Congress·In Committee·H.R. 1111

Rep. Omar Introduces Bill to Create a Department of Peacebuilding to Tackle Violence and Promote Nonviolence

Department of Peacebuilding Act of 2025

about 1 year ago·View on Congress.gov

Legislative Progress

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Key Points

This bill would create an entirely new cabinet-level Department of Peacebuilding, led by a Senate-confirmed Secretary who would sit on the National Security Council. The department's mission is to make peace a strategic national priority and reduce violence both at home and abroad through nonviolent conflict resolution.
From policy text
“There is hereby established a Department of Peacebuilding, which shall-- (1) be within the executive branch of the Federal Government; and (2) be dedicated to peacebuilding, peacemaking, and the study and promotion of conditions conducive to both domestic and international peace and a culture of peace.”
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At least 85% of the department's funding must go to domestic programs, including grants for community violence prevention, school-based conflict resolution, restorative justice initiatives, anti-bullying programs, and support for people re-entering society after incarceration.
From policy text
“Of the amounts appropriated pursuant to subsection (a), at least 85 percent shall be used for domestic peace programs, including administrative costs associated with such programs.”
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A Peace Academy modeled after military service academies like West Point would provide a four-year education in peace studies. Graduates would then be required to serve five years in public service focused on nonviolent conflict resolution, either domestically or internationally.
From policy text
“establish a Peace Academy that shall-- (A) be modeled after the military service academies; and (B) provide a 4-year course of instruction in peace education, after which graduates will be required to serve 5 years in public service in programs dedicated to domestic or international nonviolent conflict resolution”
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The department would include an Office of Arms Control and Disarmament focused on reducing nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction worldwide, including strategies to prevent testing or use of nuclear weapons and cleanup of nuclear waste at contaminated sites.
From policy text
“develop nonviolent strategies to prevent and deter testing or use of offensive or defensive nuclear weapons, weaponized drones, assault weapons, and other weapons of mass destruction, whether based on land, underground, air, sea, or in space”
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The bill creates multiple grant programs for schools, nonprofits, and community organizations to develop peace curricula, cultural exchange programs, violence prevention initiatives, and new technologies that promote peace and sustainability.
From policy text
“provide peace education grants to pre-kindergarten schools, elementary schools, secondary schools, and institutions of higher education for the creation and expansion of peace studies departments and the education and training of teachers in peace studies, violence prevention, peacebuilding, community building, and nonviolent conflict resolution skills”
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Criminal JusticeEducationNational Security Foreign PolicyCivil Rights

Impact Analysis

Personal Impact

Who is affectedScoreImpactCertaintyScopeDurationSentiment

Scores: 1 = low, 5 = highSentiment: -5 to +5 (net benefit)

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions

Feb 7, 2025House

Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

Feb 7, 2025

Introduced in House

Related News

2 articles

CapRadio·12 months ago

Trump is taking a hammer to traditional pillars of soft power

As the administration moves to dismantle the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP), advocates recall the decades-long push for a national Peace Academy. The current policy shift away from soft power contrasts with legislative efforts to establish a cabinet-level Department of Peacebuilding.

Nasdaq·about 1 year ago

Rep. Ilhan Omar Reintroduces the Department of Peacebuilding Act

Congresswoman Ilhan Omar reintroduced legislation to establish a cabinet-level Department of Peacebuilding. The bill focuses on domestic violence, gang intervention, and restorative justice, while creating a U.S. Peace Academy to train public servants in nonviolent conflict resolution.