Gun Violence Research Act of 2017

Bill: 115-hr-4573
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Kelly, Robin L. [D-IL-2]
Introduced: 2017-12-06
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Congressional oversight

Department of Health and Human Services

Emergency medical services and trauma care

Executive agency funding and structure

Firearms and explosives

Government studies and investigations

Health information and medical records

Health programs administration and funding

Medical research

Mental health

Minority health

Research administration and funding

Violent crime
Latest action: action_date: 2017-12-08
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

Summaries:
action_date: 2017-12-06
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong>Gun Violence Research Act of 2017</strong></p> <p>This bill amends the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016, with respect to the&nbsp;prohibition on the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) using funds to advocate or promote gun control. The bill declares that this prohibition does not restrict HHS funding for research on mental health, gun violence, and how they intersect.</p> <p>The Surgeon General must report annually on the effects of gun violence on public health, including mental health, and the status of actions taken to address those effects. HHS must report on the effects of gun violence on public health in minority communities.</p>

tv_txt: I 115th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 4573 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. Short title This Act may be cited as the Gun Violence Research Act of 2017 . 2. Findings The Congress finds as follows: (1) As of December 4, 2017, there have been 56,825 incidents of gun violence in the United States in 2017. (2) As of December 4, 2017, there have been 14,319 deaths related to gun violence in the United States in 2017. (3) Defining a mass shooting as an incident of violence during which four or more people are shot, not including the shooter— (A) there have been 327 mass shootings in the United States in 2017; (B) on average, there is more than one mass shooting each day in the United States; and (C) there have been more than 1,500 mass shootings in the United States since the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in 2012. 3. Research on mental health, gun violence, and how they intersect Effective on the date of enactment of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 ( Public Law 114–113 ), section 210 (prohibiting the availability of funds to advocate or promote gun control) of title II of division H of such Act (relating to the Department of Health and Human Services) is amended to read as follows: 210. None of the funds made available in this title may be used, in whole or in part, to advocate or promote gun control. Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit funding for the conduct or support of research on mental health, gun violence, and how they intersect. . 4. Report on effects of gun violence on public health Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Surgeon General of the Public Health Service shall submit to Congress a report on the effects on public health, including mental health, of gun violence in the United States during the preceding year, and the status of actions taken to address such effects. 5. Report on effects of gun violence on mental health in minority communities Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority Health in the Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall submit to Congress a report on the effects of gun violence on public health, including mental health, in minority communities in the United States, and the status of actions taken to address such effects.