I 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3926 
To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for better understanding 
of the epidemic of gun violence, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 4, 2015 
Mr. HONDA (for himself, Ms. NORTON, Mr. RYAN of Ohio, Mr. HASTINGS, 
Mr. BLUMENAUER, Ms. MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM of New Mexico, Mr. 
VAN HOLLEN, Mr. MURPHY of Florida, Mr. GALLEGO, Mr. RANGEL, Mr. 
MCGOVERN, Ms. BROWNLEY of California, Mrs. LAWRENCE, Mr. GRI-
JALVA, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Mr. RICHMOND, Mr. CA´RDENAS, Ms. EDWARDS, 
Ms. MOORE, Mrs. WATSON
COLEMAN, Ms. JACKSON
LEE, Ms. 
VELA´ZQUEZ, Ms. ESTY, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Mr. FARR, Ms. CASTOR of 
Florida, Mr. LIPINSKI, Mr. RUSH, Mr. SIRES, Mr. NORCROSS, Mr. 
MEEKS, Ms. PINGREE, Mr. COHEN, Mr. CONNOLLY, Ms. ADAMS, Mr. 
RUPPERSBERGER, and Mr. MOULTON) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for 
better understanding of the epidemic of gun violence, 
and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Gun Violence Research 
Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. REAFFIRMING RESEARCH AUTHORITY OF THE CEN-
TERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVEN-
TION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 391 of the Public Health 
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 280b) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)(1), by striking ‘‘research 
relating to the causes, mechanisms, prevention, diag-
nosis, treatment of injuries, and rehabilitation from 
injuries;’’ and inserting ‘‘research, including data 
collection, relating to— 
‘‘(A) the causes, mechanisms, prevention, 
diagnosis, and treatment of injuries, including 
with respect to gun violence; and 
‘‘(B) rehabilitation from such injuries;’’; 
and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new sub-
section: 
‘‘(c) NO ADVOCACY OR PROMOTION OF GUN CON-
TROL.—Nothing in this section shall be construed to— 
‘‘(1) authorize the Secretary to give assistance, 
make grants, or enter into cooperative agreements or 
contracts for the purpose of advocating or promoting 
gun control; or 
‘‘(2) permit a recipient of any assistance, grant, 
cooperative agreement, or contract under this section 
to use such assistance, grant, agreement, or contract 
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for the purpose of advocating or promoting gun con-
trol.’’. 
(b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Section 
394A of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 280b– 
3) is amended by striking ‘‘authorized to be appropriated’’ 
and all that follows through the end and inserting the fol-
lowing: ‘‘authorized to be appropriated such sums as may 
be necessary for fiscal years 2016 through 2020.’’. 
SEC. 3. NATIONAL VIOLENT DEATH REPORTING SYSTEM. 
The Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting 
through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control 
and Prevention, shall improve, particularly through the in-
clusion of additional States, the National Violent Death 
Reporting System, as authorized by title III of the Public 
Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 241 et seq.). Participation 
in the system by the States shall be voluntary. 
SEC. 4. PROTECTING CONFIDENTIAL DOCTOR-PATIENT RE-
LATIONSHIP. 
Section 2717(c) of the Public Health Service Act (42 
U.S.C. 300gg–17(c)) is amended by adding at the end the 
following new paragraph: 
‘‘(6) 
RULE
OF
CONSTRUCTION.—Notwith-
standing the previous provisions of this subsection, 
none of the authorities provided to the Secretary 
under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care 
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Act, an amendment made by that Act, or this sub-
section shall be construed to prohibit a physician or 
other health care provider from— 
‘‘(A) asking a patient about the ownership, 
possession, use, or storage of a firearm or am-
munition in the home of such patient; 
‘‘(B) speaking to a patient about gun safe-
ty; or 
‘‘(C) reporting to the authorities a pa-
tient’s threat of violence.’’. 
Æ 
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