Gun Safety Board and Research Act

This bill would create a Gun Safety Board inside the Department of Health and Human Services within one year of becoming law. The board would fund and conduct research on how to reduce gun violence, and it would teach the public about the causes, effects, and ways to prevent it. At least half of the funding must go to grants for research and public education. Each year, the board must share public reports with advice for policymakers and a list of topics that need more study, and explain which laws seem to work to reduce harm, posting this on an HHS website and in the Federal Register .

The board would have 22 members, including health and mental health experts, a trauma surgeon, law enforcement, people with firearm industry or use experience, victims of gun violence, and members from federal health and justice agencies such as NIH, CDC, SAMHSA, CPSC, FBI, HHS, ATF, and others. Members serve set terms, are paid, and meet at least monthly. The chair can hire staff. The law also sets funding levels and protects other federal gun-violence research money from being cut to pay for this program .

• Who is affected: Researchers, nonprofits, health and community groups, educators, and the public who may benefit from new programs and information. Federal and local officials may use the board’s advice on what works.
• What changes: A new board; grants for research and public education; yearly public reports with recommendations; reviews of which laws work to lower domestic violence, suicide, community violence, police violence, mass shootings, hate crimes, school shootings, health care costs, hospital interventions, broader social impacts, gun trafficking and straw purchases, and unintentional shootings .
• When: Board set up within 1 year; grant program running within 2 years; reports at least once a year .
• Funding: $5 million in each of the first two fiscal years after enactment, then $25 million each year after that; other federal gun-violence research funds cannot be reduced to pay for this program.