[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1111 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1111
To establish a Department of Peacebuilding, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 7, 2025
Ms. Omar (for herself, Ms. Bonamici, Mr. Carson, Mr. Garcia of
Illinois, Mr. Grijalva, Mr. Jackson of Illinois, Mr. Johnson of
Georgia, Ms. Kelly of Illinois, Mr. McGovern, Ms. Moore of Wisconsin,
Ms. Norton, Mrs. Ramirez, Ms. Schakowsky, Ms. Tlaib, Ms. Velazquez,
Mrs. McIver, Mrs. Watson Coleman, Mr. Swalwell, and Mr. Turner of
Texas) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish a Department of Peacebuilding, and for other purposes.
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 ``Department of
Peacebuilding Act of 2025''.
(b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as
follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Findings.
TITLE I--ESTABLISHMENT OF DEPARTMENT OF PEACEBUILDING
Sec. 101. Establishment of Department of Peacebuilding.
Sec. 102. Responsibilities and powers.
Sec. 103. Principal officers.
Sec. 104. Office of Peace Education and Training.
Sec. 105. Office of Domestic Peacebuilding Activities.
Sec. 106. Office of International Peacebuilding Activities.
Sec. 107. Office of Technology for Peace.
Sec. 108. Office of Arms Control and Disarmament.
Sec. 109. Office of Peacebuilding Information and Research.
Sec. 110. Office of Human Rights and Economic Rights.
Sec. 111. Intergovernmental Advisory Council on Peace.
Sec. 112. Federal Interagency Committee on Peace.
Sec. 113. Staff.
Sec. 114. Consultation required.
Sec. 115. Collaboration.
TITLE II--OTHER MATTERS
Sec. 201. Legislative recommendations of the Secretary.
Sec. 202. Peace Days.
Sec. 203. Definitions.
Sec. 204. Authorization of appropriations.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress
unanimously declared the independence of the 13 colonies, and
the achievement of peace was recognized as one of the highest
duties of the new organization of free and independent States.
(2) The Constitution of the United States, in its preamble,
further sets forth the insurance of the cause of peace in
stating, ``We the People of the United States, in Order to form
a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic
Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the
general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to
ourselves and our Posterity''.
(3) According to the Centre for Global Research, the United
States has been at war for more than 90 percent of its
existence. Many of our citizens today have never known a
peaceful year in their lifetimes.
(4) Throughout the globe, starvation, rape, denial of media
access to conflict zones, and dismantling of civic and societal
infrastructures, including housing and healthcare, are utilized
as weapons of war. In 2024, UNICEF warned that rape and gender-
based violence are often used as weapons of war and that 1 out
of every 8 girls alive today--some 370 million people--will
experience rape or sexual assault before they turn 18. More
than 120 million individuals have been forcibly displaced
worldwide as a result of persecution, conflict, violence, and
human rights violations.
(5) In the 21st century, the United States has spent almost
$8 trillion on foreign wars, with nearly 5 million lives lost.
(6) The physical, emotional, monetary, and other costs of
violence are enormous, cut across all sectors of society in the
United States, disproportionately impact people of color, and
are interrelated.
(7) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
and the National Institutes of Health report 1 in 7 children
experience some form of child abuse or neglect in their
lifetimes, nearly 1 in 4 women report having experienced severe
physical violence from an intimate partner, nearly 1 in 3 women
and 1 in 7 men experience some form of sexual violence during
their lifetimes, and Native American women are sexually
assaulted, murdered, and disappeared at higher rates than other
American women. Additionally, the lifetime economic cost
associated with medical services for Intimate Partner Violence-
related injuries, lost productivity from paid work, criminal
justice and other costs, is $3.6 trillion according to the CDC.
(8) There are 3.3 million reports of violence against
children that result in foster care placements every year; 25
percent of kids in foster care experience PTSD, fewer than 3
percent earn a college degree; 20 percent become homeless after
the age of 18; and only 50 percent will be employed by the age
of 24. One in five high school students reported being bullied
at school during 2017 and cyberbullying impacts many young
people. Criminalization disproportionately impacts African
Americans and other people of color, including high rates of
school suspensions and expulsions and incarceration. African
Americans are incarcerated at more than five times the rate of
Whites.
(9) In 2015, 17 percent of students considered attempting
suicide. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among
Native Americans aged 10 to 34. Approximately 17 veterans a day
commit suicide nationwide. About 12 young people in the United
States die from homicides each day.
(10) Restorative justice and practices have been proven to
significantly improve outcomes. In Sonoma County, California,
schools that introduced restorative practices saw their
suspension rates drop by nearly 30 percent.
(11) More Americans have died from gunshots in the last 50
years than in all of the wars in American history.
(12) Since 1968, more than 1.5 million Americans have died
in gun-related incidents, according to data from the CDC.
Firearms are the leading cause of death for American children
and teens, disproportionally affecting people of color, and
cause more deaths in young people than cancer and car crashes.
The Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Prevention reports
that in 2022, 48,204 people died due to gun violence in the
United States, the second highest total ever recorded. Each
day, an average of 132 people died from gun violence--one death
every 11 minutes. In 2024, there were more than 500 mass
shootings, defined as incidents in which 4 or more people are
injured or killed. From 2020-2023, the number exceeded 600
annually. Young people go to school wondering where to hide
when a shooter enters their classroom. Each gun injury and
fatality results in trauma to family members, loved ones, and
the community.
(13) According to reports by the Institute of Economics and
Peace, which measures the economic impact of violence and
conflict to the global economy, the economic impact of violence
to the global economy was $16.5 trillion in 2021. One IEP
report found that the regional impact of violence in North
America, 99 percent of which can be attributed to the United
States, amounted to $2.73 trillion in 2017.
(14) Violence prevention is cost effective. For every
dollar spent on violence prevention and peacebuilding,
thousands of lives and dollars are saved. The philosophy and
techniques of nonviolence and peacebuilding provide tools and
techniques that can be applied not only at the levels of
individual and community growth, but also within the Federal
Government and at national and international levels.
(15) Peacebuilding is defined by the United Nations as a
range of measures targeted to reduce the risk of lapsing or
relapsing into conflict by strengthening national capacities at
all levels for conflict management and to lay the foundations
for sustainable peace and development. Peacebuilding is
predicated on research into the root causes of violence in the
United States and the world, through promotion and promulgation
of effective policies and programs that ameliorate those root
causes of violence, and through providing all citizens,
organizations, and governmental bodies with opportunities to
learn about and practice the essential tools of nonviolent
conflict resolution and peacebuilding.
(16) Peace is a human right and a security issue. The
Universal Declaration of Human Rights recognizes that
``recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and
inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the
foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world'', and
General Assembly resolution 39/11 ``solemnly proclaims that the
peoples of our planet have a sacred right to peace'' and
``emphasizes that ensuring the exercise of the right of peoples
to peace demands that the policies of States be directed
towards the elimination of the threat of war, particularly
nuclear war, the renunciation of the use of force in
international relations and the settlement of international
disputes by peaceful means on the basis of the Charter of the
United Nations''.
(17) In 2000, the Earth Charter Commission released the
Earth Charter, an international declaration of fundamental
values and principles created to build a just, sustainable, and
peaceful global society. The preamble of the Earth Charter
provides, ``To move forward we must recognize that in the midst
of a magnificent diversity of cultures and life forms we are
one human family and one Earth community with a common destiny.
We must join together to bring forth a sustainable global
society founded on respect for nature, universal human rights,
economic justice, and a culture of peace.''.
(18) Climate change is becoming a critical multiplier of
global conflict. Without immediate action, water scarcity, food
insecurity, and other impacts of climate change threaten to
ignite new conflicts, particularly in already fragile regions.
A 2021 Lancet global health study of 10,000 youth found 59
percent are ``very'' or ``extremely concerned'' about climate
change and its impact on their mental health.
(19) Nuclear weapons expose the world to harm on a vast,
extinction-level scale. It has long been held that a nuclear
war cannot be won and must never be fought. Yet, the United
States continues expanding and modernizing its nuclear arsenal,
spending trillions of dollars that could instead be redirected
to the needs of American communities.
(20) Systemic racism is a significant driver of violence
and key obstacle to peace in the United States. Confronting and
uprooting systemic racism in America will require efforts by
the Federal Government both to properly acknowledge,
memorialize, and provide reparations for historical injustices,
including the institutions of slavery and Jim Crow.
(21) Economic insecurity and poverty are forms of violence.
Low wages and poverty contribute to homelessness, health
issues, lower life expectancy, worse school attendance and many
other outcomes. According to the Poor People's Campaign,
poverty is the fourth leading cause of death in the United
States, claiming 295,000 lives every year.
TITLE I--ESTABLISHMENT OF DEPARTMENT OF PEACEBUILDING
SEC. 101. ESTABLISHMENT OF DEPARTMENT OF PEACEBUILDING.
(a) Establishment.--There is hereby established a Department of
Peacebuilding, which shall--
(1) be within the executive branch of the Federal
Government; and
(2) be dedicated to peacebuilding, peacemaking, and the
study and promotion of conditions conducive to both domestic
and international peace and a culture of peace.
(b) Secretary of Peacebuilding.--There shall be at the head of the
Department a Secretary of Peacebuilding, who shall be appointed by the
President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.
(c) Mission.--The Department shall--
(1) cultivate peace and peacebuilding as a strategic
national policy objective;
(2) reduce and prevent violence in the United States and
internationally through peacebuilding and effective nonviolent
conflict resolution;
(3) strengthen nonmilitary means of peacemaking;
(4) take a proactive, strategic approach in the development
of field-tested best practices and policies that promote
national and international conflict prevention, nonviolent
intervention, mediation, peaceful resolution of conflict, and
structured mediation of conflict;
(5) address matters both domestic and international in
scope;
(6) address the interconnection of all life and the
intersectionality of peace and justice, equality, health,
healing, national security, education, the economy, rule of
law, democracy, planetary survival, and other aspects of civil
rights, civil liberties, and human rights;
(7) provide an institutional platform for the growing
wealth of expertise in peacebuilding to dramatically reduce the
national and global epidemic of violence;
(8) support local communities in finding, funding,
replicating, and expanding programs to reduce and prevent
violence;
(9) invest in nongovernmental organizations that have
implemented successful initiatives to reduce and prevent
violence, both internationally and domestically; and
(10) consult with other Federal agencies to apply and
practice the science of peacebuilding in their respective
fields of responsibility.
SEC. 102. RESPONSIBILITIES AND POWERS.
(a) In General.--The Secretary shall, on an ongoing basis--
(1) work proactively and interactively with each branch of
the Federal Government on all policy matters relating to
conditions of peace;
(2) call on the experience and expertise of individuals and
seek participation in the development of policy from private,
public, and nongovernmental organizations;
(3) monitor and analyze causative principles of conflict
and make policy recommendations for developing conditions of
peace and maintaining peaceful conduct;
(4) research effective violence reduction programs and
promote and promulgate such programs within the Federal
Government and society; and
(5) consult with private, public, and nongovernmental
organizations to develop a metric model that provides the means
to measure and report progress toward peace in the United
States to the President, Congress, and the public, and issue
reports on such progress annually with those reports to be
available to the public on the website of the Department.
(b) Domestic Responsibilities.--The Secretary shall collaborate
with governmental and nongovernmental organizations and individuals to
promote personal and community security and peace by--
(1) developing new policies and supporting existing
policies that effectively address personal and family violence,
including suicide, domestic violence, spousal abuse, child
abuse, and mistreatment of the elderly and others;
(2) creating new policies and programs and expanding
existing policies and programs that effectively reduce drug and
alcohol abuse;
(3) analyzing existing policies, employing successful,
field-tested programs, and developing new approaches for
dealing with the tools of violence, including handguns and
assault weapons, especially among youth;
(4) developing new and expanding effective programs that
address and ameliorate societal challenges such as school
violence, gangs, police violence, hate crimes, economic
injustice, human trafficking, racial or ethnic violence,
violence against LGBTQ+ individuals, and police-community
relations disputes;
(5) making policy recommendations to the Attorney General
of the United States regarding civil rights and labor law;
(6) assisting in the establishment and funding of
community-based violence prevention programs, including virtual
violence prevention programs for at-home participation,
violence prevention counseling and peer mediation in schools
and via video conferences, and unarmed civilian peacekeeping
and crisis mitigation at a local level;
(7) providing counseling and advocacy on behalf of
individuals victimized by violence, including those with mental
health challenges;
(8) providing for public education programs and counseling
strategies that promote acceptance and respect for the
diversity of all individuals in the United States without
regard to race, religion, creed, gender and gender
identification, sexual orientation, age, ethnicity, national
origin, class and economic status, and other perceived
differences; and
(9) supporting local community initiatives that draw on
neighborhood resources to create peace projects that facilitate
the development of conflict resolution and healing of societal
wounds such as patriarchy, racism, war, manifest destiny, and
economic injustice to thereby inform and inspire national
policy.
(c) International Responsibilities.--The Secretary shall--
(1) advise the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of
State on matters relating to national security, including the
protection of human rights and the prevention of, amelioration
of, and de-escalation of unarmed and armed international
conflict;
(2) contribute to and participate in the development of
training of all United States personnel who administer post-
conflict reconstruction and demob