through grants under this section.
  - (h) ESEA terms defined
    - In this section, the terms and have the meanings given such terms, respectively, in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. local educational agency,State educational agency
  - (i) Funding
    - (1) Authorization of appropriations
      - To carry out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated $25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2031.
    - (2) Evaluation activities
      - (A) By grantees
        
        To carry out evaluation activities under subsection (f)(1), an eligible entity receiving a grant under this section shall use not more than 20 percent of the total amount received through the grant.
      - (B) Independent researcher
        
        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.
(c) Conforming amendment
- Part G of title V of the Public Health Service Act (), as amended by subsection (b), is further amended by striking the part designation and heading and inserting the following: 42 U.S.C. 290hh et seq.

H.R. 3968

Table of contents

SEC. 1. Short title

SEC. 2. Comprehensive school-based violence prevention program