[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 195 (Tuesday, November 17, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H5814-H5816]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
BIPARTISAN SOLUTION TO CYCLICAL VIOLENCE ACT OF 2020
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 5855) to amend the Public Health Service Act to establish a
grant program supporting trauma center violence intervention and
violence prevention programs, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 5855
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 ``Bipartisan Solution to
Cyclical Violence Act of 2020''.
SEC. 2. GRANT PROGRAM SUPPORTING TRAUMA CENTER VIOLENCE
INTERVENTION AND VIOLENCE PREVENTION PROGRAMS.
Part P of title III of the Public Health Service Act (42
U.S.C. 280g et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the
following new section:
``SEC. 399V-7. GRANT PROGRAM SUPPORTING TRAUMA CENTER
VIOLENCE INTERVENTION AND VIOLENCE PREVENTION
PROGRAMS.
``(a) Authority Established.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall award grants to
eligible entities to establish or expand violence
intervention or prevention programs for services and research
designed to reduce the incidence of reinjury and
reincarceration caused by intentional violent trauma,
excluding intimate partner violence.
``(2) First award.--Not later than 9 months after the date
of enactment of this section, the Secretary shall make the
first award under paragraph (1).
``(3) Grant duration.--Each grant awarded under paragraph
(1) shall be for a period of three years.
``(4) Grant amount.--The total amount of each grant awarded
under paragraph (1) for the 3-year grant period shall be not
less than $250,000 and not more than $500,000.
``(5) Supplement not supplant.--A grant awarded under
paragraph (1) to an eligible entity with an existing program
described in paragraph (1) shall be used to supplement, and
not supplant, any other funds provided to such entity for
such program.
[[Page H5815]]
``(b) Eligible Entities.--To be eligible to receive a grant
under subsection (a)(1), an entity shall--
``(1) either be--
``(A) a State-designated trauma center, or a trauma center
verified by the American College of Surgeons, that conducts
or seeks to conduct a violence intervention or violence
prevention program; or
``(B) a nonprofit entity that conducts or seeks to conduct
a program described in subparagraph (A) in cooperation with a
trauma center described in such subparagraph;
``(2) serve a community in which at least 100 incidents of
intentional violent trauma occur annually; and
``(3) submit to the Secretary an application at such time,
in such manner, and containing such information as the
Secretary may require.
``(c) Selection of Grant Recipients.--
``(1) Geographic diversity.--In selecting grant recipients
under subsection (a)(1), the Secretary shall ensure that
collectively grantees represent a diversity of geographic
areas.
``(2) Priority.--In selecting grant recipients under
subsection (a)(1), the Secretary shall prioritize applicants
that serve one or more communities with high absolute numbers
or high rates of intentional violent trauma.
``(3) Health professional shortage areas.--
``(A) Encouragement.--The Secretary shall encourage
entities described in paragraphs (1) and (2) that are located
in or serve a health professional shortage area to apply for
grants under subsection (a)(1).
``(B) Definition.--In subparagraph (A), the term `health
professional shortage area' means a health professional
shortage area designated under section 332.
``(d) Reports.--
``(1) Reports to secretary.--
``(A) In general.--An entity that receives a grant under
subsection (a)(1) shall submit reports on the use of the
grant funds to the Secretary, including progress reports, as
required by the Secretary. Such reports shall include--
``(i) any findings of the program established, or expanded,
by the entity through the grant; and
``(ii) if applicable, the manner in which the entity has
incorporated such findings in the violence intervention or
violence prevention program conducted by such entity.
``(B) Option for joint report.--To the extent feasible and
appropriate, an entity that receives a grant under subsection
(a)(1) may elect to coordinate with one or more other
entities that have received such a grant to submit a joint
report that meets the requirements of subparagraph (A).
``(2) Report to congress.--Not later than six years after
the date of enactment of the Bipartisan Solution to Cyclical
Violence Act of 2020, the Secretary shall submit to Congress
a report--
``(A) on any findings resulting from reports submitted to
the Secretary under paragraph (1);
``(B) on best practices developed by the Secretary under
subsection (e); and
``(C) with recommendations for legislative action relating
to intentional violent trauma prevention that the Secretary
determines appropriate.
``(e) Best Practices.--Not later than six years after the
date of enactment of the Bipartisan Solution to Cyclical
Violence Act of 2020, the Secretary shall--
``(1) develop, and post on a public website of the
Department of Health and Human Services, best practices for
intentional violent trauma prevention, based on any findings
reported to the Secretary under subsection (d)(1); and
``(2) disseminate such best practices to stakeholders, as
determined appropriate by the Secretary.
``(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--To carry out this
section, there is authorized to be appropriated $10,000,000
for the period of fiscal years 2021 through 2024.''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New
Jersey (Mr. Pallone) and the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Walden) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey.
General Leave
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks
and include extraneous material on H.R. 5855.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from New Jersey?
There was no objection.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, trauma is a pressing public health epidemic. In 2016
alone, trauma accounted for 29.2 million emergency department visits
and 39.5 million physician office visits in the U.S.
Tragically, homicide is the leading cause of death for Black males 1
to 24 years old and the second leading cause of death in Hispanic males
1 to 24 years old.
Regardless of race, among those who survive a single violent trauma,
it is estimated that up to 45 percent will experience a second violent
trauma. This is where H.R. 5855 steps in to provide critical data-
driven interventions.
The Bipartisan Solution to Cyclical Violence Act of 2020 identifies
patients at risk of repeat violent injury and connects them with
hospital and community-based resources. The bill bridges tragedy with
hospital-based violence intervention programs by providing intensive
case management to individuals who have experienced at least one
violent trauma. These programs have been shown to successfully reduce
injury recidivism and help those at risk for violence live safer lives.
I want to commend my colleagues, Representatives Ruppersberger and
Kinzinger, for spearheading this initiative and the University of
Maryland Hospital for establishing its shock trauma unit, which
established the first cycles of violence intervention program.
Again, I urge my colleagues to support this important bipartisan
bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. WALDEN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5855, the Bipartisan
Solution to Cyclical Violence Act of 2020.
I want to thank our colleagues, Representatives Ruppersberger and
Kinzinger, for putting forward a meaningful solution to address
violence in all of our communities. This legislation provides Federal
grants to hospitals and trauma centers for intervention services for
victims of violent crime.
Violence in America disproportionately impacts urban and underserved
communities where poor social determinants of health can contribute to
structural violence. Hospital-based intervention programs help reduce
violence because they reach high-risk individuals recently admitted to
a hospital for treatment of a serious violent injury.
Hospitalization presents a unique and, frankly, teachable moment when
an individual may be open to help, in turn, breaking the cycle of
violence by immediate intervention.
Currently, many hospitals are left with nothing but simply
discharging gunshot injury patients without any strategy in place to
reduce the risk of recidivism or retaliation. However, according to the
American College of Surgeons, those who received violence intervention
at the hospital, Madam Speaker, were significantly less likely to be
reinjured and to get involved in crime in the future. So it works.
By supporting hospital-based violence intervention programs, this
bill would help individuals at risk from becoming entangled in violent
crime and connect them with local resources that address the underlying
risk factors for violence.
Madam Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote, and I reserve the balance of my
time.
Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from
Maryland (Mr. Ruppersberger), the sponsor of the legislation.
(Mr. RUPPERSBERGER asked and was given permission to revise and
extend his remarks.)
Mr. RUPPERSBERGER. Madam Speaker, I rise to urge my colleagues to
support this bipartisan bill that will reduce the scourge of violence
in America.
The bill is based on a very simple concept: helping the victims of
violent injury before they become repeat victims or even perpetrators
themselves. We can do this by expanding hospital-based violence
intervention programs around the country.
I was inspired to write this bill after learning about the violence
intervention program at the University of Maryland R. Adams Cowley
Shock Trauma Center. Maryland Shock Trauma is considered one of the top
trauma centers in the world. And, by the way, it helped save my life
years ago.
Shock Trauma has a staggering 20 percent of patients who are the
victims of violence, usually stabbings and shootings, that have
occurred on the streets of Baltimore. Many of these patients are repeat
customers, caught in a revolving door of violent reinjury. In fact, one
of the leading risk factors for violent injury is a prior violent
injury.
Shock Trauma is taking advantage of the fact that these patients are
a captive audience, confined to a bed and off the streets, if only for
a few days.
[[Page H5816]]
{time} 1315
Participants in their violence intervention program, one of the 40
that now exist across the country, receive a brief intervention in the
emergency room or at the hospital bedside. They get counseling and
support that could include help with groceries, bus money, substance
abuse treatment, job training or help finding affordable housing.
This intervention is then followed by intensive community-based case
management services in the months following the injury. At Shock
Trauma, program participants have shown an 83 percent decrease in
rehospitalization due to intentional violent injury, and a 75 percent
reduction in criminal activity, and an 82 percent increase in
employment.
This bill that we have before us today, the Bipartisan Solution to
Cyclical Violence Act, provides $10 million in Federal grants to
hospitals that want to create or expand violence prevention programs.
At the end of a 3-year pilot, each hospital will report its findings
back to the Federal Government. Awards will range from $250,000 to
$500,000.
I believe, however, this bill will net cost savings to the American
taxpayers by reducing violent crime, which costs more than $12 billion,
from police, courts, and jails, to the medical expenses of victims, to
the lost wages to both victims and perpetrators.
Further, as we engage in a national conversation about reimagining
public safety, I think we need to do what we can to shift social work
away from police and first responders and back to the experts in mental
health, substance abuse, homelessness, unemployment, and other areas
that often afflict victims of violent crime.
In fact, when I first introduced this bill in 2019, it was endorsed
by the Fraternal Order of Police, the National Association of Resource
Officers, and the National District Attorneys Association. We also
received endorsements from the NAACP, American College of Surgeons,
Network of Hospital-Based Violence Intervention Programs, and the
National League of Cities. It has also been endorsed by the National
Hospital Association.
Madam Speaker, I thank my friend, Adam Kinzinger, for coauthoring
this important legislation; and Chairman Frank Pallone and Ranking
Member Walden for helping us work through this bill.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote for the Bipartisan
Solution to Cyclical Violence Act.
Mr. WALDEN. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend from Maryland for his
good work on this legislation.
Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr.
Kinzinger), who is a very talented legislator. He has put a lot into
this bill.
Mr. KINZINGER. Madam Speaker, the COVID pandemic has changed almost
every aspect of American life. While it may be difficult to measure at
this stage, we know the impact on medical health of Americans across
the country is significant and it is alarming.
In the age of technology and instant gratification, more and more
people were already feeling less connected. But once the pandemic
struck, the negative effects of isolation and uncertainty were only
compounded into a sense of hopelessness nationwide. If you don't have
hope, you have very little reason to follow a moral code or fear the
results of your actions.
Hopelessness and desperation can be a dangerous trigger and it can
lead to acts of violence. Unfortunately, victims of violence are often
caught in a vicious cycle of violence, as one of the main risk factors
for violent injury is a previous violent injury.
My colleague, Congressman Ruppersberger, and I introduced legislation
to try and put a stop to this horrific cycle of violence, the
Bipartisan Solution to Cyclical Violence Act. Our legislation
establishes a grant program at the Department of Health and Human
Services to award grants to existing and aspiring violence intervention
programs.
These programs intervene while a victim is still in the hospital
recovering from their injuries, and provide a wide range of services
like counseling, substance abuse treatment, job training, or even
assistance finding affordable housing. And it doesn't stop when the
victim walks out of the hospital. The intervention continues for
several months, and sometimes even up to a year following the initial
incident.
The successes of these programs have been astounding. At the
University of Maryland Medical System, participants showed an 83
percent decrease in rehospitalization due to intentional violent
injury, and a 75 percent reduction in criminal activity, and an 82
percent increase in employment. These programs really work.
By supporting victims with the resources and education to pursue a
different path, we can stop the vicious cycle of violence and give
people hope for a better tomorrow. It is more important than ever that
we work together to help and heal those who are struggling.
I remain committed to finding commonsense and bipartisan solutions to
problems facing our country, and the Bipartisan Solution to Cyclical
Violence Act is a perfect example of how we can work together to enact
policies that will have real and lasting impact in our communities.
Madam Speaker, I thank Congressman Dutch Ruppersberger for working on
this important bipartisan legislation. I also thank the chairman and
the ranking member for bringing this up and your help with that.
Mr. WALDEN. Madam Speaker, I have no more speakers on our side of the
aisle. I urge passage of the bill, and I yield back the balance of my
time.
Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I also urge all of my colleagues to
support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Ms. Wild). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) that the House
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 5855, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________