BJA FY 2022- 2023 Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program Formula Solicitation

OJP is committed to advancing work that promotes civil rights and racial equity, increases access to justice, supports crime victims and individuals impacted by the justice system, strengthens community safety and protects the public from crime and evolving threats, and builds trust between law enforcement and the community.

The Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program (Byrne SCIP) provides funding for the creation and/or implementation of extreme risk protection order (ERPO) programs, state crisis intervention court proceedings, and related gun violence reduction programs/initiatives.

Background

On June 25, 2022, President Biden signed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act of 2022 into law to reduce gun violence and save lives, and to make progress toward keeping guns out of dangerous hands. In signing the bill into law, the President noted that this historic act "invests in antiviolence programs that work — that work directly with the people who are most likely to commit these crimes or become victims of gun crimes."

An extreme risk protection order (ERPO) is a common-sense, effective measure to empower family members, health care providers, school officials, or law enforcement officers to petition a court to temporarily prevent a person from accessing firearms if they are found to be a danger to themselves or others (see the June 7, 2022, Statement of Administration Policy). In 2021, the Department of Justice released model legislation to help states create their own extreme risk protection order systems and provide for such intervention before warning signs turn into tragedy. The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act also seeks to ensure that extreme risk protection order laws — commonly referred to as "red flag laws" — and programs are implemented in accordance with the Constitution and provide for adequate due process protections. Programs must ensure the accused has the right to an in-person hearing, the right to know opposing evidence, and the right to be represented by counsel at no expense to the government.