[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8161 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8161

  To authorize implementation grants to community-based nonprofits to 
                   operate one-stop reentry centers.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 4, 2020

 Ms. Bass (for herself and Mr. Reschenthaler) introduced the following 
       bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To authorize implementation grants to community-based nonprofits to 
                   operate one-stop reentry centers.

    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 ``The One Stop Shop Community Reentry 
Program Act of 2020''.

SEC. 2. COMMUNITY REENTRY CENTER GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) Program Authorized.--The Attorney General is authorized to 
carry out a grant program to make grants to eligible entities for the 
purpose of creating community reentry centers.
    (b) Application Requirements.--Each application for a grant under 
this section shall--
            (1) demonstrate a plan to work with community leaders who 
        interact with formerly incarcerated people and their families 
        to--
                    (A) identify specific strategies and approaches to 
                providing reentry services;
                    (B) develop a needs assessment tool to survey or 
                conduct focus groups with community members in order to 
                identify--
                            (i) the needs of individuals returning to 
                        the community after conviction or 
                        incarceration, and the barriers such 
                        individuals face; and
                            (ii) the needs of the families and 
                        communities to which such individuals are 
                        returning; and
                    (C) use the information gathered pursuant to 
                subparagraph (B) to determine the reentry services to 
                be provided by the community reentry center;
            (2) identify the correctional institutions from which 
        individuals who are released from incarceration are likely to 
        reenter the community served by the community reentry center, 
        and a plan, if any, to provide transportation for such released 
        individuals to the community reentry center, the individual's 
        residence, or to a location where the individual is ordered by 
        a court to report;
            (3) demonstrate a plan to provide accessible notice of the 
        location of the reentry intake and coordination center and the 
        services that it will provide (either directly or on a referral 
        basis), including, where feasible, within and outside of 
        correctional institutions identified under paragraph (1);
            (4) demonstrate a plan to provide intake and reentry needs 
        assessment that is trauma-informed and gender-responsive after 
        an individual is released from a correctional institution, or, 
        in the case of an individual who is convicted of an offense and 
        not sentenced to a term of imprisonment, after such conviction, 
        and where feasible, before release, to ensure that the 
        individuals served by the center are referred to appropriate 
        reentry services based on the individual's needs immediately 
        upon release from a correctional institution or after 
        conviction, and continuously thereafter as needed;
            (5) demonstrate a plan to provide the reentry services 
        identified in paragraph (1)(C);
            (6) demonstrate a plan to continue to provide services 
        (including through referral) for individuals served by the 
        center who move to a different geographic area to ensure 
        appropriate case management, case planning, and access to 
        continuous or new services where necessary and based on 
        consistent reevaluation of needs; and
            (7) identify specific methods that the community reentry 
        center will employ to achieve performance objectives among the 
        individuals served by the center, including--
                    (A) increased access to and participation in 
                reentry services;
                    (B) reduction in recidivism rates;
                    (C) increased numbers of individuals obtaining and 
                retaining employment;
                    (D) increased enrollment in and degrees earned from 
                educational programs, including high school, GED, and 
                institutions of higher education;
                    (E) increased numbers of individuals obtaining and 
                maintaining housing; and
                    (F) increased self-reports of successful community 
                living, including stability of living situation and 
                positive family relationships.
    (c) Preference.--The Attorney General shall give preference to 
applicants that demonstrate that they seek to employ individuals who 
have been convicted of an offense, or served a term of imprisonment or 
that, to the extent allowable by law, employ such formerly incarcerated 
individuals in positions of responsibility.
    (d) Evaluation and Report.--
            (1) Evaluation.--The Attorney General shall enter into a 
        contract with a nonprofit organization with expertise in 
        analyzing data related to reentry services and recidivism to 
        monitor and evaluate each recipient of a grant and each 
        community reentry center receiving funds under this section on 
        an ongoing basis.
            (2) Administrative burden.--The nonprofit organization 
        described in paragraph (1) shall provide administrative support 
        to assist recipients of grants authorized by this Act to comply 
        with the conditions associated with the receipt of funding from 
        the Department of Justice.
            (3) Report.--Not later than one year after the date on 
        which grants are initially made under this section, and 
        annually thereafter, the Attorney General shall submit to 
        Congress a report on the program, which shall include--
                    (A) the number of grants made, the number of 
                eligible entities receiving such grants, and the amount 
                of funding distributed to each eligible entity pursuant 
                to this section;
                    (B) the location of each eligible entity receiving 
                such a grant, and the population served by the 
                community reentry center;
                    (C) the number of persons who have participated in 
                reentry services offered by a community reentry center, 
                disaggregated by type of services, and success rates of 
                participants in each service to the extent possible;
                    (D) the number of persons who have participated in 
                reentry services for which they received a referral 
                from a community reentry center, disaggregated by type 
                of services, and success rates of participants in each 
                service;
                    (E) recidivism rates within the population served 
                by each community reentry center, both before and after 
                receiving a grant under this section;
                    (F) the number of individuals obtaining and 
                retaining employment within the population served by 
                each community reentry center, both before and after 
                receiving a grant under this section; and
                    (G) the number of individuals obtaining and 
                maintaining housing within the population served by 
                each community reentry center, both before and after 
                receiving a grant under this section.
    (e) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) The term ``eligible entity'' means a community-based 
        nonprofit organization that--
                    (A) has expertise in the provision of reentry 
                services; and
                    (B) is located in a geographic area that has 
                disproportionately high numbers of residents who--
                            (i) have been arrested;
                            (ii) have been convicted of a criminal 
                        offense; and
                            (iii) return to such geographic area after 
                        incarceration.
            (2) The term ``community reentry center'' means a center 
        that--
                    (A) offers intake, reentry needs assessments, case 
                management, and case planning for reentry services for 
                individuals returning to the community after conviction 
                or incarceration;
                    (B) provides the reentry services identified under 
                subsection (b)(1)(C) at a single location; and
                    (C) provides referrals to appropriate service 
                providers based on the assessment of needs of the 
                individual.
            (3) The term ``reentry services'' means comprehensive and 
        holistic services that improve outcomes for individuals 
        returning to the community after conviction or incarceration, 
        and may include--
                    (A) seeking and maintaining employment, including 
                through assistance with drafting resumes, establishing 
                emails accounts, locating job solicitations, submission 
                of job applications, and preparation for interviews;
                    (B) placement in job placement programs that 
                partner with private employers;
                    (C) obtaining free and low-cost job skills classes, 
                including computer skills, technical skills, vocational 
                skills, and any other job-related skills;
                    (D) locating and maintaining housing, which may 
                include counseling on public housing opportunities, 
                assistance with applications for public housing 
                benefits, and locating and securing temporary or long-
                term shelter;
                    (E) obtaining identification cards and driver's 
                licenses;
                    (F) registering to vote, and applying for voting 
                rights to be restored, where permitted by law;
                    (G) applying for or accessing GED courses;
                    (H) applying for loans for and admission to 
                institutions of higher education;
                    (I) financial counseling;
                    (J) legal assistance or referrals for record 
                expungement, forfeiture of property or assets, family 
                law and custody matters, legal aid services (including 
                other civil legal aid services), and relevant civil 
                matters including housing and other issues;
                    (K) retrieving property or funds retained by the 
                arresting agency or facility of incarceration, or 
                retrieving property or funds obtained while 
                incarcerated;
                    (L) transportation, including through provision of 
                transit fare;
                    (M) familial counseling;
                    (N) problem-solving, in coordination with counsel 
                where necessary, any difficulties in compliance with 
                court-ordered supervision requirements, including 
                restrictions on living with certain family members, 
                contact with certain friends, bond requirements, 
                location and residency restrictions, electronic 
                monitoring compliance, court-ordered substance abuse, 
                and other court-ordered requirements;
                    (O) communication needs, including providing a 
                mobile phone, mobile phone service or access, or 
                internet access;
                    (P) applying for State or Federal government 
                benefits, where eligible;
                    (R) life skills assistance;
                    (S) mentorship;
                    (T) medical and mental health services, and 
                cognitive-behavioral programming;
                    (U) substance abuse treatment; and
                    (V) reactivation, application for, and maintaining 
                professional or other licenses.
            (4) The term ``community leader'' means an individual who 
        serves the community in a leadership role, including--
                    (A) a school official;
                    (B) a faith leader;
                    (C) a social service provider;
                    (D) a member of a neighborhood association;
                    (E) a public safety representative;
                    (F) an employee of an organization that provides 
                reentry services;
                    (G) a member of a civic or volunteer group related 
                to the provision of reentry services;
                    (H) a health care professional; and
                    (I) an employee of a State, local, or tribal 
                government agency with expertise in the provision of 
                reentry services.
    (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--
            (1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated 
        $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2025 to carry 
        out this section.
            (2) Equitable distribution.--The Attorney General shall 
        ensure that grants awarded under this section are equitably 
        distributed among the geographical regions and between urban 
        and rural populations, including Indian Tribes, consistent with 
        the objective of reducing recidivism.

SEC. 3. GRANTS FOR REENTRY SERVICES ASSISTANCE HOTLINES.

    (a) Grants Authorized.--
            (1) In general.--The Attorney General is authorized to make 
        grants to States and units of local government to operate 
        reentry services assistance hotlines that are toll-free and 
        operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
            (2) Grant period.--A grant made under paragraph (1) shall 
        be for a period of not more than 5 years.
    (b) Hotline Requirements.--A grant recipient shall ensure, with 
respect to a hotline funded by a grant under subsection (a), that--
            (1) the hotline directs individuals to local reentry 
        services (as such term is defined in section 2(e));
            (2) any personally identifiable information that an 
        individual provides to an agency of the State through the 
        hotline is not directly or indirectly disclosed, without the 
        consent of the individual, to any other agency or entity, or 
        person;
            (3) the staff members who operate the hotline are trained 
        to be knowledgeable about--
                    (A) applicable Federal, State, and local reentry 
                services; and
                    (B) the unique barriers to successful reentry into 
                the community after a person has been convicted or 
                incarcerated;
            (4) the hotline is accessible to--
                    (A) individuals with limited English proficiency, 
                where appropriate; and
                    (B) individuals with disabilities;
            (5) the hotline has the capability to engage with 
        individuals using text messages.
    (c) Best Practices.--The Attorney General shall issue guidance to 
grant recipients on best practices for implementing the requirements of 
subsection (b).
    (d) Preference.--The Attorney General shall give preference to 
applicants that demonstrate that they seek to employ individuals to 
operate the hotline who have been convicted of an offense, or served a 
term of imprisonment.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated $1,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2025 to 
carry out this section.
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