House of Representatives Passes Package of Public Safety Bills with Rep. Cleaver's Support

Press Release

Today, U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO) voted in favor of a bipartisan package of four public safety bills that would make long overdue investments in evidence-based community violence intervention programs, provide funding for the hiring and training of mental health professionals in local law enforcement, enhance support services for victims of crime and their families, and ensure police departments in small towns and communities with fewer than 125 officers have the resources needed to train, recruit, and retain personnel. All four bills were passed by the House of Representatives with bipartisan support and will now go to the Senate to be taken up for debate.

"There is no higher responsibility of elected officials than ensuring the safety and security of the communities we represent," said Congressman Cleaver. "After months of deliberative, collaborative, and constructive negotiations between Representatives across the ideological spectrum, I believe this package of public safety legislation takes a holistic approach--through increased mental health services, victim support services, and additional funding for critical community violence prevention programs--that will lead to safer communities in the Fifth Congressional District of Missouri and all throughout the nation. I've long said that compromise is an essential component to our democratic system of government, and while I would never claim this legislation is perfect, it is an important step in the right direction."

The public safety package passed by the House of Representatives consisted of four bills: the Mental Health Justice Act, VICTIM Act, Break the Cycle of Violence Act, and Invest to Protect Act. Put together, the legislation would:

Create a grant program to pay for hiring, training, salary, benefits, and additional expenses for mental health provider first responder units to ensure local law enforcement have mental health professionals that can respond appropriately when someone is in a mental health crisis or related situation.
Award $5 billion in grants to community-based nonprofit organizations and eligible local governments for community outreach programs staffed by violence intervention and prevention specialists; hospital-based violence intervention programs that provide intensive counseling, peer support, case management, mediation, and social services to patients recovering from gunshot wounds and other violent injuries; group violence intervention strategies; and violence interruption and crisis management initiatives.
Establish a Community Violence Intervention Advisory Committee to provide advice and assistance to help select the most effective and efficient grantees for evidence-based community violence prevention programs.
Create a National Community Violence Response Center to provide technical assistance and implementation support to grantees, and to conduct research, collect data, and report to Congress to inform future public safety legislation.
Direct the Department of Labor to award $1.5 billion for Improving Approaches for Communities to Thrive (IMPACT) grants to provide job training, apprenticeships, and other workforce experiences for youth in communities disproportionately impacted by violence.
Provide grant funding to state, tribal, or local law enforcement agencies to hire, retain, or train detectives to investigate homicides, rapes, sexual assaults, kidnappings, and non-fatal shootings.
Ensure victim services are funded, staffed, and trained to provide resources to victims and their family members, while also developing competitive, evidence-based programs to improve clearance rates and victim services.
Fund grant programs to local law enforcement agencies with fewer than 125 officers to be utilized for de-escalation training, access to mental health resources, recruitment, and retention--and allows the Department of Justice to give preference to agencies applying for funds for de-escalation training.
Allow DOJ to audit any grantees to ensure funds are being used appropriately.

"With this public safety package, the House of Representatives is finally taking steps to fund community violence intervention and prevention programs; we're installing certified mental health professionals to safely and appropriately respond to individuals who are experiencing a mental health crisis; we're strengthening support services for victims of crime and their families to help them fully recover; and we're ensuring that local law enforcement have the resources needed to clear cases and keep our communities safe," said Congressman Cleaver. "But this cannot, and will not, be the final step in our effort to improve public safety. Moving forward, we must continue working to get weapons of war off the street, prevent dangerous individuals from obtaining deadly firearms, fund mental health and substance use treatment services, reinvest in underserved communities, and invest in public schools and workforce training programs that keep our youth on the right track."

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