Add Art 22-A §§637-a - 637-c, Exec L; add §97-bbbbb, St Fin L
 
Enacts the "Community Violence Intervention and Prevention Act"; provides findings for evidence-based and evidence-informed health programs from hospital-based and community-based programs.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
 
BILL NUMBER: A4050
SPONSOR: Cunningham
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the executive law and the state finance law, in relation
to enacting the "community violence intervention and prevention act"
 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
To create a stable funding source for hospital and community-based
violence interruption and intervention programs.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 states that the short title of this act shall be the "Communi-
ty Violence Intervention and Prevention Act" (C-VIPA).
Section 2 amends the Executive Law by adding a new article 22-A, which
contains the following provisions in summary form: The legislature
declares that gun violence and other forms of violence have reached a
stage of crisis that poses a serious threat to the health and quality of
life of all residents of the state of New York, and particularly the
residents of many urban areas. Funds from the Victims of Crime Act
(VOCA) should be used to support hospital based and community based
violence intervention programs. The parts of the act that follow define
relevant terms. The act regulates community violence intervention and
prevention grants.
Section 3 amends the State Finance Law by adding a new section 97-bbbbb,
which contains the following provisions in summary form: Establishes
the Community Violence Intervention and Prevention Fund, controlled
jointly by the State Comptroller and the Commissioner of Taxation and
Finance. Provides the source of funds and clarifies how monies may be
spent. The Community Violence Intervention and Prevention Fund will
consist of at least $10 million or 10% of funds received under VOCA.
Section 4 is a severability clause. Section 5 provides for an immediate
effective date.
 
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ORIGINAL AND AMENDED VERSION (IF APPLICABLE):
N/A
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Gun violence and other forms of violence constitute a crisis and pose a
serious threat to the health and quality of life of all residents of the
State of New York. There are evidence-based programs designed to inter-
rupt cycles of violence by intervening when violent clashes occur. These
programs are sometimes hospital-based, which provide an opportunity for
critical early intervention. Other programs are community-based, and
provide opportunities for holistic and continued outreach.
Despite mounting evidence supporting the efficacy of both models in
reducing gun violence, these programs remain subject to fluctuating
funding amounts every year. This instability hampers the ability of
programs to plan for long-term solutions while forcing them to compete
with each other for shrinking resources. These programs deserve a stable
funding source. This bill will create a mechanism for distributing
federal funds to provide stable support to hospital-based violence
intervention programs (HVIPs) and community-based violence intervention
programs (VIPs). Through the federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA), fund-
ing is provided to the VOCA Fund and administered by the Office of
Victim Services. For the year 2016, the federal award amount to New York
was $133,904,016, of which only $10,939,366 was distributed. By requir-
ing that $10 million or 10%, whichever is greater, of the monies from
these grants be distributed to HVIPs and VIPs, this bill aims to recog-
nize the public health crisis that is gun violence by adequately funding
its prevention.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2023-24: A.4571 - Referred to Health
2021-22: A.5505/S.1049 - Referred to Health/Crime Victims, Crime and
Correction
2019-20: A.10865/S.7976 - Referred to Health/Finance
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
Minimal, since funding comes from federal government.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately.