The School Violence Prevention Act establishes a federal grant program to help communities address youth gun violence through comprehensive school-based prevention efforts. The bill authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in coordination with the Secretary of Education, to award five-year grants to partnerships of school districts and nonprofit organizations in high-violence areas to implement evidence-based programs that provide mental health services, trauma counseling, mentorship, conflict resolution training, and community violence intervention for kindergarten through twelfth-grade students at highest risk. Eligible communities must have experienced at least 35 homicides annually over the past two to three years, or 20 or more homicides with a rate double the national average, or demonstrate comparable compelling need. The bill authorizes $25 million annually for fiscal years 2024 through 2031, with grantees required to evaluate their programs using federal performance measures and submit regular reports to Congress, while independent researchers will also assess program effectiveness and publish findings publicly.
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