Gun Safety Board and Research Act
Bill: H.R.5273 | Sponsor: Rep. DeSaulnier, Mark (D-CA)
Policy area: Health

Summary:
Gun Safety Board and Research Act
This bill establishes a gun safety board in the Department of Health and Human Services. The board must (1) conduct original research about firearm violence reduction; (2) publish policy recommendations for and findings about the efficacy of federal, state, and local actions to reduce firearm violence; and (3) establish a grant program to support original research on firearm violence reduction and education for the public about the effects of and ways to mitigate firearm violence.

To establish a Gun Safety Board, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Gun Safety Board and Research Act''.

SEC. 2. GUN SAFETY BOARD.

    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services 
shall, not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, 
establish a board to be known as the Gun Safety Board.
    (b) Duties.--The Gun Safety Board shall--
            (1) not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of 
        this Act, establish a program that uses not less than half of 
        the amounts appropriated under this Act to provide grants that 
        recipients shall use to--
                    (A) conduct original research about firearm 
                violence reduction (including research about topics 
                identified for additional research by the Gun Safety 
                Board under paragraph (3)); and
                    (B) to educate members of the public about--
                            (i) causes and effects of firearm violence; 
                        and
                            (ii) ways to reduce firearm violence;
            (2) conduct original research about firearm violence 
        reduction; and
            (3) publish in the Federal Register and on a public website 
        of the Department of Health and Human Services, not less 
        frequently than annually--
                    (A) policy and funding recommendations for 
                potential Federal, State, and local action based on 
                available scientific research about firearm violence 
                reduction;
                    (B) a list of subject areas related to firearm 
                violence reduction that the Gun Safety Board finds 
                would benefit from additional scientific research; and
                    (C) the Gun Safety Board's findings about the 
                efficacy of existing State and Federal laws intended to 
                reduce firearm violence, and the expected efficacy of 
                proposed State and Federal legislation intended to 
                reduce firearm violence, in reducing--
                            (i) domestic violence;
                            (ii) suicide and attempted suicide;
                            (iii) chronic community violence;
                            (iv) police violence;
                            (v) mass shootings;
                            (vi) hate crimes;
                            (vii) school shootings;
                            (viii) health care-related expenditures 
                        (including lost days of work and other indirect 
                        expenditures) for victims of firearm-caused 
                        injuries;
                            (ix) hospital interventions;
                            (x) broader socioeconomic impacts of 
                        chronic gun violence;
                            (xi) diversions of firearms, including 
                        straw purchasing and gun trafficking; and
                            (xii) unintentional shootings.
    (c) Membership.--
            (1) Number and appointment.--The Gun Safety Board shall be 
        composed of 22 members appointed by the Secretary of Health and 
        Human Services.
            (2) Composition.--The members shall include--
                    (A) 1 member with expertise in public health;
                    (B) 1 member with expertise in mental health care;
                    (C) 1 member with expertise in firearm violence 
                reduction research;
                    (D) 1 member with expertise in trauma surgery;
                    (E) 1 member with expertise in law enforcement;
                    (F) 1 member with a background in firearm 
                manufacturing, firearm sales, professional firearm use, 
                or recreational firearm use;
                    (G) 2 members representing victims of firearm 
                violence;
                    (H) 1 member representing a nonprofit organization 
                that advocates for racial justice;
                    (I) 1 member representing a nonprofit organization 
                that advocates or engages in firearm violence 
                intervention or prevention; and
                    (J) 1 member from each of--
                            (i) the National Institutes of Health;
                            (ii) the Centers for Disease Control and 
                        Prevention;
                            (iii) the Substance Abuse and Mental Health 
                        Services Administration;
                            (iv) the United States Consumer Product 
                        Safety Commission;
                            (v) the Federal Bureau of Investigation;
                            (vi) the Department of Health and Human 
                        Services;
                            (vii) the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, 
                        Firearms, and Explosives within the Department 
                        of Justice;
                            (viii) the Office of Juvenile Justice and 
                        Delinquency Prevention within the Department of 
                        Justice;
                            (ix) the Bureau of Justice Assistance 
                        within the Department of Justice;
                            (x) the Office for Victims of Crime within 
                        the Department of Justice;
                            (xi) the Office on Violence Against Women 
                        within the Department of Justice; and
                            (xii) the National Institute of Justice 
                        within the Department of Justice.
    (d) Terms.--
            (1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), each 
        member shall be appointed for a term of 4 years.
            (2) Terms of initial appointees.--As designated by the 
        Secretary of Health and Human Services at the time of 
        appointment, of the members first appointed--
                    (A) three shall be appointed for a term of 4 years;
                    (B) two shall be appointed for a term of 3 years;
                    (C) two shall be appointed for a term of 2 years; 
                and
                    (D) two shall be appointed for a term of 1 year.
            (3) Vacancies.--Any member appointed to fill a vacancy 
        occurring before the expiration of the term for which the 
        member's predecessor was appointed shall be appointed only for 
        the remainder of that term. A vacancy shall be filled in the 
        manner in which the original appointment was made.
    (e) Basic Pay.--Members shall be paid at a rate set by the 
Secretary of Health and Human Services that is consistent with title 5, 
United States Code.
    (f) Travel Expenses.--Each member shall receive travel expenses, 
including per diem in lieu of subsistence, in accordance with 
applicable provisions under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, 
United States Code.
    (g) Chair.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall 
designate 1 member to serve as chair of the Gun Safety Board.
    (h) Vice Chair.--The members of the Gun Safety Board shall elect 1 
member to serve as vice chair of the Gun Safety Board.
    (i) Meetings.--The Board shall meet at least once each month at the 
call of the chair.
    (j) Staff.--The chair may appoint and, consistent with title 5, 
United States Code, fix the pay of additional personnel as the chair 
considers appropriate.
    (k) Firearm.--For the purposes of this Act, the term ``firearm'' 
shall have the meaning given the term in section 921 of title 18, 
United States Code.
    (l) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this Act $5,000,000 for each of the first 2 
fiscal years beginning after the date of the enactment of this Act, and 
$25,000,000 for each fiscal year thereafter.
    (m) Prohibition on Diversion of Other Federal Gun Violence Research 
Funds.--The amounts made available for Federal gun violence research 
other than under this Act shall not be reduced in order to provide 
funds to carry out this Act.
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