AB931,,1 2023 ASSEMBLY BILL 931

January 12, 2024 - Introduced by Representatives Stubbs, O’Connor, Cabrera, Neubauer, Snodgrass, Subeck, Emerson, Shankland, Conley, Sinicki, Hong, Ratcliff, Moore Omokunde, C. Anderson, Madison, Bare, Joers, Vining, Andraca, Palmeri, Ohnstad, Considine, Jacobson, Goyke, Ortiz-Velez and Drake, cosponsored by Senators Taylor, Larson, Carpenter, Wirch, L. Johnson, Spreitzer and Agard. Referred to Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety.

AB931,,2 An Act to amend 15.01 (6) and 15.02 (3) (c) 1.; and to create 15.194 (2) and 250.25 of the statutes; relating to: community violence intervention and creation of the Office of Violence Prevention in the Department of Health Services.

AB931,,3 Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

This bill creates the Office of Violence Prevention in the Department of Health Services, establishes certain duties with respect to the office, and directs the office to award grants for community violence intervention. The bill provides that the office shall coordinate and expand violence prevention activities and work to reduce the incidences of interpersonal violence and reduce death by homicide. To achieve these goals, the office must do all of the following:

1. Establish a violence prevention focus within DHS and any local unit of government that receives funding from DHS.

2. Collaborate with other state agencies that are interested or active in the reduction of interpersonal violence.

3. Integrate violence prevention education into existing and planned state-funded substance use and abuse prevention programs.

4. Support the development and implementation of comprehensive, community-based violence prevention initiatives within cities and towns across the state.

5. Develop sources of funding beyond state revenues to maintain the office and expand its activities.

6. Create a directory of existing violence prevention services and activities in each county.

7. Develop and recommend additional wraparound and support services that include both interpersonal violence and suicide prevention programs and are funded by local governing bodies.

8. Support local organizations that provide violence prevention services in seeking out and applying for grant funding in support of their initiatives.

9. With the support of DHS, develop and implement a public health strategy for preventing violence.

10. Conduct a statewide public health campaign on the effect of violence, strategies for violence cessation, and the use of alternative dispute resolution techniques.