I 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 4573 

To clarify that the Dickey Amendment does not prevent the use of funds 

for research on mental health, gun violence, and how they intersect, 

and to provide for reporting on the effects of gun violence. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 6, 2017 

Ms. KELLY of Illinois (for herself, Mr. RICHMOND, Mr. CLAY, Mr. LAWSON

of Florida, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. 

DAVID SCOTT of Georgia, Mr. RUSH, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of 

Texas, Ms. WILSON of Florida, Mr. JEFFRIES, Mrs. BEATTY, Mrs. LAWRENCE, Ms. BASS, Mr. CARSON of Indiana, Ms. CLARKE of New York, 

Ms. FUDGE, Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN, Ms. ADAMS, and Mr. EVANS) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

A BILL 

To clarify that the Dickey Amendment does not prevent 

the use of funds for research on mental health, gun 

violence, and how they intersect, and to provide for reporting on the effects 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 ‘‘Gun Violence Research 

5 Act of 2017’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

2 The Congress finds as follows: 

3 (1) As of December 4, 2017, there have been 

4 56,825 incidents of gun violence in the United 

5 States in 2017. 

6 (2) As of December 4, 2017, there have been 

7 14,319 deaths related to gun violence in the United 

8 States in 2017. 

9 (3) Defining a mass shooting as an incident of 

10 violence during which four or more people are shot, 

11 not including the shooter— 

12 (A) there have been 327 mass shootings in 

13 the United States in 2017; 

14 (B) on average, there is more than one 

15 mass shooting each day in the United States; 

16 and 

17 (C) there have been more than 1,500 mass 

18 shootings in the United States since the shoot19 ing at Sandy Hook Elementary in 2012. 

20 SEC. 3. RESEARCH ON MENTAL HEALTH, GUN VIOLENCE, 

21 AND HOW THEY INTERSECT. 

22 Effective on the date of enactment of the Consoli23 dated Appropriations Act, 2016 (Public Law 114–113), 

24 section 210 (prohibiting the availability of funds to advo25 cate or promote gun control) of title II of division H of 


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1 such Act (relating to the Department of Health and 

2 Human Services) is amended to read as follows: 

3 ‘‘SEC. 210. None of the funds made available in this 

4 title may be used, in whole or in part, to advocate or pro5 mote gun control. Nothing in this section shall be con6 strued to limit funding for the conduct or support of re7 search on mental health, gun violence, and how they inter8 sect.’’. 

9 SEC. 4. REPORT ON EFFECTS OF GUN VIOLENCE ON PUB10 LIC HEALTH. 

11 Not later than one year after the date of the enact12 ment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Surgeon 

13 General of the Public Health Service shall submit to Con14 gress a report on the effects on public health, including 

15 mental health, of gun violence in the United States during 

16 the preceding year, and the status of actions taken to ad17 dress such effects. 

18 SEC. 5. REPORT ON EFFECTS OF GUN VIOLENCE ON MEN19 TAL HEALTH IN MINORITY COMMUNITIES. 

20 Not later than one year after the date of the enact21 ment of this Act, the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Mi22 nority Health in the Office of the Secretary of Health and 

23 Human Services shall submit to Congress a report on the 

24 effects of gun violence on public health, including mental 


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1 health, in minority communities in the United States, and 

2 the status of actions taken to address such effects. 

Æ 


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