Help Communities Fight Violent Crime Act

Help Communities Fight Violent Crime Act - Authorizes appropriations for FY2014-FY2018 to the Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) for the conduct of Violent Crime Reduction Partnerships in: (1) the 10 most violent cities in the United States with a population of more than 100,000 individuals, and (2) any community that is in close proximity to any such city.

Authorizes the Director to transfer such appropriated funds to any other federal agency or instrumentality for conducting activities under such a Partnership.

[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4088 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4088

To provide funding for Violent Crime Reduction Partnerships in the most 
   violent communities in the United States, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 25, 2014

  Mr. Kildee introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
    Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on 
   Appropriations, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
  Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
           within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To provide funding for Violent Crime Reduction Partnerships in the most 
   violent communities in the United States, 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.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Help Communities Fight Violent Crime 
Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds as follows:
            (1) Violent crime is endemic in many of our Nation's great 
        cities.
            (2) Addressing violent crime is a moral, social, and 
        economic imperative.
            (3) Violent crime infringes on our citizens' most basic 
        human rights by barring them from realizing their full 
        potential for advancement, happiness, and safety.
            (4) Violent crime hinders the educational, economic and 
        social advancement of citizens and communities.
            (5) Violent crime imposes staggering economic and other 
        costs on society.
            (6) There are estimates that violent crime imposes nearly 
        $200,000,000,000 per year in direct and intangible costs on our 
        economy in addition to the staggering immeasurable costs it has 
        on victims, families, and communities.
            (7) Violent crime prevents our cities from prospering by 
        discouraging and preventing investment in communities, 
        infrastructure, and businesses.
            (8) Reducing violent crime results in significant savings 
        for cities, States, and the Federal Government.
            (9) Many of our Nation's most financially troubled cities 
        are also the most violent, so addressing violent crime is 
        requisite to saving failing cities.
            (10) It is impossible to address the financial ails of a 
        city without first addressing violent crime.
            (11) Arguably the largest purely economic benefit from 
        reducing violent crime is the associated increase in property 
        value.
            (12) There are no citizens of a city or State, only 
        citizens of the United States, and the Federal Government has a 
        responsibility to provide for the safety and security of all 
        citizens.
            (13) The violent crime rate in many cities demonstrates 
        that municipalities and States alone are often incapable of 
        addressing the onslaught of violent crime and suffering; thus, 
        the Federal Government has a duty to help protect the lives of 
        all of its citizens.
            (14) The Federal Government, specifically the Bureau of 
        Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, has unique 
        capabilities to address violent crime as demonstrated by the 
        success it has had employing Violent Crime Reduction 
        Partnerships.
            (15) Because of the proven success of Violent Crime 
        Reduction Partnerships in stemming violent crime, we need to 
        immediately increase funding for these types of programs to 
        stop the pervasive violence in our communities.

SEC. 3. FUNDING FOR VIOLENT CRIME REDUCTION PARTNERSHIPS.

    (a) In General.--For the conduct of Violent Crime Reduction 
Partnerships in the 10 most violent cities in the United States with a 
population of more than 100,000 individuals, as determined by the 
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (in this section 
referred to as the ``Bureau''), and in any community that is in close 
proximity to any such city (as determined by the Bureau), there are 
authorized to be appropriated to the Director of the Bureau not more 
than $25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018, in 
addition to any other amounts authorized to be appropriated for such 
purpose for any of such fiscal years.
    (b) Authority To Transfer Funds to Other Partnership 
Participants.--The Director of the Bureau may transfer funds 
appropriated under subsection (a) to any other agency or 
instrumentality of the Federal Government that participates in a 
Violent Crime Reduction Partnership in which the Bureau participates, 
solely for the conduct of activities under the Partnership, in such 
amounts, for such periods, and subject to such other limitations and 
conditions as the Director deems appropriate.
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