On July 27, 2022, Rep. Robin Kelly (IL-02), Vice Chair of the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force and Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust, alongside Reps. Barbara Lee (CA-12), and Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) introduced the Gun Violence as a Public Health Emergency Act, which would direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to coordinate with the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to produce an annual report on gun violence, its public health effects, and action taken by the federal government.
This report will help inform policymakers at every level on how to respond to gun violence and further inform a collective public health approach to ending gun violence.
Specifically, this legislation calls on the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to publish:
- Data on national firearm deaths and injuries disaggregated by age, sex, gender, location, type of violence, and type of firearm;
- Information on the types of programs used to respond to and reduce gun violence and their effectiveness;
- Data on federal funding and frequency of research relating to gun violence.
“In 2022, 44,357 Americans died of gun violence, and nearly 40,000 more were injured. Gun violence must be treated as a public health issue; however, we cannot identify and deploy interventions without understanding the root causes,” said Congresswoman Robin Kelly. “No one should be afraid to go work, school, or the park because they might get shot. We deserve to live our lives without fear. This is why I am reintroducing the Recognizing Gun Violence as a Public Health Emergency Act.”
“The lack of comprehensive firearms data severely hamstrings efforts to curb the growing threat of gun violence. The Recognizing Gun Violence as a Public Health Emergency Act directs the Department of Health and Human Services to coordinate with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to produce an annual report on gun violence, its public health effects, and actions taken by the federal government to elevate gun violence as a public health emergency. Gun violence impacts all communities, and the government must better deploy resources and evidence-based solutions – and this bill is a step in the right direction,”said Congresswoman Barbara Lee.
