H.R. 4882: Gun Safety Board and Research Act

This bill, known as the Gun Safety Board and Research Act, proposes the establishment of a Gun Safety Board under the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to focus on firearm violence reduction. Here are the main components of the bill:

Establishment of the Gun Safety Board

The Secretary of HHS is required to establish the Gun Safety Board within one year of the bill becoming law.

Duties of the Gun Safety Board

The board will have several key responsibilities:

• Within two years, it must create a program using at least half of its allocated funds to provide grants for:
• Original research on reducing firearm violence.
• Public education on the causes of firearm violence and ways to prevent it.
• It will also conduct original research on firearm violence reduction.
• The board is tasked with publishing annual reports that include:
• Policy and funding recommendations for various levels of government based on scientific research.
• A list of important research topics identified by the board.
• Findings on the effectiveness of current and proposed laws aimed at reducing firearm violence in various contexts, such as domestic violence, suicides, community violence, mass shootings, and more.

Membership of the Board

The Gun Safety Board will consist of 22 members appointed by the Secretary of HHS, including:

• Experts in public health, mental health, firearm violence research, trauma surgery, and law enforcement.
• Representatives from various sectors, including victims of firearm violence, racial justice advocates, and firearm intervention organizations.
• Members from several federal agencies such as the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Terms and Compensation

The terms for board members will typically be four years, although for the initial appointments, terms will vary from one to four years. Members will receive compensation and may be reimbursed for travel expenses as set by HHS regulations.

Funding

The bill authorizes $5 million for each of the first two fiscal years and $25 million for each fiscal year thereafter to carry out the board’s activities. Importantly, this funding will not reduce existing federal funding for gun violence research.

Meetings and Administration

The board will hold meetings at least monthly and will be led by a chair appointed by the Secretary of HHS, with members electing a vice chair.

Relevant Companies

None found