II 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 556 

To establish a Federal Advisory Council to Support Victims of Gun Violence. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 3, 2021 

Mr. CASEY (for himself, Mr. MARKEY, Mr. MENENDEZ, Ms. DUCKWORTH, Ms. 

KLOBUCHAR, Ms. HIRONO, Mr. WYDEN, Ms. CORTEZ MASTO, Ms. 

ROSEN, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. BROWN, Ms. WARREN, 

Mrs. SHAHEEN, Ms. SMITH, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, and Mr. BOOKER) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

A BILL 

To establish a Federal Advisory Council to Support Victims 

of Gun Violence. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Resources for Victims 

5 of Gun Violence Act of 2021’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 

8 (1) In the United States, more than 100 indi9 viduals are killed with guns every day, totaling nearVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:40 Apr 01, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S556.IS S556

pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
2 

•S 556 IS

1 ly 40,000 individuals who die from gun violence 

2 every year. 

3 (2) Additionally, more than 230 individuals sus4 tain a nonfatal gun injury every day. According to 

5 a recent national poll, an estimated 10,000,000 indi6 viduals in the United States have been shot and in7 jured in their lifetimes. 

8 (3) In that same poll, approximately 58 percent 

9 of adults in the United States reported that they, or 

10 someone they care for, have experienced a form of 

11 gun violence, including a gun suicide, a gun homi12 cide, domestic violence involving a gun, or an unin13 tentional shooting. 

14 (4) Nearly two-thirds of gun-related deaths in 

15 the United States are suicides. Most individuals who 

16 attempt suicide do not die—unless they use a gun. 

17 Approximately 90 percent of gun suicide attempts 

18 end in death, whereas 4 percent of suicide attempts 

19 not involving a firearm result in death. 

20 (5) This is particularly concerning for veterans, 

21 children, and teenagers. Veterans are 1.5 times more 

22 likely than non-veterans to die by suicide, and in 

23 2017, 69 percent of veteran suicides were by gun. 

24 Among children and teenagers, the rate of gun sui25 cide has increased 59 percent over the past 10 years. 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
3 

•S 556 IS

1 (6) An estimated 40,000,000 adults in the 

2 United States report someone they cared for had at3 tempted or died by suicide with a gun. 

4 (7) More than one-third of gun-related deaths 

5 in the United States are homicides, and in 2015, the 

6 gun homicide rate in the United States was nearly 

7 25 times higher than in other high-income countries. 

8 (8) Gun homicides in the United States occur 

9 disproportionately in cities, particularly in racially 

10 segregated neighborhoods with high rates of poverty. 

11 Gun homicide disproportionately affects communities 

12 of color, and Black Americans represent the major13 ity of gun homicide victims. 

14 (9) More than 600 mass shootings, defined as 

15 shootings in which 4 or more individuals were shot 

16 and killed or injured, took place in the United States 

17 in 2020, and more than 2,600 mass shootings have 

18 taken place since the shooting at Sandy Hook Ele19 mentary School in Newtown, Connecticut, in 2012. 

20 (10) Firearms are the leading cause of death 

21 for children and teenagers. In 2019, more than 

22 3,300 children and teenagers were shot and killed. 

23 Each year, approximately 15,600 children and teen24 agers are shot and injured. Black children and teenVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:40 Apr 01, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S556.IS S556

pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
4 

•S 556 IS

1 agers are 14 times more likely than their white peers 

2 to die by gun homicide. 

3 (11) During an average year in the United 

4 States, more than 600 women are shot to death by 

5 an intimate partner, and many more women are shot 

6 and injured by an intimate partner. Nearly 

7 1,000,000 women in the United States who are alive 

8 today have been shot or shot at by an intimate part9 ner, and approximately 4,500,000 women in the 

10 United States today have been threatened with a 

11 gun by an intimate partner. 

12 (12) More than 10,300 violent hate crimes com13 mitted in the United States in an average year in14 volve a gun, or more than 28 each day. The vast 

15 majority of hate crimes are directed against commu16 nities of color, religious minorities, and individuals 

17 in the LGBTQ+ community. 

18 (13) In 2020, communities and cities across the 

19 United States experienced an increase in gun vio20 lence and gun homicides as the country struggled 

21 with the economic and social uncertainty caused by 

22 the COVID–19 pandemic. 

23 (14) From March 2020 through November 

24 2020, an estimated 17,400,000 guns were sold, an 

25 81 percent increase over the same period in 2019. 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
5 

•S 556 IS

1 This unprecedented surge in gun sales put children, 

2 victims of domestic abuse, and communities of color 

3 at an even greater risk of gun violence. 

4 (15) The individuals who survive gun violence 

5 every year in the United States face a lifelong proc6 ess of physical and emotional healing, in addition to 

7 the heavy economic costs faced by those survivors, 

8 their families and communities, and society as a 

9 whole. Furthermore, victims of gun violence are 

10 often unaware of or have trouble accessing many 

11 available resources that could help them in their re12 covery. 

13 (16) Victims of gun violence experience per14 sistent mental health problems, including post-trau15 matic stress, depression, self-harm, anxiety, and sub16 stance abuse. The National Center for PTSD (Post17 Traumatic Stress Disorder) of the Department of 

18 Veterans Affairs estimates that 28 percent of indi19 viduals who witness a mass shooting develop PTSD, 

20 and about one-third of those individuals develop 

21 acute stress disorder. Victims of gun violence suffer 

22 from increased rates of unemployment, and young 

23 victims of gun violence are more likely to have lower 

24 grades and more absences from school. 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
6 

•S 556 IS

1 (17) Young people who survive gun-related inci2 dents are also at risk of experiencing gun violence 

3 again in the future. One study estimated that nearly 

4 one-fourth of the individuals who survive a gun 

5 shooting at age 24 or younger will be shot again 

6 within the next 10 years. 

7 (18) Given the immense physical and emotional 

8 toll of gun violence on victims, Congress must do 

9 more to ensure that victims of gun violence have ac10 cess to the resources they need to recover from their 

11 trauma—especially for victims experiencing common, 

12 everyday gun violence in racially segregated neigh13 borhoods with high rates of poverty and chronic dis14 investment. 

15 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

16 In this Act: 

17 (1) ADVISORY COUNCIL.—The term ‘‘Advisory 

18 Council’’ means the Advisory Council to Support 

19 Victims of Gun Violence established under section 4. 

20 (2) APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES.—The term 

21 ‘‘appropriate committees’’ means the following: 

22 (A) The Committee on Health, Education, 

23 Labor, and Pensions of the Senate. 

24 (B) The Committee on the Judiciary of the 

25 Senate. 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
7 

•S 556 IS

1 (C) The Committee on Education and 

2 Labor of the House of Representatives. 

3 (D) The Committee on Energy and Com4 merce of the House of Representatives. 

5 (E) The Committee on the Judiciary of the 

6 House of Representatives. 

7 (F) Any other relevant committee of the 

8 Senate or of the House of Representatives with 

9 jurisdiction over matters affecting victims of 

10 gun violence. 

11 (3) GUN VIOLENCE.—The term ‘‘gun violence’’ 

12 means— 

13 (A) suicide involving firearms; 

14 (B) homicide involving firearms; 

15 (C) domestic violence involving firearms; 

16 (D) hate crimes involving firearms; 

17 (E) youth violence involving firearms; 

18 (F) mass shootings; 

19 (G) unintentional shootings; 

20 (H) non-fatal shootings; and 

21 (I) threats or exposure to violent acts in22 volving firearms. 

23 (4) VICTIM ASSISTANCE PROFESSIONAL.—The 

24 term ‘‘victim assistance professional’’ means a proVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:40 Apr 01, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S556.IS S556

pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
8 

•S 556 IS

1 fessional who assists victims of gun violence, includ2 ing— 

3 (A) a medical professional, including an 

4 emergency medical professional; 

5 (B) a social worker; 

6 (C) a provider of long-term services or 

7 care; and 

8 (D) a victim advocate. 

9 (5) VICTIM OF GUN VIOLENCE.—The term ‘‘vic10 tim of gun violence’’ means— 

11 (A) an individual who has been wounded 

12 as a result of gun violence; 

13 (B) an individual who has been threatened 

14 with an act of gun violence; 

15 (C) an individual who has witnessed an act 

16 of gun violence; and 

17 (D) a relative, classmate, coworker, or 

18 other associate of— 

19 (i) an individual who has been killed 

20 as a result of gun violence; or 

21 (ii) an individual described in sub22 paragraph (A) or (B). 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
9 

•S 556 IS

1 SEC. 4. ADVISORY COUNCIL TO SUPPORT VICTIMS OF GUN 

2 VIOLENCE. 

3 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established an Advi4 sory Council to Support Victims of Gun Violence. 

5 (b) MEMBERSHIP.— 

6 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Advisory Council shall 

7 be composed of the following members or their des8 ignees: 

9 (A) The Secretary of Health and Human 

10 Services. 

11 (B) The Attorney General. 

12 (C) The Secretary of Education. 

13 (D) The Secretary of Housing and Urban 

14 Development. 

15 (E) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs. 

16 (F) The Commissioner of the Social Secu17 rity Administration. 

18 (G) The Assistant Secretary for Mental 

19 Health and Substance Use. 

20 (H) The Director of the Centers for Dis21 ease Control and Prevention. 

22 (I) The Director of the National Institutes 

23 of Health. 

24 (J) The Administrator of the Administra25 tion for Community Living. 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
10 

•S 556 IS

1 (K) The Director of the Office on Violence 

2 Against Women. 

3 (L) The Director of the Office for Victims 

4 of Crime. 

5 (M) The chairman of the Board of the 

6 Legal Services Corporation. 

7 (N) As appropriate, the head of any other 

8 Federal department or agency identified by the 

9 Secretary of Health and Human Services as 

10 having responsibilities, or administering pro11 grams, relating to issues affecting victims of 

12 gun violence. 

13 (2) ADDITIONAL MEMBERS.—In addition to the 

14 members described in paragraph (1), the Advisory 

15 Council shall be composed of the following: 

16 (A) Not fewer than 2 and not more than 

17 5 victims of gun violence, who shall be ap18 pointed by the Secretary of Health and Human 

19 Services. 

20 (B) Not fewer than 2 and not more than 

21 5 victim assistance professionals, who shall be 

22 appointed by the Secretary of Health and 

23 Human Services. 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
11 

•S 556 IS

1 (3) LEAD AGENCY.—The Department of Health 

2 and Human Services shall be the lead agency for the 

3 Advisory Council. 

4 (c) DUTIES.— 

5 (1) ASSESSMENT.—The Advisory Council 

6 shall— 

7 (A) survey victims of gun violence and vic8 tim assistance professionals about their needs 

9 in order to inform the content of information 

10 disseminated under paragraph (2) and the re11 port published under paragraph (3); 

12 (B) conduct a literature review and assess 

13 past or ongoing programs designed to assist vic14 tims of gun violence or individuals with similar 

15 needs to determine— 

16 (i) the effectiveness of the programs; 

17 and 

18 (ii) best and promising practices for 

19 assisting victims of gun violence; and 

20 (C) assess the administration of compensa21 tion funds established after mass shootings to 

22 determine best and promising practices to di23 rect victims of gun violence to sources of fund24 ing. 

25 (2) INFORMATION.— 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
12 

•S 556 IS

1 (A) IN GENERAL.—The Advisory Council 

2 shall identify, promote, coordinate, and dissemi3 nate to the public information, resources, and 

4 best and promising practices available to help 

5 victims of gun violence— 

6 (i) meet their medical, financial, edu7 cational, workplace, housing, transpor8 tation, assistive technology, and accessi9 bility needs; 

10 (ii) maintain their mental health and 

11 emotional well-being; 

12 (iii) seek legal redress for their inju13 ries and protection against any ongoing 

14 threats to their safety; and 

15 (iv) access government programs, 

16 services, and benefits for which they may 

17 be eligible or to which they may be enti18 tled. 

19 (B) CONTACT INFORMATION.—The Advi20 sory Council shall include in the information 

21 disseminated under subparagraph (A) the 

22 websites and telephone contact information for 

23 helplines of relevant Federal agencies, State 

24 agencies, and nonprofit organizations. 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
13 

•S 556 IS

1 (C) AVAILABILITY.—The Advisory Council 

2 shall make the information described in sub3 paragraphs (A) and (B) available— 

4 (i) online through a public website; 

5 and 

6 (ii) by submitting a hard copy and 

7 making available additional hard copies 

8 to— 

9 (I) each Member of Congress; 

10 (II) each field office of the Social 

11 Security Administration; 

12 (III) each State agency that is 

13 responsible for administering health 

14 and human services, for dissemination 

15 to medical facilities; 

16 (IV) each State agency that is re17 sponsible for administering education 

18 programs, for dissemination to 

19 schools; and 

20 (V) the office of each State attor21 ney general, for dissemination to local 

22 prosecutor’s offices. 

23 (3) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after 

24 the date of enactment of this Act, the Advisory 

25 Council shall— 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
14 

•S 556 IS

1 (A) prepare a report that— 

2 (i) includes the best and promising 

3 practices, resources, and other useful infor4 mation for victims of gun violence identi5 fied under paragraph (2); 

6 (ii) identifies any gaps in items de7 scribed in clause (i); and 

8 (iii) if applicable, identifies any addi9 tional Federal or State legislative authority 

10 necessary to implement the activities de11 scribed in clause (i) or address the gaps 

12 described in clause (ii); 

13 (B) submit the report prepared under sub14 paragraph (A) to— 

15 (i) the appropriate committees; 

16 (ii) each State agency that is respon17 sible for administering health and human 

18 services; 

19 (iii) each State agency that is respon20 sible for administering education pro21 grams; and 

22 (iv) the office of each State attorney 

23 general; and 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
15 

•S 556 IS

1 (C) make the report prepared under sub2 paragraph (A) available to the public online in 

3 an accessible format. 

4 (4) FOLLOW-UP REPORT.—Not later than 2 

5 years after the date on which the Advisory Council 

6 prepares the report under paragraph (3), the Advi7 sory Council shall— 

8 (A) submit to the entities described in sub9 paragraph (B) of that paragraph a follow-up re10 port that includes the information identified in 

11 subparagraph (A) of that paragraph; and 

12 (B) make the follow-up report described in 

13 subparagraph (A) available to the public online 

14 in an accessible format. 

15 (5) PUBLIC INPUT.— 

16 (A) IN GENERAL.—The Advisory Council 

17 shall establish a process to collect public input 

18 to inform the development of, and provide up19 dates to, the best and promising practices, re20 sources, and other information described in 

21 paragraph (2), including by conducting out22 reach to entities and individuals described in 

23 subparagraph (B) of this paragraph that— 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
16 

•S 556 IS

1 (i) have a range of experience with the 

2 types of gun violence described in section 

3 3(3); and 

4 (ii) include representation from com5 munities disproportionately affected by gun 

6 violence. 

7 (B) ENTITIES AND INDIVIDUALS.—The en8 tities and individuals described in this subpara9 graph are— 

10 (i) States, local governments, and or11 ganizations that provide information to, or 

12 support for, victims of gun violence; 

13 (ii) victims of gun violence; and 

14 (iii) victim assistance professionals. 

15 (C) NATURE OF OUTREACH.—In con16 ducting outreach under subparagraph (A), the 

17 Advisory Council shall ask for input on— 

18 (i) information, resources, and best 

19 and promising practices available, includ20 ing identification of any gaps and unmet 

21 needs; 

22 (ii) recommendations that would help 

23 victims of gun violence— 

24 (I) better meet their medical, fi25 nancial, educational, workplace, housVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:40 Apr 01, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00016 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S556.IS S556

pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
17 

•S 556 IS

1 ing, transportation, assistive tech2 nology, and accessibility needs; 

3 (II) maintain their mental health 

4 and emotional well-being; 

5 (III) seek legal redress for their 

6 injuries and protection against any 

7 ongoing threats to their safety; and 

8 (IV) access government pro9 grams, services, and benefits for 

10 which the victims may be eligible or to 

11 which the victims may be entitled; and 

12 (iii) any other subject areas discovered 

13 during the process that would help victims 

14 of gun violence. 

15 (d) FACA.—The Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 

16 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the Advisory Council. 

17 (e) FUNDING.—No additional funds are authorized to 

18 be appropriated to carry out this Act. 

19 (f) SUNSET.—The Advisory Council shall terminate 

20 on the date that is 5 years after the date of establishment 

21 of the Advisory Council. 

Æ 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS