HR 4387119th CongressIn Committee

People’s Response Act

Introduced: Jul 15, 2025

Healthcare

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

H.R. 4387, the People’s Response Act, would create a new Division on Community Safety within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), headed by an Assistant Secretary who reports to the Secretary. The Division would lead, coordinate, and fund efforts to advance "qualified approaches to community safety"—evidence-informed, nonpunitive strategies intended to reduce contact with the criminal legal system and bolster safety and opportunity, with particular emphasis on communities disproportionately harmed by policing, incarceration, and immigration enforcement. The bill envisions a broad portfolio: conducting and disseminating research, providing technical assistance to states and localities, coordinating interagency and intergovernmental efforts, developing data systems, and operating grant programs for community-led groups, local governments, and states. It also creates a National Advisory Committee and an Interagency Task Force to guide policy and funding, audits federal law-enforcement and carceral programs, and requires robust reporting and evaluation to Congress. The bill would authorize substantial federal funding over fiscal years 2026–2030 to support these grant programs and related activities (roughly $13.5 billion total across four grant programs). The funds would support community-based organizations, local governments, and states in activities ranging from crisis intervention and violence prevention to housing, health, and youth supports, as well as first-responder hiring grants intended to expand trauma-informed, community-centered approaches. Privacy protections for recipient reporting are included, along with requirements for equity and meaningful engagement from communities most affected by the criminal legal system.

Key Points

1Division on Community Safety within HHS: Establishes an Assistant Secretary for Community Safety to oversee grants, research, data systems, and coordination of activities designed to implement qualified, nonpunitive safety approaches across federal, state, and local levels.
2Definition of qualified approaches and key terms: The act defines qualified approaches as evidence-informed, nonpunitive strategies that aim to prevent or respond to violence and safety needs without relying primarily on law enforcement, courts, or immigration enforcement. It also includes concepts like community health workers, community land trusts, participatory budgeting, and safety needs assessments to guide investments.
3Grant programs (Title II):
4- Community Safety Grant for Community-Led Organizations (Sec. 201): Funds community-based groups (including intermediaries and subgrants) to implement or evaluate safety strategies; emphasis on communities most affected by the criminal legal system; includes reporting, evaluation, and a 30% rural allocation.
5- Community Safety Grant for Local Governments (Sec. 202): Funds cities, counties, etc., to assess needs and support local safety investments; requires safety needs assessments, participatory budgeting options, and a wage floor for hires; includes reporting and evaluation and a rural allocation.
6- Community Safety Grant for States (Sec. 203): Funds states to support statewide implementation, oversight structures, and subgrants to localities and community organizations; includes matching funds requirement and reporting/evaluation.
7- First Responder Hiring Grants (Sec. 204): Funds recruiting, training, and deploying first responders focused on crisis response, trauma-informed care, and school partnerships; includes wage requirements and rural allocation.
8Interagency Task Force and audits (Sec. 103): Establishes a cross-agency Task Force to audit federal funding for law enforcement and related carceral programs and to streamline access to funds for grassroots organizations, with a final report to Congress.
9National Advisory Committee (Sec. 102): A diverse panel including individuals with lived experience of the criminal legal system and advocates for equity and justice; provides recommendations on priorities, funding, and ensuring racial and community equity in grant outcomes.
10Data, evaluation, and accountability: The Division would develop data systems, require regular reporting from recipients, and integrate analyses into ongoing grant decisions; there is a complaint system to address concerns about grant funding and compliance with qualified approaches.
11Funding and scope: Appropriations authorize substantial levels across the four grant programs (approx. $4.0B for community-led orgs, $3.5B for local governments, $3.5B for states, and $2.5B for first responders) for FY 2026–2030, totaling about $13.5B.

Impact Areas

Primary affected groups and sectors- Communities disproportionately harmed by the criminal legal and immigration systems (racial, ethnic, and marginalized communities; particularly Black, Latine/x, Indigenous, LGBTQIA+ communities; poor and working-class communities; rural residents).- Community-based organizations, including those led by people with lived experience of incarceration, policing violence, or immigration detention.Secondary affected groups and sectors- State and local governments, tribal governments, and school districts that would apply for and administer grants and implement safety programs.- First responders and health departments, particularly those engaged in crisis response and trauma-informed care.- Researchers and universities involved in evaluating safety interventions and grant programs.Additional impacts- Policy shift toward nonpunitive safety models, potentially reducing reliance on policing and carceral approaches in participating jurisdictions.- Increased federal coordination across health, housing, education, environment, and other domains to support holistic community safety.- Data collection and reporting requirements with privacy protections; potential for demographic and outcome data to inform policy, but with safeguards to prevent use in criminal or immigration enforcement actions.- Rural emphasis in funding allocation (minimum 30% reserved for rural recipients) which could affect allocation patterns and investments in non-urban areas.- Wage and labor standards for workers funded by grants (minimum wage or higher, depending on applicable laws) intended to ensure fair compensation for program staff.Qualified approaches to community safety: Nonpunitive, preventative strategies and investments that reduce criminal legal system contact, such as crisis intervention with unarmed responders, violence interruption programs, community health workers, housing and economic supports, and trauma-informed services.Participatory budgeting: A process that enables community members to deliberate and directly decide how to allocate a portion of a public budget.Community land trusts: Local, member-controlled entities that hold land to maintain permanently affordable housing and community control over neighborhood resources.Community health workers: Frontline public health workers who connect people with services, educate communities, and help improve access to care and resources.Privacy protections: Recipients’ reports must be aggregated and anonymized to protect individuals’ privacy, and data cannot be used to pursue criminal or immigration enforcement actions except as allowed by law.

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