Public Act 0679 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB2791 Enrolled LRB102 13995 CPF 19347 b

Public Act 102-0679

AN ACT concerning safety.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Reimagine Public Safety Act is amended by changing Sections 35-10, 35-15, 35-20, 35-25, 35-30, 35-35, and 35-40 as follows:

(430 ILCS 69/35-10)

Sec. 35-10. Definitions. As used in this Act:

"Approved technical assistance and training provider" means an organization that has experience in improving the outcomes of local community-based organizations by providing supportive services that address the gaps in their resources and knowledge about content-based work or provide support and knowledge about the administration and management of organizations, or both. Approved technical assistance and training providers as defined in this Act are intended to assist community organizations with evaluating the need for evidence-based evidenced-based violence prevention services, promising violence prevention programs, starting up programming, and strengthening the quality of existing programming.

"Community" or "communities" "Communities" means, for municipalities with a 1,000,000 or more population in Illinois, the 77 designated neighborhood areas defined by the University of Chicago Social Science Research Committee as amended in 1980.

"Concentrated firearm violence" means the 10 17 most violent communities in Illinois municipalities with greater than 1,000,000 or more one million residents and the 10 most violent municipalities with less than 1,000,000 residents and greater than 35,000 25,000 residents with the most per capita fatal and nonfatal firearm-shot victims, excluding self-inflicted incidents, incidents from January 1, 2016 through December 31, 2020.

"Criminal and juvenile justice-involved" means an individual who has been arrested, indicted, convicted, adjudicated delinquent, or otherwise detained by criminal or juvenile justice authorities for violation of Illinois criminal laws.

"Evidence-based high-risk youth intervention services" means programs that have been proven to reduce involvement in the criminal or juvenile justice system, increase school attendance, and includes referrals of refer high-risk teens into therapeutic programs that address trauma recovery and other mental health improvements based on best practices in the youth intervention services field.

"Evidence-based Evidenced-based violence prevention services" means coordinated programming and services that may include, but are not limited to, effective emotional or trauma related therapies, housing, employment training, job placement, family engagement, or wrap-around support services that have been proven effective or are considered to be best practice for reducing violence within the field of violence intervention research and practice.

"Evidence-based youth development programs" means after-school and summer programming that provides services to teens to increase their school attendance, school performance, reduce involvement in the criminal justice system, and develop nonacademic interests that build social emotional persistence and intelligence based on best practices in the field of youth development services for high-risk youth.

"Options school" means a secondary school where 75% or more of attending students have either stopped attending or failed their secondary school courses since first attending ninth grade.

"Violence Qualified violence prevention organization" means an organization that manages and employs qualified violence prevention professionals.

"Violence Qualified violence prevention professional" means a community health worker who renders violence preventive services.

"Social organization" means an organization of individuals who form the organization for the purposes of enjoyment, work, and other mutual interests.

(Source: P.A. 102-16, eff. 6-17-21; revised 7-16-21.)

(430 ILCS 69/35-15)

Sec. 35-15. Findings. The Illinois General Assembly finds that:

(1) Discrete neighborhoods in municipalities across Illinois are experiencing concentrated and perpetual firearm violence that is a public health epidemic.

(2) Within neighborhoods experiencing this firearm violence epidemic, violence is concentrated among teens and young adults that have chronic exposure to the risk of violence and criminal legal system involvement and related trauma in small geographic areas where these young people live or congregate.

(3) Firearm violence victimization and perpetration is highly concentrated in particular neighborhoods, particular blocks within these neighborhoods, and among a small number of individuals living in these areas.

(4) People who are chronically exposed to the risk of firearm violence victimization are substantially more likely to be violently injured or violently injure another person. People who have been violently injured are substantially more likely to be violently reinjured. Chronic exposure to violence additionally leads individuals to engage in behavior, as part of a cycle of community violence, trauma, and retaliation that substantially increases their own risk of violent injury or reinjury.

(5) Evidence-based programs that engage individuals at the highest risk of firearm violence and provide life stabilization, case management, and culturally competent group and individual therapy reduce firearm violence victimization and perpetration and can end Illinois' firearm violence epidemic.

(6) A public health approach to ending Illinois' firearm violence epidemic requires targeted, integrated behavioral health services and economic opportunity that promotes self-sufficiency for victims of firearm violence and those with chronic exposure to the risk of firearm violence victimization.

(7) A public health approach to ending Illinois' firearm violence epidemic further requires broader preventive investments in the census tracts and blocks that reduce risk factors for youth and families living in areas at the highest with extreme risk of firearm violence victimization.

(8) A public health approach to ending Illinois' firearm violence epidemic requires empowering residents and community-based organizations within impacted neighborhoods to provide culturally competent care based on lived experience in these areas and long-term relationships of mutual interest that promote safety and stability.

(9) A public health approach to ending Illinois' firearm violence epidemic further requires that preventive youth development services for youth in these neighborhoods be fully integrated with a team-based model of mental health care to address trauma recovery for those young people at the highest extreme risk of firearm violence victimization.

(10) Community revitalization can be an effective violence prevention strategy, provided that revitalization is targeted to the highest risk geographies within communities and revitalization efforts are designed and led by individuals living and working in the impacted communities.

(Source: P.A. 102-16, eff. 6-17-21.)

(430 ILCS 69/35-20)

Sec. 35-20. Office of Firearm Violence Prevention.

(a) On or before October September 1, 2021, an Office of Firearm Violence Prevention is established within the Illinois Department of Human Services. The Assistant Secretary of Violence Prevention shall report his or her actions to the Secretary of Human Services and the Office of the Governor. The Office shall have the authority to coordinate and integrate all programs and services listed in this Act and other programs and services the Governor establishes by executive order to maximize an integrated approach to reducing Illinois' firearm violence epidemic and ultimately ending this public health crisis.

(b) The Department of Human Services and the Office of Firearm Violence Prevention shall have grant making, operational, and procurement authority to distribute funds to qualified violence prevention organizations, youth development organizations, high-risk youth intervention organizations, approved technical assistance and training providers, and qualified evaluation and assessment organizations, and other entities necessary to execute the functions established in this Act and other programs and services the Governor establishes by executive order for the Department and the this Office.

(c) The Assistant Secretary of Firearm Violence Prevention shall be appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate. The Assistant Secretary of Firearm Violence Prevention shall report to the Secretary of Human Services and also report his or her actions to the Office of the Governor.

(d) For Illinois municipalities with a 1,000,000 or more population, the Office of Firearm Violence Prevention shall determine the 10 17 most violent neighborhoods. When possible, this shall be determined by measuring as measured by the number of per capita fatal and nonfatal firearm-shot victims, excluding self-inflicted incidents, from January 1, 2016 through December 31, 2020. These 10 17 communities shall qualify for grants under this Act and coordination of other State services from the Office of Firearm Violence Prevention. The Office shall, after identifying the top 10 neighborhoods, identify an additional 7 eligible neighborhoods by considering the number of victims in rank order in addition to the per capita rate. If appropriate, and subject to appropriation, the Office shall have the authority to consider adding up to 5 additional eligible neighborhoods or clusters of contiguous neighborhoods utilizing the same data sets so as to maximize the potential impact for firearm violence reduction. For Illinois municipalities with less than 1,000,000 residents and more than 35,000 25,000 residents, the Office of Firearm Violence Prevention shall identify the 10 municipalities or contiguous geographic areas that have the greatest concentrated firearm violence victims. When possible, this shall be determined by measuring as measured by the number of fatal and nonfatal firearm-shot victims, excluding self-inflicted incidents, from January 1, 2016 through December 31, 2020 divided by the number of residents for each municipality or area. These 10 municipalities or contiguous geographic areas and up to 5 additional other municipalities or contiguous geographic areas identified by the Office of Firearm Violence Prevention shall qualify for grants under this Act and coordination of other State services from the Office of Firearm Violence Prevention. The Office of Firearm Violence Prevention shall consider factors listed in subsection (a) of Section 35-40 to determine up to 5 additional municipalities or contiguous geographic areas that qualify for grants under this Act. The Office of Firearm Violence Prevention may, subject to appropriation, identify up to 5 additional neighborhoods, municipalities, contiguous geographic areas, or other local government-identified boundary areas to receive funding under this Act after considering additional risk factors that contribute to community firearm violence. The data analysis to identify new eligible neighborhoods and municipalities shall be updated to reflect eligibility based on the most recently available 5 full years of data no more frequently than once every 3 years.

(e) The Office of Firearm Violence Prevention shall issue a report to the General Assembly no later than January 1 of each year that identifies communities within Illinois municipalities of 1,000,000 or more residents and municipalities with less than 1,000,000 residents and more than 35,000 25,000 residents that are experiencing concentrated firearm violence, explaining the investments that are being made to reduce concentrated firearm violence, and making further recommendations on how to end Illinois' firearm violence epidemic.

(Source: P.A. 102-16, eff. 6-17-21.)

(430 ILCS 69/35-25)

Sec. 35-25. Integrated violence prevention and other services.

(a) Subject to appropriation, for municipalities with 1,000,000 or more residents, the Office of Firearm Violence Prevention shall make grants to qualified violence prevention organizations for evidence-based firearm violence prevention services. Approved technical assistance and training providers shall create learning communities for the exchange of information between community-based organizations in the same or similar fields. Firearm Evidence-based firearm violence prevention organizations services shall prioritize recruit individuals at the highest risk of firearm violence victimization and provide these individuals with evidence-based comprehensive services that reduce their exposure to chronic firearm violence.

(b) Violence Qualified violence prevention organizations shall develop the following expertise in the geographic areas that they cover:

(1) Analyzing and leveraging data to identify the individuals people who will most benefit from evidence-based firearm violence prevention services in their geographic areas.

(2) Identifying the conflicts that are responsible for recurring violence.

(3) Having relationships with individuals who are most able to reduce conflicts.

(4) Addressing the stabilization and trauma recovery needs of individuals impacted by violence by providing direct services for their unmet needs or referring them to other qualified service providers.

(5) Having and building relationships with community members and community organizations that provide evidence-based violence prevention services and get referrals of people who will most benefit from evidence-based firearm violence prevention services in their geographic areas.

(6) Providing training and technical assistance to local law enforcement agencies to improve their effectiveness without having any role, requirement, or mandate to participate in the policing, enforcement, or prosecution of any crime.

(c) Violence Qualified violence prevention organizations receiving grants under this Act shall coordinate services with other qualified violence prevention organizations in their area.

(d) The Office of Firearm Violence Prevention shall identify, for each separate eligible service area under this Act, an experienced violence prevention organization to serve as the name a Lead Qualified Violence Prevention Convener for that area each of the 17 neighborhoods and provide each with a grant of $50,000 up to $100,000 to these organizations this organization to coordinate monthly meetings between qualified violence prevention organizations and youth development organizations under this Act. The Lead Qualified Violence Prevention Convener may also receive, funding from the Office of Firearm Violence Prevention, for technical assistance or training through approved providers when needs are jointly identified. The Lead Qualified Violence Prevention Convener shall:

(1) provide the convened organizations with summary notes on the meetings and summarize recommendations made at the monthly meetings to improve the effectiveness of evidence-based violence prevention services based on review of timely data on shootings and homicides in his or her relevant neighborhood;

(2) attend monthly meetings where the cause of violence and other neighborhood disputes is discussed and strategize on how to resolve ongoing conflicts and execute on agreed plans;

(3) (blank); provide qualitative review of other qualified violence prevention organizations in the Lead Qualified Violence Prevention Convener's neighborhood as required by the Office of Firearm Violence Prevention;

(4) on behalf of the convened organizations, make consensus recommendations to the Office of Firearm Violence Prevention and local law enforcement on how to reduce violent conflict in his or her neighborhood;

(5) meet on an emergency basis when conflicts that need immediate attention and resolution arise;

(6) share knowledge and strategies of the community violence dynamic in monthly meetings with local youth development specialists receiving grants under this Act;

(7) select when and where needed an approved Office of Violence Prevention-funded technical assistance and service training service provider to receive and contract with the provider for agreed upon services; and

(8) after meeting with community residents and other community organizations that have expertise in housing, mental health, economic development, education, and social services, make consensus recommendations to the Office of Firearm Violence Prevention on how to target community revitalization resources available from federal and State funding sources.

The Office of Firearm Violence Prevention shall compile recommendations from all Lead Qualified Violence Prevention Conveners and report to the General Assembly bi-annually on these funding recommendations. The Lead Qualified Violence Prevention Convener may also serve as a youth development provider.

(e) The Illinois Office of Firearm Violence Prevention shall select, when possible and appropriate, no fewer than 2 and no more than 3 approved technical assistance and training providers to deliver technical assistance and training to the qualified violence prevention organizations that request to receive agree to contract with an approved technical assistance and training provider. Violence Qualified violence prevention organizations shall have complete authority to select among the approved technical assistance services providers funded by the Office of Firearm Violence Prevention.

(f) Approved technical assistance and training providers may:

(1) provide training and certification to qualified violence prevention professionals on how to perform violence prevention services and other professional development to qualified violence prevention professionals.

(2) provide management training on how to manage qualified violence prevention professionals;

(3) provide training and assistance on how to develop memorandum of understanding for referral services or create approved provider lists for these referral services, or both;

(4) share lessons learned among qualified violence prevention professionals and service providers in their network; and

(5) provide technical assistance and training on human resources, grants management, capacity building, and fiscal management strategies.

(g) Approved technical assistance and training providers shall:

(1) provide additional services identified as necessary by the Office of Firearm Violence Prevention and qualified service providers in their network; and

(2) receive a base vendor contract or grant of up to $250,000 plus negotiated service rates to provide group and individualized plus fees negotiated for services to from participating qualified violence prevention organizations.

(h) (Blank). Fees negotiated for approved technical assistance and training providers shall not exceed 12% of awarded grant funds to a qualified violence prevention organization.

(i) The Office of Firearm Violence Prevention shall issue grants, when possible and appropriate, to no fewer than 2 qualified violence prevention organizations in each of the eligible service areas 17 neighborhoods served and no more than 6 organizations in the 17 neighborhoods served. When possible, grants Grants shall be for no less than $300,000 $400,000 per qualified violence prevention organization. The Office of Firearm Violence Prevention may establish grant award ranges to ensure grants will have the potential to reduce violence in each neighborhood.

(j) No qualified violence prevention organization can serve more than 3 eligible service areas neighborhoods unless the Office of Firearm Violence Prevention is unable to identify qualified violence prevention organizations to provide adequate coverage.

(k) No approved technical assistance and training provider shall provide evidence-based qualified violence prevention services in an eligible service area a neighborhood under this Act unless the Office of Firearm Violence Prevention is unable to identify qualified violence prevention organizations to provide adequate coverage.

(Source: P.A. 102-16, eff. 6-17-21.)

(430 ILCS 69/35-30)

Sec. 35-30. Integrated youth services.

(a) Subject to appropriation, for municipalities with 1,000,000 or more residents, the Office of Firearm Violence Prevention shall make grants to qualified youth development organizations for evidence-based youth after-school and summer programming. Evidence-based youth development programs shall provide services to teens that increase their school attendance, school performance, reduce involvement in the criminal and juvenile justice systems system, and develop nonacademic interests that build social emotional persistence and intelligence.

(b) The Office of Firearm Violence Prevention shall identify municipal blocks where more than 35% of all fatal and nonfatal firearm-shot incidents take place and focus all youth development service grants to residents of these identified municipality blocks in the designated eligible service areas 17 targeted neighborhoods. The Department of Human Services shall prioritize funding to youth Youth development service programs that shall be required to serve the following teens before expanding services to the broader community:

(1) criminal and juvenile justice-involved youth;

(2) students who are attending or have attended option schools;

(3) family members of individuals working with qualified violence prevention organizations; and

(4) youth living on the blocks where more than 35% of the violence takes place in a neighborhood.

(c) Each program participant enrolled in a youth development program under this Act, when possible and appropriate, shall receive an individualized needs assessment to determine if the participant requires intensive youth services as provided for in Section 35-35 of this Act. The needs assessment should be the best available instrument that considers the physical and mental condition of each youth based on the youth's family ties, financial resources, past substance use, criminal justice involvement, and trauma related to chronic exposure to firearm violence behavioral health assessment to determine the participant's broader support and mental health needs. The Office of Firearm Violence Prevention shall determine best practices for referring program participants who are at the highest risk of violence and criminal justice involvement to be referred to a high-risk youth development intervention program established in Section 35-35.

(d) Youth development prevention program participants shall receive services designed to empower participants with the social and emotional skills necessary to forge paths of healthy development and disengagement from high-risk behaviors. Within the context of engaging social, physical, and personal development activities, participants should build resilience and the skills associated with healthy social, emotional, and identity development.

(e) Youth development providers shall develop the following expertise in the geographic areas they cover:

(1) Knowledge of the teens and their social organization in the blocks they are designated to serve.

(2) Youth development organizations receiving grants under this Act shall be required to coordinate services with other qualified youth development organizations in their neighborhood by sharing lessons learned in monthly meetings.

(3) (Blank). Providing qualitative review of other youth development organizations in their neighborhood as required by the Office of Firearm Violence Prevention.

(4) Meeting on an emergency basis when conflicts related to program participants that need immediate attention and resolution arise.

(5) Sharing knowledge and strategies of the neighborhood violence dynamic in monthly meetings with local qualified violence prevention organizations receiving grants under this Act.

(6) Selecting an approved technical assistance and service training service provider to receive and contract with them for agreed upon services.

(f) The Illinois Office of Firearm Violence Prevention shall select, when possible and appropriate, no fewer than 2 and no more than 3 approved technical assistance and training providers to deliver technical assistance and training to the youth development organizations that request to receive agree to contract with an approved technical assistance and training provider. Youth development organizations must use an approved technical assistance and training provider but have complete authority to select among the approved technical assistance services providers funded by the Office of Firearm Violence Prevention.

(g) Approved technical assistance and training providers may:

(1) provide training to youth development workers on how to perform outreach services;

(2) provide management training on how to manage youth development workers;

(3) provide training and assistance on how to develop memorandum of understanding for referral services or create approved provider lists for these referral services, or both;

(4) share lessons learned among youth development service providers in their network; and

(5) provide technical assistance and training on human resources, grants management, capacity building, and fiscal management strategies.

(h) Approved technical assistance and training providers shall:

(1) provide additional services identified as necessary by the Office of Firearm Violence Prevention and youth development service providers in their network; and

(2) receive an annual base grant of up to $250,000 plus negotiated service rates to provide group and individualized plus fees negotiated for services to from participating youth development service organizations.

(i) (Blank). Fees negotiated for approved technical assistance and training providers shall not exceed 10% of awarded grant funds to a youth development services organization.

(j) The Office of Firearm Violence Prevention shall issue youth development services grants, when possible and appropriate, to no fewer than 4 youth services organizations in each of the eligible service areas 17 neighborhoods served and no more than 8 organizations in each of the 17 neighborhoods. When possible, grants shall be for no less than $300,000 per youth development organization. The Office of Firearm Violence Prevention may establish award ranges to ensure grants will have the potential to reduce violence in each neighborhood. Youth services grants shall be for no less than $400,000 per youth development organization.

(k) No youth development organization can serve more than 3 eligible service areas neighborhoods unless the Office of Firearm Violence Prevention is unable to identify youth development organizations to provide adequate coverage.

(l) No approved technical assistance and training provider shall provide youth development services in any neighborhood under this Act.

(Source: P.A. 102-16, eff. 6-17-21.)

(430 ILCS 69/35-35)

Sec. 35-35. Intensive youth intervention services.

(a) Subject to appropriation, for municipalities with 1,000,000 or more residents, the Office of Firearm Violence Prevention shall issue grants to qualified high-risk youth intervention organizations for evidence-based intervention services that reduce involvement in the criminal and juvenile justice system, increase school attendance, and refer high-risk teens into therapeutic programs that address trauma recovery and other mental health improvements. Each program participant enrolled in a high-risk youth intervention program under this Act shall receive a nationally recognized comprehensive mental health assessment delivered by a qualified mental health professional certified to provide services to Medicaid recipients.

(b) High-risk youth Youth intervention program participants shall receive needed services as determined by the individualized assessment which may include, but is not limited to:

(1) receive group-based emotional regulation therapy that helps them control their emotions and understand how trauma and stress impacts their thinking and behavior; and

(2) have youth advocates that accompany them to their group therapy sessions, assist them with issues that prevent them from attending school, and address life skills development activities through weekly coaching. ; and

(b-5) High-risk youth intervention service organizations shall (3) be required to have trained clinical staff managing the youth advocate interface with program participants.

(c) Youth development service organizations shall be assigned to the youth intervention service providers for referrals by the Office of Firearm Violence Prevention.

(d) The youth receiving intervention services who are evaluated to need trauma recovery and other behavioral health interventions and who have the greatest risk of firearm violence victimization shall be referred to the family systems intervention services established in Section 35-55.

(e) The Office of Firearm Violence Prevention shall issue high-risk youth intervention grants, when possible and appropriate, to no less than 2 youth intervention organizations and no more than 4 organizations in municipalities with 1,000,000 or more residents.

(f) No high-risk youth intervention organization can serve more than 13 eligible service areas 10 neighborhoods.

(g) The approved technical assistance and training providers for youth development programs provided in subsection (d) of Section 35-30 shall also provide technical assistance and training to the affiliated high-risk youth intervention service providers.

(h) (Blank). The Office of Firearm Violence Prevention shall establish payment requirements from youth intervention service providers to the affiliated approved technical assistance and training providers.

(Source: P.A. 102-16, eff. 6-17-21.)

(430 ILCS 69/35-40)

Sec. 35-40. Services for municipalities with less than 1,000,000 residents.

(a) The Office of Firearm Violence Prevention shall identify the 10 municipalities or geographically contiguous areas in Illinois with less than 1,000,000 residents and more than 35,000 25,000 residents that have the largest concentration of fatal and nonfatal concentrated firearm-shot victims over the 5-year period considered for eligibility violence in the last 5 years. These areas shall qualify for grants under this Act. The Office of Firearm Violence Prevention may shall identify up to 5 additional municipalities or geographically contiguous areas with more than 25,000 residents and less than 1,000,000 residents that would benefit from evidence-based violence prevention services. In identifying the additional municipalities that qualify for funding under Section 35-40, the Office of Firearm Violence Prevention shall consider the following factors when possible:

(1) the total number of fatal and nonfatal firearms victims, excluding self-inflicted incidents, in a potential municipality over the 5-year period considered for eligibility in the last 5 years;

(2) the per capita rate of fatal and nonfatal firearms victims, excluding self-inflicted incidents, in a potential municipality over the 5-year period considered for eligibility in the last 5 years; and

(3) the total potential firearms violence reduction benefit for the entire State of Illinois by serving the additional municipalities municipality compared to the total benefit of investing in all other municipalities identified for grants to municipalities with more than 35,000 25,000 residents and less than 1,000,000 residents.

(b) Resources for each of these areas shall be distributed based on a formula to be developed by the Office of Firearm Violence Prevention that will maximize the total potential reduction in firearms victimization for all municipalities receiving grants under this Act. Resources for each of these areas shall be distributed based on maximizing the total potential reduction in firearms victimization for all municipalities receiving grants under this Act. The Office of Firearm Violence Prevention may establish a minimum grant amount for each municipality awarded grants under this Section to ensure grants will have the potential to reduce violence in each municipality. The Office of Firearm Violence Prevention shall maximize the potential for violence reduction throughout Illinois after determining the necessary minimum grant amounts to be effective in each municipality receiving grants under this Section.

(c) The Office of Firearm Violence Prevention shall create local advisory councils for each of the designated service areas 10 areas designated for the purpose of obtaining recommendations on how to distribute funds in these areas to reduce firearm violence incidents. Local advisory councils shall have a minimum consist of 5 members with the following expertise or experience:

(1) a representative of a nonelected official in local government from the designated area;

(2) a representative of an elected official at the local or state level for the area;

(3) a representative with public health experience in firearm violence prevention or youth development; and

(4) two residents of the subsection of each area with the most concentrated firearm violence incidents; and .

(5) additional members as determined by the individual local advisory council.

(d) The Office of Firearm Violence Prevention shall provide data to each local council on the characteristics of firearm violence in the designated area and other relevant information on the physical and demographic characteristics of the designated area. The Office of Firearm Violence Prevention shall also provide best available evidence on how to address the social determinants of health in the designated area in order to reduce firearm violence.

(e) Each local advisory council shall make recommendations on how to allocate distributed resources for its area based on information provided to them by the Office of Firearm Violence Prevention, local law enforcement data, and other locally available data.

(f) The Office of Firearm Violence Prevention shall consider the recommendations and determine how to distribute funds through grants to community-based organizations and local governments. To the extent the Office of Firearm Violence Prevention does not follow a local advisory council's recommendation on allocation of funds, the Office of Firearm Violence Prevention shall explain in writing why a different allocation of resources is more likely to reduce firearm violence in the designated area.

(g) Subject to appropriation, the Department of Human Services and the Office of Firearm Violence Prevention shall issue grants to local governmental agencies or and community-based organizations, or both, to maximize firearm violence reduction each year. When possible, initial grants Grants shall be named no later than April March 1, 2022 and renewed or competitively bid as appropriate in subsequent fiscal years. Grants in proceeding years shall be issued on or before July 15 of the relevant fiscal year.

(Source: P.A. 102-16, eff. 6-17-21.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.