HR2837-119

What This Bill Does

The Resources for Victims of Gun Violence Act creates a federal coordination council rather than a new grant program. It defines gun violence broadly to include firearm suicide, homicide, domestic violence, hate crimes, youth violence, mass shootings, unintentional shootings, nonfatal shootings, threats, and exposure. Victims include wounded people, threatened people, witnesses, and relatives, classmates, coworkers, or associates of people killed, wounded, or threatened. The Advisory Council includes HHS, DOJ, Education, HUD, VA, Social Security, SAMHSA, CDC, NIH, ACL, the Office on Violence Against Women, the Office for Victims of Crime, Legal Services Corporation, other relevant agencies, 2 to 5 gun-violence victims, and 2 to 5 victim assistance professionals. HHS leads the council. It must survey victims and professionals, review programs, assess mass-shooting compensation funds, identify and disseminate best practices and resources for medical, financial, educational, workplace, housing, transportation, assistive technology, accessibility, mental health, legal redress, safety, and benefits needs, distribute materials online and in hard copy to Congress, SSA field offices, State health and education agencies, and State attorneys general, report within 180 days, follow up two years later, collect public input from affected communities, avoid chapter 10 advisory-committee rules, use no newly authorized funds, and terminate five years after enactment.

Who Benefits and How

Gun violence victims benefit because the council must identify resources for medical, financial, mental health, legal, housing, workplace, education, transportation, accessibility, and benefits needs. Victim assistance professionals benefit because they receive federal best-practice information and have appointed seats on the council. Communities disproportionately affected by gun violence benefit because the public-input process must include their representation. State health agencies benefit from federal resource materials they can disseminate to medical facilities.

Who Bears the Burden and How

The Department of Health and Human Services must lead the council, appoint victim and professional members, conduct surveys, publish reports, and coordinate dissemination. Federal agency council members must contribute program information, helplines, best practices, and gap analysis without newly authorized funds. State attorneys general must receive materials for dissemination to local prosecutor offices. Social Security Administration field offices must receive hard-copy resource materials for public access.

Key Provisions

• Establishes an HHS-led Advisory Council to Support Victims of Gun Violence.
• Defines gun violence and victims broadly to include nonfatal shootings, threats, witnesses, and affected relatives or associates.
• Requires dissemination of best practices and resources for medical, financial, legal, housing, education, workplace, transportation, accessibility, and benefits needs.
• Requires an initial report within 180 days and a follow-up report two years later.
• Provides no new authorization of funds and terminates the council five years after enactment.