People’s Response Act

HR 4387, the People's Response Act, establishes a new Division on Community Safety within the Department of Health and Human Services to fund evidence-based, nonpunitive approaches to community safety that reduce reliance on law enforcement and criminal legal systems. The bill creates four grant programs totaling $13.5 billion (2026-2030) to support community-based organizations ($4 billion), local governments ($3.5 billion), states ($3.5 billion), and first responder hiring ($2.5 billion), with specific requirements to prioritize communities disproportionately impacted by the criminal legal system. These grants mandate the use of "qualified approaches to community safety" including crisis intervention, violence prevention, community-led safety planning, and support for survivors of violence, while requiring at least 30% of funds to go to rural areas and staff hired with grant funds to earn at least $17 per hour. The bill requires recipients to submit regular reports on how funds are used and their impact on reducing criminal legal system involvement, with an emphasis on racial equity and community input. It aims to shift resources away from carceral systems toward community-driven safety solutions that address root causes of violence and support marginalized communities.