I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 5622 
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 
SEPTEMBER 30, 2025 
Mrs. FOUSHEE (for herself, Mr. BEYER, and Mr. FROST) introduced the fol-
lowing 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 consideration 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 of 2025’’. 
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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 11 times that of other 
high-income nations. 
(3) Guns accounted for 79 percent of homicides 
and 55 percent of suicides in 2023, totaling over 
45,000 deaths in the United States. 
(4) Gun violence disproportionately affects com-
munities of color. In 2022, Black Americans were 12 
times as likely as White Americans to be killed by 
gun violence while Hispanic and Latino Americans 
were twice as likely to be killed. 
(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 II 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 or support 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-
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lence Research Program’’, through activities carried out 
in collaboration with covered agencies that— 
(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) under the 
Program, 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 not fewer than two cov-
ered agencies; 
(3) establish interdisciplinary research centers 
that are organized to investigate basic research 
questions and inform policy decisions relating to gun 
violence; 
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(4) provide for the education and training of 
undergraduate students, graduate students, and 
postdoctoral scholars in gun violence research; and 
(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 or maintain an interagency 
working group on gun violence research. 
(2) COMPOSITION.—The working group estab-
lished or maintained under paragraph (1) shall be 
chaired by the Director and include representatives 
from each covered agency. 
(3) DUTIES.—The Working Group shall— 
(A) oversee the planning, management, 
and coordination of the Program; 
(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; and 
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(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, shall estab-
lish or maintain an advisory committee on gun vio-
lence research. 
(2) COMPOSITION.—The advisory committee es-
tablished or maintained under paragraph (1) shall 
be composed of not fewer than 12 members, includ-
ing, to the greatest extent practicable, representa-
tives of research institutions, institutions of higher 
education, health care and social services providers, 
local government agencies, law enforcement, commu-
nity-based organizations, and relevant nonprofit or-
ganizations who are qualified to provide advice on 
the Program. 
(3) DUTIES.—The advisory committee estab-
lished or maintained under paragraph (1) shall as-
sess— 
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(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 interagency working 
group established under subsection (c) are help-
ing 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 
out this section $200,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 
through 2031. 
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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)— 
(A) to support multidisciplinary research 
to better understand the nature, causes, and 
consequences of gun violence, including violence, 
suicide, 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. 
(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 
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organizations (or consortia of such institutions) to 
establish one or more centers to conduct multidisci-
plinary research and education activities in support 
of the goals and priorities of the Program. Such 
grants shall be known as ‘‘National Center for Vio-
lence Research Grants’’. 
(3) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.— 
There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out 
this subsection $15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 
2026 through 2031. 
(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 program shall include— 
(A) outreach, coordination, and technical 
support to relevant industry and nonindustry 
stakeholders and standards development organi-
zations to assist such entities in the develop-
ment of voluntary consensus gun safety tech-
nical standards; 
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(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 subsection may be construed as conferring upon 
the Secretary of Commerce any authority to estab-
lish 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 
2026 through 2031. 
(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 
Health and Human Services, shall award grants on 
a competitive basis to conduct or support research 
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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 
$25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 
2031. 
(d) DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.— 
(1) RESEARCH.—The Attorney General, acting 
through the Director of the National Institute of 
Justice, shall conduct or sponsor research into the 
nature, causes, consequences, and prevention of gun 
violence. 
(2) 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 Health and Human Services, shall 
develop consensus protocols for granting re-
searchers access to gun trace data that abide by 
standard principles for ethical research. 
(B) DATA
SHARING.—Not later than 1 
year after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
Attorney General, acting through the Director 
of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms 
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and Explosives, shall commence sharing with 
researchers according to the protocols developed 
under subparagraph (A), the contents of the 
Firearms Trace System database and informa-
tion required to be kept by licensees pursuant 
to section 923(g) of title 18, United States 
Code, or required to be reported pursuant to 
paragraphs (3) and (7) of such section 923(g). 
(3) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.— 
There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out 
this subsection $3,000,000 for each of fiscal years 
2026 through 2031. 
Æ 
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