Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Countering Violent Extremism Grants Act” or the “CVE Grants Act”.
Countering Violent Extremism Grants Act
A BILL
To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to authorize the use of Urban Area Security Initiative and State Homeland Security Grant Program funding to counter violent extremism.
Sec. 2 Findings and purpose
Findings— Congress finds the following:
The recent terrorist attacks in Paris, Sydney, New York City, Ottawa, and London demonstrate that violent Islamist extremism is on the rise and that the threat from homegrown terrorism is growing.
The United States and the West are the leading targets of Islamist extremist propaganda and terrorist recruitment.
Terrorist groups are seeking to enlist a new generation of extremists and are using sophisticated tools, including social media, to radicalize across borders.
State and local authorities are on the frontlines of combating domestic radicalization and need the appropriate tools to deter, detect, and disrupt extremist efforts to influence and recruit Americans.
Too few initiatives exist to help communities understand the threat, prevent domestic radicalization, counter the narrative of extremists, and provide pathways to deradicalization for individuals who have become radicalized so they do not resort to violence.
Purpose— The purpose of this Act is to authorize the use of Urban Area Security Initiative and State Homeland Security Grant Program funds for countering violent Islamist extremism and to ensure that State and local officials are aware that Federal resources are available for this urgent homeland security priority.
Sec. 3 Use of certain homeland security grant funds to counter violent extremism
Section 2008 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 609) is amended—
in subsection (a), by redesignating paragraphs (6) through (13) as paragraphs (7) through (14), respectively, and by inserting after paragraph (5) the following:
“(6) countering violent extremism, including—
“(A) training programs;
“(B) the development, implementation, or expansion of programs to engage communities that may be targeted by violent extremist radicalization; and
“(C) the development and implementation of projects to partner with local communities to prevent radicalization to violence;”
in subsection (b)(3)(B), by striking “(a)(10)” and inserting “(a)(11)”.
Sec. 4 Transparency
The Assistant Administrator of the Grant Programs Directorate of the Federal Emergency Management Agency shall report annually to the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate on the use of funding under sections 2003 and 2004 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 604, 605) to counter violent extremism, including a list of recipients of funds, the types of projects funded, and the amount of grant funding used for each project.