I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 435 
To provide for a coordinated national research program to examine the 
nature, causes, consequences, and prevention of violence and unintended 
injury and death relating to gun ownership, use, and trafficking, and 
for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 10, 2019 
Ms. JOHNSON of Texas introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on 
Science, Space, and Technology, and Energy and Commerce, for a period 
to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consider-
ation of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
concerned 
A BILL 
To provide for a coordinated national research program to 
examine the nature, causes, consequences, and prevention 
of violence and unintended injury and death relating 
to gun ownership, use, and trafficking, 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 ‘‘National Gun Violence 
Research Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress makes the following findings: 
(1) In the last 50 years, more individuals in the 
United States have died from gunshots than in all 
wars in which the United States was a combatant, 
combined. 
(2) The rate of gun violence deaths in the 
United States is more than double that of other 
high-income nations. 
(3) Guns accounted for 74 percent of homicides 
and 51 percent of suicides in 2016, totaling over 
37,000 deaths in the United States. 
(4) Gun violence disproportionately affects ra-
cial minorities, with African Americans comprising 
nearly 60 percent of homicide victims and 22 per-
cent of unintentional injury deaths in 2016. 
(5) Provisions in appropriations Acts dating 
back to 1996 have had a chilling effect on Federal 
funding for research on gun violence across the Fed-
eral Government and, as a result, research on gun 
violence is significantly underfunded relative to other 
leading causes of death. 
(6) Research examining the nature, causes, con-
sequences, and prevention of gun-related violence, 
suicide, and unintentional injury and death does not 
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constitute advocacy in support of, or opposition to, 
gun control policies or regulations. 
(7) More research and high-quality data relat-
ing to gun violence are needed to inform the develop-
ment of effective strategies to reduce the incidence 
of gun-related injury and death. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) DIRECTOR.—The term ‘‘Director’’ means 
the Director of the Office of Science and Technology 
Policy. 
(2) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The 
term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has the 
meaning given such term in section 101 of the High-
er Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001). 
(3) PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘Program’’ means 
the National Gun Violence Research Program estab-
lished under section 5. 
SEC. 4. RESEARCH AND DATA RESTRICTIONS REPEAL. 
(a) GUN TRACE DATA.— 
(1) The matter under the heading ‘‘Bureau of 
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives—Sala-
ries and Expenses’’ in title I of division B of the 
Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropria-
tions Act, 2012 (18 U.S.C. 923 note; Public Law 
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112–55; 125 Stat. 609–610) is amended by striking 
the 6th proviso. 
(2) The 6th proviso under the heading ‘‘Bureau 
of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives—Sala-
ries and Expenses’’ in title II of division B of the 
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2010 (18 U.S.C. 
923 note; Public Law 111–117; 123 Stat. 3128– 
3129) is amended by striking ‘‘beginning in fiscal 
year 2010 and thereafter’’ and inserting ‘‘in fiscal 
year 2010’’. 
(3) The 6th proviso under the heading ‘‘Bureau 
of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives—Sala-
ries and Expenses’’ in title II of division B of the 
Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009 (18 U.S.C. 923 
note; Public Law 111–8; 123 Stat. 574–576) is 
amended by striking ‘‘beginning in fiscal year 2009 
and thereafter’’ and inserting ‘‘in fiscal year 2009’’. 
(4) The 6th proviso under the heading ‘‘Bureau 
of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives—Sala-
ries and Expenses’’ in title II of division B of the 
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008 (18 U.S.C. 
923 note; Public Law 110–161; 121 Stat. 1903– 
1904) is amended by striking ‘‘beginning in fiscal 
year 2008 and thereafter’’ and inserting ‘‘in fiscal 
year 2008’’. 
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(5) The 6th proviso under the heading ‘‘Bureau 
of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives—Sala-
ries and Expenses’’ in title I of the Science, State, 
Justice, Commerce, and Related Agencies Appro-
priations Act, 2006 (18 U.S.C. 923 note; Public 
Law 109–108; 119 Stat. 2295–2296) is amended by 
striking ‘‘with respect to any fiscal year’’. 
(6) The 6th proviso under the heading in title 
I of division B of the Consolidated Appropriations 
Act, 2005 (18 U.S.C. 923 note; Public Law 108– 
447; 118 Stat. 2859–2860) is amended by striking 
‘‘with respect to any fiscal year’’. 
(b) DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERV-
ICES.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law, funds 
made available to the Department of Health and Human 
Services, including the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention and the National Institutes of Health, may be 
used to conduct research with respect to gun violence. 
SEC. 5. RESEARCH PROGRAM. 
(a) 
ESTABLISHMENT.—The 
President, 
acting 
through the Director, shall develop and implement a pro-
gram to improve public health and safety through research 
on gun violence (to be known as the ‘‘National Gun Vio-
lence Research Program’’), through activities carried out 
in collaboration with covered agencies that— 
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(1) support gun violence research; 
(2) accelerate the translation of gun violence re-
search into effective policy interventions to reduce 
the incidence of injury and death related to guns; 
(3) expand the number of researchers and stu-
dents in the field of gun violence research; and 
(4) improve interagency planning and coordina-
tion of Federal Government activities relating to gun 
violence research. 
(b) PROGRAM ACTIVITIES.—A covered agency, in car-
rying out activities described in subsection (a), shall— 
(1) award grants to individual investigators and 
interdisciplinary teams of investigators for projects 
related to gun violence research; 
(2) support projects funded under joint solicita-
tions by a collaboration of no fewer than two covered 
agencies; 
(3) establish interdisciplinary research centers 
that are organized to investigate basic research 
questions and inform policy decisions relating to gun 
violence; 
(4) provide for the education and training of 
undergraduate students, graduate students, and 
postdoctoral scholars in gun violence research; and 
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(5) promote the development of voluntary con-
sensus gun safety technical standards. 
(c) INTERAGENCY WORKING GROUP.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the President, 
acting through the National Science and Technology 
Council, shall establish an interagency working 
group on gun violence research. 
(2) COMPOSITION.—The working group estab-
lished under this subsection shall be chaired by the 
Director and include representatives from— 
(A) the National Science Foundation; 
(B) the National Institute of Standards 
and Technology; 
(C) the National Institutes of Health; 
(D) the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention; 
(E) the National Institute of Justice; and 
(F) any other Federal agency (including 
an agency, department, or service thereof) that 
the Director considers appropriate. 
(3) DUTIES.—The Working Group shall— 
(A) oversee the planning, management, 
and coordination of the Program; 
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(B) provide for coordination among cov-
ered agencies of Federal gun violence research 
and other activities undertaken pursuant to the 
Program; 
(C) establish and periodically update goals 
and priorities for the Program; 
(D) develop, not later than 12 months 
after the date of enactment of this Act, and up-
date every 5 years, a strategic plan to guide the 
activities of the Program to meet the goals and 
priorities established under subparagraph (C). 
(d) ADVISORY COMMITTEE.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
President, acting through the Director of the Office 
of Science and Technology Policy, shall establish an 
advisory committee on gun violence research. 
(2) COMPOSITION.—The advisory committee es-
tablished under paragraph (1) shall be composed of 
not less than 12 members, including representatives 
of research institutions, institutions of higher edu-
cation, industry, law enforcement, and relevant non-
profit organizations who are qualified to provide ad-
vice on the Program. 
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(3) DUTIES.—The advisory committee estab-
lished under subsection (a) shall assess— 
(A) the management, coordination, imple-
mentation, and activities of the Program; 
(B) the balance of activities and funding 
across the Program; 
(C) whether the Program priorities and 
goals developed by the working group estab-
lished under subsection (c)(3) are helping to 
improve public health and safety; and 
(D) the need to revise the Program. 
(e) COVERED AGENCY DEFINED.—In this section, 
the term ‘‘covered agency’’ means— 
(1) the National Science Foundation; 
(2) the National Institute for Standards and 
Technology; 
(3) the Centers for Disease Control and Preven-
tion; 
(4) the National Institutes of Health; 
(5) the National Institute of Justice; and 
(6) such other Federal agency as determined 
appropriate by the Director of the Office of Science 
and Technology Policy. 
(f) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to the Director to carry 
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out this section $200,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 
through 2024. 
SEC. 6. AGENCY ACTIVITIES. 
(a) NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION.— 
(1) RESEARCH.—The Director of the National 
Science Foundation shall award grants, on a com-
petitive basis, to institutions of higher education or 
nonprofit organizations (or consortia of such institu-
tions or organizations)— 
(A) to support multidisciplinary research 
to better understand the nature, causes, and 
consequences of violence, including violence, sui-
cide, unintended injury, and death involving 
guns; 
(B) to examine the effects of gun policy 
interventions on— 
(i) rates of suicide, homicide, and un-
intended injury and death; 
(ii) individuals’ ability to use guns for 
self-defense, hunting, and recreation; and 
(iii) the gun industry; and 
(C) to educate and train researchers in the 
field of violence, including gun violence, re-
search. 
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(2) NATIONAL
CENTER
FOR
VIOLENCE
RE-
SEARCH.—The Director of the National Science 
Foundation shall award grants on a competitive 
basis to institutions of higher education or nonprofit 
organizations (or consortia of such institutions or or-
ganizations) to establish one or more centers to con-
duct multidisciplinary research and education activi-
ties in support of the goals and priorities of the Pro-
gram (to be known as ‘‘National Center for Violence 
Research’’). 
(3) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.— 
There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out 
this subsection $15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 
2019 through 2024. 
(b) NATIONAL
INSTITUTE
OF
STANDARDS
AND 
TECHNOLOGY.— 
(1) VOLUNTARY CONSENSUS STANDARDS.—The 
Secretary of Commerce, acting through the Director 
of the National Institute of Standards and Tech-
nology, shall establish a program to promote the de-
velopment of voluntary consensus gun safety tech-
nical standards. Such effort shall include— 
(A) outreach, coordination, and technical 
support to relevant industry and nonindustry 
stakeholders and standards development organi-
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zations to assist such entities in the develop-
ment of voluntary consensus gun safety tech-
nical standards; 
(B) the conduct of research to support ef-
forts to develop and improve such standards 
and conformity assessment; and 
(C) the development of such standard ref-
erence material as the Director determines is 
necessary to further the development of such 
standards. 
(2) PROHIBITION ON REGULATION.—Nothing in 
this Act shall be construed as conferring upon the 
Secretary of Commerce any authority to establish or 
enforce mandatory gun safety standards. 
(3) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.— 
There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out 
this subsection $1,000,000 for each of fiscal years 
2019 through 2024. 
(c) DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERV-
ICES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health and 
Human Services, acting through the Director of the 
National Institutes of Health, the Director of the 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and 
other scientific agencies within the Department of 
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Health and Human Services, shall award grants on 
a competitive basis to conduct or support research 
into the nature, causes, consequences, and preven-
tion of gun violence. 
(2) APPROPRIATIONS.—There is authorized to 
be appropriated to the Secretary of Health and 
Human Services to carry out this subsection 
$20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 
2024. 
(d) DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.— 
(1) RESEARCH.—The Attorney General of the 
United States, acting through the National Institute 
of Justice, shall conduct or sponsor research into the 
nature, causes, consequences, and prevention of gun 
violence. 
(2) COMPETITION.—The Attorney General of 
the United States, acting through the National In-
stitute of Justice, shall sponsor an inducement prize 
competition under section 24 of the Stevenson- 
Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 
U.S.C. 3719) to demonstrate through testing and 
evaluation the reliability of guns and gun accessories 
with integrated advanced gun safety technology 
(commonly referred to as smart guns, user-author-
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ized handguns, childproof guns, and personalized 
guns). 
(3) TRACE DATA.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 180 
days after the date of enactment of this Act, 
the Attorney General, in collaboration with the 
Secretary of the Department of Health and 
Human Services, shall develop consensus proto-
cols for granting researchers access to gun 
trace data while protecting the confidentiality of 
gun owners and dealers. 
(B) DATA
SHARING.—Not later than 1 
year after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
Attorney General, acting through the Bureau of 
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, 
shall commence sharing with researchers ac-
cording to the protocols developed under sub-
paragraph (A), the contents of the Firearms 
Trace System database and information re-
quired to be kept by licensees pursuant to sec-
tion 923(g) of title 18, United States Code, or 
required to be reported pursuant to paragraphs 
(3) and (7) of such section 923(g). 
(4) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.— 
There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out 
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