HB 1465 2022 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. hb1465-00 Page 1 of 5 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S A bill to be entitled 1 An act relating to community violence intervention and 2 prevention grant program; creating s. 402.88, F.S.; 3 creating the Community Violence Intervention and 4 Prevention Grant Program within the Department of 5 Children and Families; providing uses for grants 6 provided by the department; providing application 7 requirements and procedures for such grants; providing 8 restrictions on grant funds; prohibiting certain 9 conditions on grants; providing for grant duration; 10 requiring reports from recipients; requiring an annual 11 report by the department; providing for program costs; 12 requiring specified evaluations; requiring public 13 hearings; providing rulemaking authority; provi ding an 14 effective date. 15 16 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 17 18 Section 1. Section 402.88, Florida Statutes, is created to 19 read: 20 402.88 Community Violence Intervention and Prevention 21 Grant Program.— 22 (1) There is created with in the Department of Children and 23 Families the Community Violence Intervention and Prevention 24 Grant Program. 25 HB 1465 2022 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. hb1465-00 Page 2 of 5 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S (2) Subject to legislative appropriation the department 26 may provide grants on a competitive basis to nonprofit 27 organizations and community -based partnerships that serve 28 communities that are disproportionately impacted by violence to 29 support, expand, and replicate effective violence reduction 30 initiatives. The grants shall be used to: 31 (a) Implement, expand, or enhance coordination between 32 evidence-informed violence reduction initiatives, including, but 33 not limited to, hospital -based violence intervention, street 34 outreach, and group violence intervention strategies that have 35 demonstrated effectiveness at reducing homicides, group 36 violence, and other interpersonal violence without contributing 37 to mass incarceration. 38 (b) Support the development and delivery of intervention -39 based strategies by entities that provide targeted services to 40 persons at risk of being victimized or engaging in violence to 41 interrupt cycles of violence, reinjury, and retaliation. 42 (c) Support initiatives that primarily target a reduction 43 of violence among persons who have been identified as having the 44 highest risk of perpetrating or being victimized by violence in 45 the near future based on the best available medical and public 46 health research. 47 (3) Applicants may apply either independently or jointly. 48 (4) An applicant for a grant shall submit a proposal, in a 49 form prescribed by the department, which shall include all of 50 HB 1465 2022 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. hb1465-00 Page 3 of 5 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S the following: 51 (a) A statement describing how the applicant proposes to 52 use the grant to implement an evidence -informed violence 53 reduction initiative in accordance with this section. 54 (b) A statement describing how the applicant proposes to 55 use the grant to enhance coordination of existing violence 56 prevention and intervention programs and minimize duplication of 57 services. 58 (c) Evidence indicating that the proposed violence 59 reduction initiative would likely reduce homicides, group 60 violence, and other interpers onal violence. 61 (d) Clearly defined and measurable objectives for the 62 violence reduction initiative. 63 (5) In awarding grants, the department shall prioritize 64 applicants operating in areas disproportionately affected by 65 violence and whose proposals demonstrate the greatest likelihood 66 of reducing homicides, group violence, and other interpersonal 67 violence without contributing to mass incarceration. The 68 department may not require grant recipients to participate in 69 the policing, enforcement, or prosecution of any crime as a 70 condition of receiving a grant. 71 (6) The amount of funds awarded to an applicant shall be 72 commensurate with the scope of the applicant's proposal and the 73 applicant's demonstrated need for additional resou rces to reduce 74 homicides, group violence, and other interpersonal violence in 75 HB 1465 2022 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. hb1465-00 Page 4 of 5 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S the community served by the applicant. 76 (7) A grant may only be used for the purposes specified in 77 the grant application. Grant funds may not revert to the general 78 budget of a law enforcement agency, municipality, or other 79 public entity participating in a community -based partnership. 80 (8) Subject to the availability of state funding, a grant 81 shall be awarded for a duration of at least 3 years. 82 (9) Each grant recipient shall re port to the department, 83 in a form and at intervals prescribed by the department, the 84 recipient's progress toward achieving the grant objectives. 85 (10)(a) The department may use up to 8 percent of the 86 funds appropriated or made available, or such percentag e as may 87 be authorized under program guidelines for funding made 88 available to the Community Violence Intervention and Prevention 89 Grant Program through federal funding sources, for the costs of 90 implementation and administration of technical assistance and 91 for the costs of implementing and administering the program, 92 including, but not limited to, employment of dedicated grants 93 management and programmatic personnel. 94 (b) The program costs under paragraph (a) shall include an 95 annual program evaluation and an a nalysis of the effectiveness 96 of violence reduction initiatives. These evaluations shall be 97 made available to the public. 98 (11) The department shall annually hold at least one 99 public hearing. The public hearing shall provide a forum to 100 HB 1465 2022 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. hb1465-00 Page 5 of 5 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S receive information on how the public funds are spent, testimony 101 from grant award recipients on the effectiveness of their 102 programs and best practices, and input from the public on 103 whether the initiatives and the grant -funded programs are 104 accomplishing their respective missio ns. Public input shall be 105 used to assess and revise grant -making metrics and processes for 106 awarding grants. 107 (12) Beginning January 1, 2023, and on or before January 1 108 of each year thereafter, the department shall prepare and 109 transmit to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the 110 Speaker of the House of Representatives a report that shall 111 include a listing of the grants awarded under the program, 112 descriptions of the initiatives and impact on the communities 113 served through the grants, and such other information as the 114 department deems appropriate. 115 (13) The department may adopt rules to implement this 116 section. 117 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2022. 118