[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3249 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]

        H.R.3249

                     One Hundred Fifteenth Congress

                                 of the

                        United States of America


                          AT THE SECOND SESSION

         Begun and held at the City of Washington on Wednesday,
           the third day of January, two thousand and eighteen


                                 An Act


 
To authorize the Project Safe Neighborhoods Grant Program, 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 ``Project Safe Neighborhoods Grant 
Program Authorization Act of 2018''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
    For the purposes of this Act--
        (1) the term ``firearms offenses'' means an offense under 
    section 922 or 924 of title 18, United States Code;
        (2) the term ``Program'' means the Project Safe Neighborhoods 
    Block Grant Program established under section 3; and
        (3) the term ``transnational organized crime group'' has the 
    meaning given such term in section 36(k)(6) of the State Department 
    Basic Authorities Act of 1956 (22 U.S.C. 2708(k)(6)).
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT.
    The Attorney General of the United States is authorized to 
establish and carry out a program, to be known as the ``Project Safe 
Neighborhoods Block Grant Program'' within the Office of Justice 
Programs at the Department of Justice.
SEC. 4. PURPOSE.
    (a) Project Safe Neighborhoods Block Grant Program.--The purpose of 
the Program is to foster and improve existing partnerships between 
Federal, State, and local agencies, including the United States 
Attorney in each Federal judicial district, entities representing 
members of the community affected by increased violence, victims' 
advocates, and researchers to create safer neighborhoods through 
sustained reductions in violent crimes by--
        (1) developing and executing comprehensive strategic plans to 
    reduce violent crimes, including the enforcement of gun laws, and 
    prioritizing efforts focused on identified subsets of individuals 
    or organizations responsible for increasing violence in a 
    particular geographic area;
        (2) developing evidence-based and data-driven intervention and 
    prevention initiatives, including juvenile justice projects and 
    activities which may include street-level outreach, conflict 
    mediation, provision of treatment and social services, and the 
    changing of community norms, in order to reduce violence; and
        (3) collecting data on outcomes achieved through the Program, 
    including the effect on the violent crime rate, incarceration rate, 
    and recidivism rate of the jurisdiction.
    (b) Additional Purpose Areas.--In addition to the purpose described 
in subsection (a), the Attorney General may use funds authorized under 
this Act for any of the following purposes--
        (1) competitive and evidence-based programs to reduce gun crime 
    and gang violence;
        (2) the Edward Byrne criminal justice innovation program;
        (3) community-based violence prevention initiatives; or
        (4) gang and youth violence education, prevention and 
    intervention, and related activities.
SEC. 5. RULES AND REGULATIONS.
    (a) In General.--The Attorney General shall issue guidance to 
create, carry out, and administer the Program in accordance with this 
section.
    (b) Funds to Be Directed to Local Control.--Amounts made available 
as grants under the Program shall be, to the greatest extent 
practicable, locally controlled to address problems that are identified 
locally.
    (c) Task Forces.--Thirty percent of the amounts made available as 
grants under the Program each fiscal year shall be granted to Gang Task 
Forces in regions experiencing a significant or increased presence of 
criminal or transnational organizations engaging in high levels of 
violent crime, firearms offenses, human trafficking, and drug 
trafficking.
    (d) Priority.--Amounts made available as grants under the Program 
shall be used to prioritize the investigation and prosecution of 
individuals who have an aggravating or leadership role in a criminal or 
transnational organization described in subsection (c).
SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
    There are authorized to be appropriated to the Attorney General to 
carry out the Program $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 
2021.

                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.

                            Vice President of the United States and    
                                               President of the Senate.