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# Summary of H.R. 4699, The People's Response Act The People's Response Act would create a new Division on Community Safety within the Department of Health and Human Services to promote alternatives to law enforcement and incarceration. The division would coordinate federal resources, fund research, and provide technical assistance to states, local governments, and community organizations implementing community-based safety programs that operate independently from police, courts, prisons, and other criminal justice institutions. The bill defines "qualified approaches to community safety" as programs completely disconnected from carceral systems, including crisis intervention services, violence prevention programs, mental health and substance use treatment, housing support, and youth services. The legislation establishes four grant programs totaling approximately $13.5 billion over five fiscal years (2024-2028) to fund these alternatives: $4 billion for community-based organizations, $3.5 billion for local governments, $3.5 billion for states, and $2.5 billion for hiring first responders trained in community-based crisis response. It also creates an advisory board composed largely of people directly impacted by the criminal justice system and establishes an interagency task force to audit federal spending on law enforcement and carceral systems. The bill requires recipients to report annually on outcomes including reductions in arrests and incarceration rates, with attention to racial disparities, and mandates minimum wage standards of at least $17 per hour for workers hired under the grants.

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