Community Partnership Act of 2015

Community Partnership Act of 2015

This bill amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) an Office for Community Partnerships, headed by an Assistant Secretary for Community Partnerships.

The Assistant Secretary shall be responsible for:

• leading strategic and supportive efforts by DHS components and offices to counter violent extremism;
• developing a digital engagement strategy that expands the outreach efforts of DHS to counter violent extremist messaging;
• serving as the primary DHS representative in coordinating countering violent extremism efforts with other federal agencies and nongovernmental organizations and in coordinating with the Department of State on international countering violent extremism issues;
• providing guidance, in coordination with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), regarding the use of grants made to state, local, and tribal governments under the Urban Area Security Initiative and the State Homeland Security Grant Program under the allowable uses guidelines related to countering violent extremism;
• developing a plan to expand philanthropic support for domestic efforts related to countering violent extremism; and
• administering grants to counter extremism, as authorized below.

DHS may award grants or cooperative agreements directly, based on need, to states, local governments, tribal governments, nonprofit organizations, or institutions of higher education to support the efforts of local communities in the United States to prevent and counter violent extremism.