---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 290hh"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "290hh"
heading: "Children and violence"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/290hh"
units:
  - "Chapter 6A — Public Health Service"
  - "Subchapter III–A — Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration"
  - "Part G — Projects for Children and Violence"
---

# §290hh. Children and violence

- (a) **In general—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c), in consultation with the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) of Education and the Attorney General, shall carry out directly or through grants, contracts or cooperative agreements with public entities a [program](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) to assist local communities in developing ways to assist children in dealing with violence.
- (b) **Activities—** Under the [program](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) under [subsection (a)](#a), the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) may—
  - (1) provide financial support to enable local communities to implement [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) to foster the health and development of children;
  - (2) provide technical assistance to local communities with respect to the development of [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) described in [paragraph (1)](#b-1);
  - (3) provide assistance to local communities in the development of policies to address violence when and if it occurs;
  - (4) assist in the creation of community partnerships among law enforcement, education systems and mental health and substance abuse [service](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) systems; and
  - (5) establish mechanisms for children and [adolescents](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-9) to report incidents of violence or plans by other children or [adolescents](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-9) to commit violence.
- (c) **Requirements—** An application for a grant, contract or cooperative agreement under [subsection (a)](#a) shall demonstrate that—
  - (1) the applicant will use amounts received to create a partnership described in [subsection (b)(4)](#b-4) to address issues of violence in [schools](/usc/42/300j–21.md?p=6);
  - (2) the activities carried out by the applicant will provide a comprehensive method for addressing violence, that will include—
    - (A) security;
    - (B) educational reform;
    - (C) the review and updating of [school](/usc/42/300j–21.md?p=6) policies;
    - (D) alcohol and [drug](/usc/42/11851.md?p=4) abuse prevention and early intervention [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a);
    - (E) mental health prevention and [treatment](/usc/42/11851.md?p=11) [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a); and
    - (F) early childhood development and psychosocial [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a); and
  - (3) the applicant will use amounts received only for the [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) described in subparagraphs [(D)](#c-2-D), [(E)](#c-2-E), and [(F)](#c-2-F) of paragraph (2).
- (d) **Geographical distribution—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) shall ensure that grants, contracts or cooperative agreements under [subsection (a)](#a) will be distributed equitably among the regions of the country and among urban and rural areas.
- (e) **Duration of awards—** With respect to a grant, contract or cooperative agreement under [subsection (a)](#a), the period during which payments under such an award will be made to the recipient may not exceed 5 years.
- (f) **Evaluation—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) shall conduct an evaluation of each [project](/usc/42/13641.md?p=2) carried out under this section and shall disseminate the results of such evaluations to appropriate public and private entities.
- (g) **Information and education—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) shall establish comprehensive information and education [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) to disseminate the findings of the knowledge development and application under this section to the general public and to health care professionals.
- (h) **Authorization of appropriations—** There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section, $100,000,000 for fiscal year 2001, and such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2002 and 2003.

## Source credit

(July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title V, § 581, as added Pub. L. 106–310, div. B, title XXXI, § 3101, Oct. 17, 2000, 114 Stat. 1168.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Codification

Another section 581 of act July 1, 1944, was renumbered section 596 and is classified to section 290kk of this title.