Department of Peacebuilding Act of 2025
Sponsored By: Representative Omar, Ilhan [D-MN-5]
Introduced
Summary
This bill would create a Cabinet-level Department of Peacebuilding to make nonviolent conflict prevention, peace education, and community-based violence reduction a coordinated national priority. It would set up offices, research units, and grant programs to apply peacebuilding across schools, communities, technology, and foreign policy.
Show full summary
- Families and schools: Would develop and share a K–12 peace curriculum, fund peace studies and teacher training, offer Community Peace Block Grants, and establish a 4-year Peace Academy whose graduates would be required to serve 5 years in peace-focused public service.
- Communities and public safety: Would support local violence-prevention programs, counseling for victims, restorative justice, anti-bullying and substance-abuse interventions, and broad training with citizen oversight to change policing and reduce the school-to-prison pipeline.
- International policy and operations: Would create offices for international peacebuilding, arms control, and technology for peace, authorize budgets for unarmed civilian peacekeepers, and require consultation with Defense and State on actions that could increase violence. It would also require that at least 85 percent of appropriated funds be used for domestic peace programs.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
6 provisions identified: 5 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
Counseling and advocacy for violence victims
If enacted, the bill would require the Department to provide counseling and advocacy for people victimized by violence, including people with mental health challenges. The Department could administer or fund counseling, advocacy, and related services to help victims access support.
New Department of Peacebuilding
If enacted, the bill would create a new Department of Peacebuilding and a Cabinet Secretary appointed by the President with Senate confirmation. The Secretary would have a seat in the National Security Council statute. The Secretary could hire staff and set pay under normal federal civil service rules (Title 5). The Department would be covered by the Inspector General Act, adding official oversight.
Grants for school and community peace education
If enacted, the bill would create grant programs for peace education and local violence-prevention work. Grants would fund Community Peace Block Grants, school peace curricula, teacher training, and peace studies programs at colleges. The Department would support virtual at-home prevention programs and video-conference counseling and peer mediation for schools.
Peace Academy and service requirement
If enacted, the bill would create a Peace Academy modeled after military service academies with a four-year curriculum in peace education. Students would receive that education and a clear pathway into public service. Graduates would be required to serve five years in public service in domestic or international nonviolent conflict-resolution programs.
Funding for domestic peace programs
If enacted, the bill would authorize whatever sums are necessary to run the Department. It would require at least 85% of amounts appropriated under the Act to be used for domestic peace programs, including related administrative costs. The Secretary would also establish a dedicated budget for training and deploying unarmed civilian peacekeepers for multinational nonviolent missions.
Interagency committee and consultation
If enacted, the bill would require the Secretary of Peacebuilding to consult with the Secretaries of State and Defense and the National Security Council before actions that could lead to violence. The rule would also cover use of Department of Defense personnel or equipment inside the United States. The bill would create a Federal Interagency Committee on Peace to help coordinate federal peace and violence-prevention policy.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Omar, Ilhan [D-MN-5]
MN • D
Cosponsors
Bonamici
OR • D
Sponsored 2/7/2025
Carson
IN • D
Sponsored 2/7/2025
Rep. García, Jesús G. "Chuy" [D-IL-4]
IL • D
Sponsored 2/7/2025
Grijalva
AZ • D
Sponsored 2/7/2025
Jackson (IL)
IL • D
Sponsored 2/7/2025
Johnson (GA)
GA • D
Sponsored 2/7/2025
Rep. Kelly, Robin L. [D-IL-2]
IL • D
Sponsored 2/7/2025
McGovern
MA • D
Sponsored 2/7/2025
Rep. Moore, Gwen [D-WI-4]
WI • D
Sponsored 2/7/2025
Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large]
DC • D
Sponsored 2/7/2025
Rep. Ramirez, Delia C. [D-IL-3]
IL • D
Sponsored 2/7/2025
Schakowsky
IL • D
Sponsored 2/7/2025
Rep. Tlaib, Rashida [D-MI-12]
MI • D
Sponsored 2/7/2025
Rep. Velázquez, Nydia M. [D-NY-7]
NY • D
Sponsored 2/7/2025
Rep. McIver, LaMonica [D-NJ-10]
NJ • D
Sponsored 2/7/2025
Rep. Watson Coleman, Bonnie [D-NJ-12]
NJ • D
Sponsored 2/7/2025
Swalwell
CA • D
Sponsored 2/7/2025
Turner (TX)
TX • D
Sponsored 2/7/2025
Ocasio-Cortez
NY • D
Sponsored 2/11/2025
Stansbury
NM • D
Sponsored 2/12/2025
Rep. Clarke, Yvette D. [D-NY-9]
NY • D
Sponsored 2/24/2025
Rep. Quigley, Mike [D-IL-5]
IL • D
Sponsored 2/25/2025
Davis (IL)
IL • D
Sponsored 2/26/2025
Rep. Nadler, Jerrold [D-NY-12]
NY • D
Sponsored 3/3/2025
Rep. Vargas, Juan [D-CA-52]
CA • D
Sponsored 3/3/2025
Rep. Jayapal, Pramila [D-WA-7]
WA • D
Sponsored 3/10/2025
Pingree
ME • D
Sponsored 3/11/2025
Rep. Jacobs, Sara [D-CA-51]
CA • D
Sponsored 3/11/2025
Rep. DeSaulnier, Mark [D-CA-10]
CA • D
Sponsored 3/21/2025
Cohen
TN • D
Sponsored 4/17/2025
Rep. Carter, Troy A. [D-LA-2]
LA • D
Sponsored 4/17/2025
Thompson (MS)
MS • D
Sponsored 5/14/2025
Rep. Pressley, Ayanna [D-MA-7]
MA • D
Sponsored 5/15/2025
Rep. Chu, Judy [D-CA-28]
CA • D
Sponsored 5/19/2025
Rep. Lieu, Ted [D-CA-36]
CA • D
Sponsored 5/29/2025
Rep. Lee, Summer L. [D-PA-12]
PA • D
Sponsored 5/29/2025
Rep. Waters, Maxine [D-CA-43]
CA • D
Sponsored 6/9/2025
Simon
CA • D
Sponsored 10/14/2025
Rep. Goldman, Daniel S. [D-NY-10]
NY • D
Sponsored 10/28/2025
Rep. Thanedar, Shri [D-MI-13]
MI • D
Sponsored 2/9/2026
Adams
NC • D
Sponsored 2/24/2026
Escobar
TX • D
Sponsored 3/17/2026
Rep. Frost, Maxwell [D-FL-10]
FL • D
Sponsored 3/18/2026
Rep. Dexter, Maxine [D-OR-3]
OR • D
Sponsored 4/9/2026
Rep. Leger Fernandez, Teresa [D-NM-3]
NM • D
Sponsored 4/16/2026
Grijalva
AZ • D
Sponsored 4/27/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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