Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program (Byrne SCIP/BSCI)
Description
Authorized by the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA) of 2022 (Pub. L. No. 117-159, 136 Stat. 1313, 1339 - PDF), the Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program (Byrne SCIP) provides states with funding to implement firearm violence reduction strategies at the intersections of behavioral health and domestic violence including but not limited to state crisis intervention court proceedings and extreme risk protection orders (ERPO).
History
As the first federal firearm legislation passed since 1994, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA) amends the Byrne Justice Assistance Grant (BJAG) Program, rooted in the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, for the allocation of Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program (Byrne SCIP). Byrne SCIP is a formula-based funding program administered in Maryland by Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and Policy, the State Administering Agency.
Byrne SCIP is designated funding that focuses on addressing gun violence and improving responses to behavioral health crises. In signing BSCA into law, President Biden noted that this historic act “invests in anti-violence programs that work — that work directly with the people who are most likely to commit these crimes or become victims of gun crimes.”
Mission and Goals of the Funding
Per the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), Byrne SCIP provides funds to implement state crisis intervention court proceedings and related programs or initiatives, including but not limited to extreme risk protection order (ERPO) programs that work to temporarily remove guns from the hands of those who pose a threat to themselves or others, mental health courts, drug courts, and veteran treatment courts. In addition to ERPO programs, funds may be used for:
- Training for those implementing ERPO programs;
- Communication, education, and public awareness initiatives;
- Specialized court-based programs such as drug, mental health, and veterans treatment courts, including those that specifically accept clients with firearms violations;
- Behavioral health deflection for those at risk to themselves or others; and
- Funding for law enforcement agencies to safely secure, store, track, and return relinquished guns.
Resources
Internal Resources
External Resources
- BJA Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program Overview
- BJA Byrne SCIP Performance Measures Questionnaire - PDF
- BJA Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program Frequently Asked Questions - PDF
- National ERPO Resource Center - Maryland
- Bureau of Justice Assistance: Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program
- Office of Justice Programs: Financial Management and Support Center
Categories Funded
- Contractual Services
- Equipment
- Operating Expenses
- Personnel
- Travel
- Other
Eligible Applicants
- Local Government Agencies
- Nonprofit Organizations
- State Government Agencies
Documents
Notices of Funding Availability (NOFA)
Dates
Projected NOFA Release Month
June
Projected Application Month
July