The bill, titled the Community Violence Intervention and Prevention Act, aims to establish the Office of Community Violence Intervention and Prevention within the Department of State Health Services. It introduces Chapter 56 to the Health and Safety Code, which outlines the office's purpose, powers, and duties, including coordinating violence intervention and prevention activities, reducing interpersonal violence and homicide, and collaborating with various stakeholders to develop evidence-based policies. The office will also be responsible for conducting public health campaigns on violence prevention and maintaining a directory of available violence intervention services.
Additionally, the bill establishes a community violence intervention and prevention grant program to support effective violence reduction strategies in communities disproportionately affected by violence. The office will administer this program, with an advisory committee to assist in reviewing grant applications. The bill specifies eligibility criteria for grant applicants, the required use of grant funds, and reporting requirements for recipients. The act is set to take effect on September 1, 2025, with the office required to be established by December 1, 2025.
Statutes affected: Introduced: ()