SERVE Our Communities Act

The SERVE Our Communities Act (HR 198) creates a federal grant program providing $10 million annually from 2026-2031 to states and local governments that meet specific crime prevention criteria. To qualify, jurisdictions must require courts to consider public safety risks when setting bail or pretrial release (Section 2(b)(1)) and must have implemented one of three actions in the prior year: enacted bail reform, increased law enforcement staffing, or run public safety education programs (Section 2(b)(2)). Grant funds can only be used for evidence-based reentry and violence prevention programs under the Second Chance Act (Section 2(c)). The bill directly affects state and local governments by tying federal funding to specific bail reform and community safety measures, aiming to reduce repeat violent offenses through systemic changes.