§ 636. Community violence intervention act. 1. Legislative findings.
The legislature hereby finds and declares that gun violence and other
forms of violence constitute a crisis that poses a serious threat to the
health and quality of life of all residents of the state of New York. An
epidemic of violence is tearing at the fabric of life in many urban
areas. The legislature further finds that funds from the Victims of
Crime Act should be used to support hospital based violence intervention
programs and community based violence intervention programs.

2. Community violence intervention grants. The office shall dedicate
ten percent or more of the total funding received per award cycle
pursuant to the federal Victims of Crime Act of 1984 to support:

(a) "community-based violence intervention programs" which shall mean
a violence intervention program that is: (i) a nonprofit organization;
and (ii) provides intensive counseling, case management, and social
services to individuals who are recovering from injuries resulting from
violence or who were witness to acts of violence;

(b) "hospital-based violence intervention programs" which shall mean a
violence intervention program that is: (i) operated by: (A) a public
hospital; or (B) a nonprofit or government entity in collaboration with
a public or not-for-profit hospital; and (ii) provides intensive
counseling, case management, and social services to individuals who are
recovering from injuries resulting from violence or who were witness to
acts of violence.

3. The office shall promulgate guidance relating to community violence
intervention for hospital-based violence intervention programs and
community-based violence intervention programs.

(a) This guidance shall be designed to promote:

(i) alternative funding sources other than the state, including local
government and private sources as well as funding from the federal
Victims of Crime Act of 1984;

(ii) coordination of public and private efforts to aid individuals who
are recovering from injuries resulting from violence or who were
witnesses to acts of violence; and

(iii) long range development of services to victims of violent crimes
in the community.

(b) This guidance shall also provide for:

(i) clearly defined and measurable objectives intended to demonstrate
that a program is developed and evaluated through scientific research
and data collection with measurable evidence of positive outcomes
related to violence intervention;

(ii) a description of how the nonprofit organization proposes to use
the funding to:

(A) establish or enhance community-based violence intervention
programs;

(B) enhance coordination of existing violence intervention programs,
if any, to minimize duplication of services; and

(C) plan for the collection of relevant data; and

(iii) outreach to the community and education and training of law
enforcement and other criminal justice officials to the needs of victims
of violent crimes in the community, to perpetrators of violent crimes
and to witnesses of violent crimes involved in criminal prosecutions.

4. To the extent practicable, the office shall make efforts to inform
community-based violence intervention programs and hospital-based
intervention programs about anticipated awards.