SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WTVO) — Gov. JB Pritzker signed a bill Friday to establish the state’s Office of Firearm Violence Prevention in an effort to deal with a rising wave of shootings in cities across the state.

The new law will fund organizations in communities with the highest rates of violence and provide resources for violence intervention programs.

The grants will assist the organizations as they pursue reducing gun violence through youth development programs and the provision of trauma-based services.

“The Reimagine Public Safety Act advances our commitment to make an unprecedented investment in public safety, utilize data to inform where help is most needed, address both immediate needs and systematic change to reduce gun violence, and most importantly, reach even more communities that have historically been left to fend for themselves,” said Pritzker.

Pritzker declared gun violence a public health crisis in November.

The bill also allows the Illinois Department of Human Services to pursue a data-driven approach to high risk youth intervention programs, technical assistance, and training.