Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Education and Workforce, Transportation and Infrastructure, and Financial Services, 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.
The People's Response Act establishes a new Division on Community Safety within the Department of Health and Human Services to oversee and fund alternatives to traditional law enforcement and incarceration, including community health workers, crisis intervention, violence prevention, and mental health services. The bill provides $17 billion in federal grants from 2026 to 2030 to community-based organizations, local governments, and states to implement these community-led safety approaches, with priority given to communities disproportionately affected by the criminal justice system and a requirement that at least 30 percent of funds reach rural areas. The legislation also creates a National Advisory Committee with members who have direct experience with the criminal legal system and an Interagency Task Force across multiple federal departments to coordinate safety efforts and track federal spending on law enforcement versus community-based approaches. States and grant recipients must match federal funds and demonstrate measurable results, including reductions in arrests and citations, while maintaining that federal grants supplement rather than replace existing state and local funding.
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