[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 153 (Thursday, September 22, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H8090-H8093]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    BREAK THE CYCLE OF VIOLENCE ACT

  Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1377, I call up 
the bill (H.R. 4118) to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human 
Services to build safer, thriving communities, and save lives, by 
investing in effective community-based violence reduction initiatives, 
and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to Resolution 1377, the bill is 
considered read.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 4118

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

       (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Break the 
     Cycle of Violence Act''.
       (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents of this Act 
     is as follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Findings.
Sec. 3. Definitions.

            TITLE I--DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Sec. 101. Community-based violence intervention program grants.
Sec. 102. Office of Community Violence Intervention.
Sec. 103. Community Violence Intervention Advisory Committee.
Sec. 104. Creation of a National Community Violence Response Center.
Sec. 105. Sense of Congress regarding services for victims of violent 
              crime.
Sec. 106. Authorization of appropriations.

                     TITLE II--DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Sec. 201. Improving approaches for communities to thrive (IMPACT) 
              grants.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       The Congress finds the following:
       (1) Community violence is a significant public health, 
     public safety, and community infrastructure concern 
     nationwide and is a leading cause of death, injury, and 
     trauma for people in the United States that disrupts 
     employment and hinders a community's social and economic 
     development.
       (2) From 2010 to 2019, over 175,000 people were murdered in 
     the United States. Hundreds of thousands more were 
     hospitalized or treated in emergency departments after 
     surviving life-changing gunshot injuries and other violent 
     assaults.
       (3) In 2020, the Nation suffered the largest single-year 
     spike in homicides on record, driven largely by record spikes 
     in fatal shootings. Nationwide, 75 percent of all homicides 
     are committed with a gun.
       (4) Communities across the Nation experience enormous 
     disparities in safety that are driven by inequitable social 
     and structural determinants of health. Interpersonal 
     shootings are disproportionately concentrated in 
     neighborhoods harmed by past and present racial 
     discrimination, segregation, redlining, disinvestment, mass 
     incarceration, and concentrated poverty, and this violence's 
     toll falls overwhelmingly on people of color, especially 
     young Black and brown men and boys and their loved ones. From 
     2015 to 2019, Black children and teens were 14 times as

[[Page H8091]]

     likely to be shot to death as their White peers. Hispanic 
     children and teens and Native American children and teens 
     were both about 3 times as likely to be shot to death as 
     their White peers. Over this period, 72 percent of children 
     murdered before their 18th birthday were people of color, and 
     50 percent were Black.
       (5) Black boys and men make up less than 7 percent of the 
     population in the United States, but account for more than 50 
     percent of all gun homicide victims each year. Violence is 
     responsible for nearly half of all deaths among Black boys 
     and young men, ages 15 through 24, meaning the parents of a 
     Black son in this age group are as likely to lose their child 
     to homicide as nearly every other cause of death combined.
       (6) This violence imposes enormous human, social, and 
     economic costs. The Director of the Centers for Disease 
     Control and Prevention's Division of Violence Prevention 
     presented research to Congress demonstrating that ``youth 
     living in inner cities show a higher prevalence of post-
     traumatic stress disorder than soldiers'' in the Nation's 
     wartime military. While the vast majority of these young 
     people resiliently persevere, people who have been victims of 
     violence are at substantially higher risk of being violently 
     re-attacked or killed. Additionally, both direct and indirect 
     violence exposure have been associated with a host of poor 
     health outcomes, including chronic illness, anxiety, 
     depression, and substance misuse.
       (7) When properly implemented and consistently funded, 
     coordinated, community-based strategies that utilize trauma-
     responsive care and interrupt cycles of violence can produce 
     lifesaving and cost-saving results in a short period of time 
     without contributing to mass incarceration. These strategies 
     identify those at the highest risk, coordinate individualized 
     wraparound resources, provide pathways to healing and 
     stability, and monitor and support long-term success. Many 
     cities have substantially reduced community violence in 
     recent years by implementing various combinations of these 
     strategies, which include the following:
       (A) Community outreach programs, which hire violence 
     intervention and prevention specialists who have established 
     relationships, relatable lived experiences, and credibility 
     with individuals in their communities at high risk of 
     violence and connect them with intensive counseling, 
     mediation, peer support, and social services in order to 
     reduce their risk. Evaluations have found that these 
     programs, particularly when integrated into wider networks of 
     supportive services, are frequently associated with 
     significant reductions in gun violence.
       (B) Hospital-based violence intervention programs (referred 
     to in this section as ``HVIP''), which work to break cycles 
     of violence by leveraging credible violence intervention and 
     prevention specialists to provide intensive counseling, peer 
     support, case management, mediation, and social services to 
     patients recovering from gunshot wounds and other violent 
     injuries. Research has shown that violently injured patients 
     are at high risk of retaliating with violence themselves or 
     being revictimized by violence in the near future. 
     Evaluations of HVIPs have found that patients who received 
     HVIP services were often less likely to be convicted of a 
     violent crime and less likely to be subsequently reinjured by 
     violence than patients who did not receive HVIP services.
       (C) Group violence interventions provide tailored social 
     services and support to group-involved individuals at highest 
     risk for involvement in community violence. This 
     intervention, which must be trauma informed, culturally 
     responsive, and community driven to be most successful, 
     includes a process for community members to voice a clear 
     demand for the violence to stop and narrowly focused 
     enforcement actions against those who continue to engage in 
     acts of serious violence. The approach coordinates law 
     enforcement, service providers, and community engagement 
     efforts to reduce violence in ways that do not contribute to 
     mass incarceration.
       (D) Violence interruption and crisis management, which 
     respond to potentially violent incidents to mediate conflicts 
     or to scenes where violence has occurred to offer trauma-
     informed services and community supports to survivors and 
     others exposed to violence. These strategies help to prevent 
     retaliatory violence and promote healing and well-being. 
     Programs that include these components have reported 
     deescalating dozens of disputes that were highly likely to 
     end in lethal violence.
       (8) Access to job and entrepreneurship training, 
     apprenticeship, and technological and digital literacy 
     programs are effective tools in reducing community violence. 
     A 2012 University of Pennsylvania study of 13 high-violence 
     schools in the Chicago area found ``well-targeted, low-cost 
     employment policies can make a substantial difference'', and 
     the city's most violent neighborhoods saw a 43 percent drop 
     in violent-crime arrests of participants in a youth job 
     program.
       (9) Individualized wraparound services and opportunities 
     include, but are not limited to, housing support, financial 
     assistance, reentry services, legal assistance, therapeutic 
     services, grief counseling or targeted victim services, and 
     skill building based on the needs of survivors or individuals 
     at the highest risk of community violence. Leveraging the 
     relationships of violence intervention and prevention 
     specialists, these services are used in the context of 
     structured, person-centered peer mentorship that facilitates 
     personal transformation by meeting people where they are and 
     offering to help participants change the trajectories of 
     their lives.
       (10) The past year has had a disproportionate impact on 
     youth unemployment, with 2.9 million more unemployed youth in 
     mid-2020 compared with pre-2020 levels. Simultaneously, the 
     2020 recession accelerated an already increasingly digital 
     and automated workforce, and youth must attain the digital, 
     technological, and other technical skills necessary to thrive 
     in the future of work. While jobs in the customer service and 
     food industry could fall by 4.3 million between 2018 and 
     2030, health care and STEM occupations could grow more now 
     than ever.
       (11) Intentional and sustained investments in community-
     based violence reduction strategies can reverse recent 
     increases in homicides, help to heal impacted communities, 
     and reduce the enormous human and economic costs of community 
     violence, without contributing to mass incarceration.

     SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Community violence.--The term ``community violence''--
       (A) means nonfatal firearm injuries, aggravated assaults, 
     homicides, and other acts of life-threatening interpersonal 
     violence committed outside the context of a familial or 
     romantic relationship; and
       (B) does not include acts of violence motivated by 
     political beliefs.
       (2) Eligible unit of local government.--The term ``eligible 
     unit of local government'' means a municipality or other 
     local government that--
       (A) for not less than 2 out of the 3 calendar years 
     preceding the date on which an application for a grant is 
     submitted under section 101--
       (i) experienced 35 or more homicides per year; or
       (ii) experienced 20 or more homicides per year and had a 
     homicide rate that was not less than double the national 
     average; or
       (B) has a compelling need to address community violence, as 
     determined by the Secretary, based on high levels of homicide 
     relative to other localities within the same State.
       (3) Opportunity youth.--The term ``opportunity youth'' 
     means individuals who--
       (A) have attained 16 years of age but not yet attained 25 
     years of age; and
       (B) are not--
       (i) enrolled in education or training on a full-time or 
     part-time basis; or
       (ii) employed on a full-time or part-time basis.

            TITLE I--DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

     SEC. 101. COMMUNITY-BASED VIOLENCE INTERVENTION PROGRAM 
                   GRANTS.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services 
     (in this title referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall award 
     grants to eligible entities to support, enhance, and 
     replicate coordinated community violence intervention.
       (b) Eligibility.--To be eligible to seek a grant under this 
     section, an entity shall be--
       (1) a community-based, nonprofit organization that--
       (A) serves the residents served by an eligible unit of 
     local government; and
       (B) has a track record of providing community-related 
     activities or support program innovation in communities of 
     color; or
       (2) an eligible unit of local government.
       (c) Limitation.--Of the amount made available to carry out 
     this title for a fiscal year, not more than 15 percent of 
     such amount shall be made available to eligible units of 
     local government.
       (d) Use of Funds.--
       (1) In general.--A grant awarded under this section shall 
     be used to implement coordinated community violence 
     intervention initiatives, through coordinated, community-
     based strategies.
       (2) Requirements.--A community violence intervention 
     initiative implemented using grant funds awarded under this 
     section shall--
       (A) be primarily focused on providing culturally competent, 
     community-based violence intervention services to the portion 
     of a grantee's community who are, regardless of age, 
     identified as being at high risk of being victimized by, or 
     engaging in, community violence; and
       (B) use strategies that--
       (i) are evidence-informed and have demonstrated promise at 
     reducing community violence without contributing to mass 
     incarceration;
       (ii) utilize trauma-responsive care and interrupt cycles of 
     violence;
       (iii) expand economic opportunity through new jobs, 
     educational opportunities, or training programs; and
       (iv) are primarily focused on individuals at high risk of 
     being victimized by, or engaging in, community violence.
       (3) Community partnerships.--
       (A) Eligible units of local government.--Each eligible unit 
     of local government awarded a grant under this section shall 
     distribute not less than 75 percent of such grant funds to 
     one or more of the following:
       (i) A community-based organization or nonprofit 
     organization.
       (ii) A public agency or department that is primarily 
     dedicated to the prevention of violence or to community 
     safety, but is not a law enforcement agency.

[[Page H8092]]

       (B) Hospitals.--Each hospital awarded a grant under this 
     section in the hospital's capacity as a community-based, 
     nonprofit organization described in subsection (b)(1) shall 
     distribute not less than 90 percent of such grant funds to 
     one or more of the following:
       (i) A community-based organization or nonprofit 
     organization that provides direct services to individuals who 
     have been victimized by community violence.
       (ii) Direct program staff.
       (iii) Individual subcontractors who provide direct program-
     related services.
       (e) Application Requirements.--Each applicant for a grant 
     under this section shall submit a grant proposal, which 
     shall, at a minimum--
       (1) describe how the applicant proposes to use the grant to 
     implement a coordinated community violence intervention 
     initiative in accordance with this section;
       (2) describe how the applicant proposes to use the grant to 
     promote or improve coordination between relevant agencies and 
     community organizations in order to minimize duplication of 
     services, complement other community violence intervention 
     efforts, and achieve maximum impact;
       (3) provide evidence indicating that the proposed community 
     violence intervention initiative would likely reduce 
     community violence or address the trauma and collateral 
     consequences for individuals at high risk of being victimized 
     by, or engaging in, community violence;
       (4) describe how the applicant plans to ensure the 
     community violence intervention initiative is implemented in 
     a manner that is--
       (A) evidence-informed; and
       (B) coordinated with the programs and activities of other 
     entities for addressing community violence; and
       (5) in the case of a unit of local government applicant, 
     demonstrate strong support from community partners with 
     experience engaging individuals at high risk of being 
     victimized by, or engaging in, community violence, as 
     demonstrated by--
       (A) the development of a community steering committee 
     that--
       (i) provides advice and assistance to the locality in 
     administering grants awarded under this section; and
       (ii) is composed of individuals who substantially reflect 
     local populations impacted by community violence, including 
     survivors of community violence and individuals with 
     expertise in culturally competent and trauma-informed 
     approaches to reducing community violence; and
       (B) letters of support from individuals, such as--
       (i) the mayor or chief executive officer of the unit of 
     local government; and
       (ii) the director of one or more community-based 
     organizations that provide services to individuals at high 
     risk of being victimized by, or engaging in, community 
     violence.
       (f) Prioritization.--In awarding grants under this section, 
     the Secretary shall give preference to applicants whose grant 
     proposals demonstrate the greatest likelihood of reducing 
     community violence in the target area without contributing to 
     mass incarceration.
       (g) Grant Duration.--A grant awarded under this section 
     shall be for a 4-year period.
       (h) Grant Award.--The amount awarded to an applicant under 
     this section shall be commensurate with--
       (1) the scope of the proposal; and
       (2) the demonstrated need for additional resources to 
     effectively reduce community violence in the applicant's 
     community.
       (i) Matching Funds Required.--
       (1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraphs (2) and 
     (3), the Federal share of each grant awarded under this 
     section shall be 90 percent of the eligible costs incurred by 
     the grant recipient.
       (2) Exemption from requirement.--Paragraph (1) shall not 
     apply to a grant awarded to a community-based organization 
     described in subsection (b)(1).
       (3) Waiver.--The Federal share of a grant awarded to a unit 
     of local government (that is an eligible entity under 
     subsection (b)(2)) may be up to 100 percent if the Secretary 
     determines there is good cause to waive the Federal share 
     requirement under paragraph (1) of this subsection.
       (j) Reports.--Not later than 1 year after the date on which 
     the first 4-year grant period under this section ends, the 
     Secretary shall publish a report identifying best practices 
     for grantees under this section to implement community-based 
     violence intervention initiatives.
       (k) Rewarding Success.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary may reserve not more than 10 
     percent of the funds appropriated for a fiscal year to carry 
     out this title for supplemental incentive funds to be 
     distributed to grantees outside the competitive grant process 
     in accordance with paragraph (2).
       (2) Distribution of additional funds.--The Secretary may 
     distribute amounts reserved under paragraph (1), in the 
     discretion of the Secretary, to grantees under subsection (a) 
     that have--
       (A) implemented the grant for not less than 2 years;
       (B) demonstrated exceptional commitment and progress toward 
     implementing the grantee's community violence reduction 
     initiative; and
       (C) shown that the grantee would likely achieve more 
     substantial reductions in community violence with additional 
     Federal funding.
       (3) Federal share.--Subsection (i) shall not apply to any 
     amounts distributed to a grantee under this subsection.
       (4) Explanation of distribution.--Upon distributing 
     supplemental incentive funds to a grantee, the Secretary 
     shall publish a statement on the website of the Department of 
     Health and Human Services that clearly explains the basis for 
     the decision to award such funds to a particular grantee.
       (l) Evaluation and Intensive Site Implementation Support.--
     The Secretary may reserve not more than 8 percent of the 
     funds appropriated for a fiscal year to carry out this title 
     for the purpose of--
       (1) contracting with or hiring intensive site 
     implementation providers with experience implementing 
     community violence intervention strategies;
       (2) providing grants to applicants under subsection (a) 
     that provide training and certification to community violence 
     intervention and prevention professionals in order to expand 
     the field and build capacity of frontline workers and other 
     providers; and
       (3) contracting with independent researchers to evaluate 
     the implementation, performance, and impact of selected 
     initiatives supported by the grants made under this section, 
     which evaluations shall be made publicly available on the 
     website of the Department of Health and Human Services.
       (m) Supplement, Not Supplant.--A grantee receiving a grant 
     under this section shall use the grant to supplement, and not 
     supplant, the amount of funds the grantee would otherwise 
     dedicate to a community violence intervention initiative.

     SEC. 102. OFFICE OF COMMUNITY VIOLENCE INTERVENTION.

       (a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish within 
     the Department of Health and Human Services, the Office of 
     Community Violence Intervention (in this title referred to as 
     the ``Office''), to be headed by a director.
       (b) Duties.--The Secretary shall delegate to the Director 
     of the Office responsibility for implementing the provisions 
     of this title.
       (c) Reservation.--Of the amount made available to carry out 
     this title for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall reserve not 
     more than 5 percent for the administrative expenses of the 
     Office.

     SEC. 103. COMMUNITY VIOLENCE INTERVENTION ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

       (a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish a 
     Community Violence Intervention Advisory Committee (in this 
     title referred to as the ``Advisory Committee'') to provide 
     advice and assistance to the Secretary and Office in carrying 
     out this title, including--
       (1) development of grant solicitations;
       (2) raising awareness about grant solicitations among 
     potentially eligible units of government and organizations;
       (3) selection of grant proposals;
       (4) selection of grantees to receive supplemental funds in 
     accordance with section 101(l); and
       (5) formation of the National Community Violence Response 
     Center under section 104.
       (b) Members.--In appointing members of the Advisory 
     Committee, the Secretary shall--
       (1) appoint the members from among individuals with 
     expertise implementing or evaluating community violence 
     intervention initiatives;
       (2) include a representative with expertise in workforce 
     development selected by the Secretary of Labor;
       (3) ensure the membership of the Advisory Committee 
     reflects a commitment to culturally competent and trauma-
     informed approaches to preventing violence among individuals 
     at high risk of violence; and
       (4) ensure that the members of the Advisory Committee 
     include substantial representation of communities of color 
     disproportionately impacted by community violence.

     SEC. 104. CREATION OF A NATIONAL COMMUNITY VIOLENCE RESPONSE 
                   CENTER.

       (a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish and 
     operate a National Community Violence Response Center 
     (referred to in this section as the ``Center'').
       (b) Duties.--The Center shall have the following roles and 
     responsibilities:
       (1) Assessment; technical assistance.--The Office and the 
     Center, with the advice of the Advisory Committee, shall--
       (A) develop a four-tier taxonomy to assess the maturity of 
     community violence infrastructure among grantees under 
     section 101; and
       (B) provide technical assistance to grantees under section 
     101 in the implementation of coordinated community violence 
     intervention funded through the grant.
       (2) Intensive site implementation support.--The Center 
     shall--
       (A) develop intensive site implementation support for each 
     of the four tiers to maximize the effectiveness of the 
     development of community violence initiatives;
       (B) develop intensive site implementation support for each 
     eligible unit of local government that is a grant recipient 
     to assess the contours of the community violence within the 
     jurisdiction and identify relevant community-based 
     interventions that may be successful at preventing future 
     community violence; and

[[Page H8093]]

       (C) provide ongoing support to community-based 
     organizations to facilitate site infrastructure building, 
     program implementation and operation, and quality improvement 
     assistance.
       (3) Data collection.--
       (A) Policies.--The Office and the Center shall develop data 
     collection policies for grant recipients that measure safety, 
     community health, opportunity youth engagement, economic 
     development, and recidivism.
       (B) Assistance.--The Center shall assist grant recipients 
     in establishing data collection systems and practices, and 
     collect data from the grant recipients.
       (4) Research coordination.--
       (A) Establishment of advisory council.--The Center, in 
     consultation with nonprofit, nongovernmental organizations 
     and researchers whose primary expertise is in community 
     violence, shall establish a Community Violence Research 
     Advisory Council (in this paragraph referred to as the 
     ``Research Advisory Council'')--
       (i) to coordinate research on community violence; and
       (ii) to report to the Congress on any gaps on issues 
     related to community violence.
       (B) Membership.--The Research Advisory Council shall 
     include representatives from--
       (i) all Federal agencies that fund research on community 
     violence; and
       (ii) the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
       (C) Duties.--The Research Advisory Council shall provide 
     advice and assistance to the Center to--
       (i) develop a coordinated strategy to strengthen research 
     focused on community violence education, prevention, and 
     intervention strategies;
       (ii) track and report all Federal research and expenditures 
     related to community violence; and
       (iii) identify gaps in community violence research, 
     governmental expenditures on community violence issues, and 
     promising strategies that have not yet been rigorously 
     evaluated.
       (5) Conferral.--
       (A) In general.--The Center shall establish a biennial 
     conference to include--
       (i) grantees and providers of intensive site implementation 
     support in the community violence field that receive funding 
     under this title or title II; and
       (ii) other key stakeholders.
       (B) Topics.--The topics to be addressed at the biennial 
     conference shall include--
       (i) the administration of grants;
       (ii) challenges and gaps in community violence intervention 
     initiatives;
       (iii) strategies for overcoming such challenges and gaps;
       (iv) promising practices in the field; and
       (v) emerging trends.
       (C) Report.--Not later than 90 days after the conclusion of 
     each biennial conference, the Center shall publish a 
     comprehensive report that--
       (i) summarizes the issues presented during the conference 
     and what, if any, policies the Center intends to implement to 
     address those issues; and
       (ii) is made available to the public on the Center's 
     website and submitted to the Congress.
       (6) Capacity building and fostering innovation.--The Center 
     shall--
       (A) promote expansion and development of the field of 
     community violence intervention and prevention, including 
     fostering collaboration, information sharing, and 
     dissemination of best practices among practitioners, 
     providers of intensive site implementation support, and 
     programs and individuals working in the same regions or 
     States, including the identification and dissemination to the 
     public of best practices for addressing community violence;
       (B) develop a plan for expanding providers of intensive 
     site implementation support in the field of community 
     violence intervention and prevention;
       (C) develop a plan for identifying innovative community 
     violence intervention and prevention strategies that are in 
     need of further research and evaluation; and
       (D) develop a plan for providing ongoing intensive site 
     support to organizations implementing community violence 
     intervention and prevention strategies.
       (7) Reporting.--The Center shall annually provide a report 
     to the Congress addressing topics to include--
       (A) national trends in community violence statistics;
       (B) a summary of the activities of the Center and the 
     Office under this title; and
       (C) recommendations for improving the national response to 
     community violence.

     SEC. 105. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING SERVICES FOR VICTIMS OF 
                   VIOLENT CRIME.

       It is the sense of Congress that--
       (1) community-based violence intervention programs have 
     shown effective results as a strategy in reducing the risk of 
     reinjury of, or retaliation by, victims of community 
     violence, and promoting victims' recovery and well-being;
       (2) young men, boys, girls, and women of color are 
     disproportionately victimized by community violence, but are 
     frequently underserved by victim service providers; and
       (3) States and territories should consider using funding 
     provided through the Crime Victims Fund to support community-
     based violence intervention initiatives that provide services 
     for direct and secondary victims of community violence at 
     high risk for reinjury and involvement in community violence.

     SEC. 106. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       There is authorized to be appropriated to the Department of 
     Health and Human Services to carry out this title, in 
     addition to any amounts otherwise authorized to be 
     appropriated or made available to the Department of Health 
     and Human Services for such purpose--
       (1) $300,000,000 for fiscal year 2022;
       (2) $500,000,000 for fiscal year 2023; and
       (3) $700,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2024 through 
     2029.

                     TITLE II--DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

     SEC. 201. IMPROVING APPROACHES FOR COMMUNITIES TO THRIVE 
                   (IMPACT) GRANTS.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary of Labor (in this section 
     referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall award grants to 
     eligible entities for year-round job training and workforce 
     programs authorized under section 129(c)(1) of the Workforce 
     Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3164(c)), with the 
     elements described in section 129(c)(2)(C) of such Act (29 
     U.S.C. 3164(c)(2)(C)), for opportunity youth in communities 
     disproportionately affected by gun violence for the purposes 
     of connecting opportunity youth to in-demand occupations.
       (b) Eligibility.--To be eligible to seek a grant under 
     subsection (a), an entity shall be--
       (1) a community-based, nonprofit organization that--
       (A) serves the residents served by an eligible unit of 
     local government;
       (B) has a track record of providing community-related 
     activities or support program innovation in communities of 
     color;
       (C) focuses on training technical skills to prepare 
     opportunity youth for in-demand occupations; and
       (D) provides--
       (i) training for opportunity youth who are basic skills 
     deficient; and
       (ii) soft skills training that enables opportunity youth to 
     engage successfully in work culture;
       (2) an Indian Tribe or an agency primarily serving Native 
     Americans;
       (3) an entity that carries out activities authorized under 
     the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3101 
     et seq.) that has a focus on opportunity youth;
       (4) a federally or State recognized apprenticeship program;
       (5) an accredited community college; or
       (6) an eligible unit of local government.
       (c) Reporting.--The Secretary shall require grantees under 
     this section to report to the Secretary on primary measures 
     funded under this section for--
       (1) entry into job training, education, apprenticeship, 
     skilled trades training, or other paid and unpaid work 
     experiences that have as a component academic and 
     occupational education programs; and
       (2) changes in overall school enrollment, unemployment, or 
     weekly earnings for opportunity youth participating in 
     activities of the respective grantee.
       (d) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) Basic skills deficient.--The term ``basic skills 
     deficient'' means an individual who--
       (A) is a youth and has English reading, writing, or 
     computing skills at or below the 8th grade level on a 
     generally accepted standardized test; or
       (B) is unable to compute or solve problems, or read, write, 
     or speak English, at a level necessary to function on the 
     job, in the individual's family, or in society.
       (2) In-demand occupation.--The term ``in-demand 
     occupation'' means an occupation described in section 
     3(23)(A)(ii) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act 
     (29 U.S.C. 3102(23)(A)(ii)).
       (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--To carry out this 
     section, there is authorized to be appropriated 
     $1,500,000,000 for fiscal year 2022, to remain available 
     through fiscal year 2029.
                                  ____

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The bill shall be debatable for 30 minutes 
equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member 
of the Committee on the Judiciary or their respective designees.
  The gentleman from New York (Mr. Nadler) and the gentleman from Ohio 
(Mr. Jordan) each will control 15 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York (Mr. Nadler).

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