H.R. 1820: Fighting Gangs and Empowering Youth Act of 2011

112th Congress · introduced 2011-05-10 · Crime and Law Enforcement · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Insurance, Housing and Community Opportunity.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2011-05-10 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Pallone, Frank, Jr. [D-NJ-6] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Insurance, Housing and Community Opportunity. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Fighting Gangs and Empowering Youth Act of 2011

Plain summary

Fighting Gangs and Empowering Youth Act of 2011 - Authorizes the Attorney General to: (1) make grants to public and nonprofit private entities (including faith-based organizations) for projects involving innovative approaches to combat gang activity, (2) make grants to states and other entities to increase police presence and expand and improve cooperative efforts to address gang activity problems, and (3) designate high-intensity interstate gang activity areas. Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to: (1) reauthorize programs for combating criminal gangs, including after-school programs and programs for safe and drug-free schools and communities; and (2) expand the grant program for workplace and community transition training for incarcerated youth offenders (30 years of age or younger). Amends the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988 to add provisions entitled the Public and Assisted Housing Gang Elimination Act of 2011 which authorize the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to make grants to public housing agencies and private, for-profit, and nonprofit owners of federally assisted low-income housing for use in eliminating gang-related crime. Amends the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 to: (1) authorize the Attorney General to award grants to assist communities located in a high-intensity interstate gang activity area in developing and carrying out programs that target certain at-risk youth and juvenile offenders, (2) reauthorize the gang resistance education and training projects program, and (3) increase funding for the National Youth Gang Survey. Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to reauthorize and expand adult and juvenile offender state and local reentry demonstration projects. Directs the Attorney General to modify existing procedures and policies to improve the transition of federal prisoners into local communities. Reauthorizes the National and Community Grant Service Program. Amends the USA PATRIOT Act to provide funding to hire additional forensic examiners to fight gang activity. Amends the federal criminal code to: (1) expand the definition of "criminal street gang", (2) prohibit the recruitment or solicitation of persons to participate in a criminal street gang, (3) impose enhanced penalties for committing violent crimes in furtherance or in aid of a criminal street gang and for use of firearms by felons with multiple felony convictions for violent crimes and drug offenses, (4) increase penalties for use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire or other felony crimes of violence, and (5) increase penalties for violent crimes in aid of racketeering activities. Requires the United States Sentencing Commission to review and, if appropriate, amend guidelines relating to violent gang-related crimes. Amends the Uniform Federal Crime Reporting Act of 1988 to require the Attorney General to create a separate category in the United Crime Reports to distinguish criminal offenses committed by juveniles.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

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If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

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What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Fighting Gangs and Empowering Youth Act of 2011

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Pallone, Frank, Jr. [D-NJ-6] · 0 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Pallone, Frank, Jr. [D-NJ-6] reported raising $2.8 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (2)

Appropriation: Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
Authorization: A law that creates or continues a government program and says what it may do, often with a suggested spending ceiling. An authorization alone does not provide money; a separate appropriation does.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-112hr1820.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/112/hr>

Record fed-us-cong112-hr1820 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong112 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong112