Resources for Victims of Gun Violence Act of 2021

II 117TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION S. 556 To establish a Federal Advisory Council to Support Victims of Gun Violence. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES MARCH 3, 2021 Mr. CASEY (for himself, Mr. MARKEY, Mr. MENENDEZ, Ms. DUCKWORTH, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, Ms. HIRONO, Mr. WYDEN, Ms. CORTEZ MASTO, Ms. ROSEN, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. BROWN, Ms. WARREN, Mrs. SHAHEEN, Ms. SMITH, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, and Mr. BOOKER) intro- duced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Com- mittee on the Judiciary A BILL To establish a Federal Advisory Council to Support Victims of Gun Violence. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Resources for Victims 4 of Gun Violence Act of 2021’’. 5 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 6 Congress finds the following: 7 (1) In the United States, more than 100 indi- 8 viduals are killed with guns every day, totaling near- 9 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:40 Apr 01, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S556.IS S556 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 2 •S 556 IS ly 40,000 individuals who die from gun violence 1 every year. 2 (2) Additionally, more than 230 individuals sus- 3 tain a nonfatal gun injury every day. According to 4 a recent national poll, an estimated 10,000,000 indi- 5 viduals in the United States have been shot and in- 6 jured in their lifetimes. 7 (3) In that same poll, approximately 58 percent 8 of adults in the United States reported that they, or 9 someone they care for, have experienced a form of 10 gun violence, including a gun suicide, a gun homi- 11 cide, domestic violence involving a gun, or an unin- 12 tentional shooting. 13 (4) Nearly two-thirds of gun-related deaths in 14 the United States are suicides. Most individuals who 15 attempt suicide do not die—unless they use a gun. 16 Approximately 90 percent of gun suicide attempts 17 end in death, whereas 4 percent of suicide attempts 18 not involving a firearm result in death. 19 (5) This is particularly concerning for veterans, 20 children, and teenagers. Veterans are 1.5 times more 21 likely than non-veterans to die by suicide, and in 22 2017, 69 percent of veteran suicides were by gun. 23 Among children and teenagers, the rate of gun sui- 24 cide has increased 59 percent over the past 10 years. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:40 Apr 01, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S556.IS S556 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 3 •S 556 IS (6) An estimated 40,000,000 adults in the 1 United States report someone they cared for had at- 2 tempted or died by suicide with a gun. 3 (7) More than one-third of gun-related deaths 4 in the United States are homicides, and in 2015, the 5 gun homicide rate in the United States was nearly 6 25 times higher than in other high-income countries. 7 (8) Gun homicides in the United States occur 8 disproportionately in cities, particularly in racially 9 segregated neighborhoods with high rates of poverty. 10 Gun homicide disproportionately affects communities 11 of color, and Black Americans represent the major- 12 ity of gun homicide victims. 13 (9) More than 600 mass shootings, defined as 14 shootings in which 4 or more individuals were shot 15 and killed or injured, took place in the United States 16 in 2020, and more than 2,600 mass shootings have 17 taken place since the shooting at Sandy Hook Ele- 18 mentary School in Newtown, Connecticut, in 2012. 19 (10) Firearms are the leading cause of death 20 for children and teenagers. In 2019, more than 21 3,300 children and teenagers were shot and killed. 22 Each year, approximately 15,600 children and teen- 23 agers are shot and injured. Black children and teen- 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:40 Apr 01, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S556.IS S556 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 4 •S 556 IS agers are 14 times more likely than their white peers 1 to die by gun homicide. 2 (11) During an average year in the United 3 States, more than 600 women are shot to death by 4 an intimate partner, and many more women are shot 5 and injured by an intimate partner. Nearly 6 1,000,000 women in the United States who are alive 7 today have been shot or shot at by an intimate part- 8 ner, and approximately 4,500,000 women in the 9 United States today have been threatened with a 10 gun by an intimate partner. 11 (12) More than 10,300 violent hate crimes com- 12 mitted in the United States in an average year in- 13 volve a gun, or more than 28 each day. The vast 14 majority of hate crimes are directed against commu- 15 nities of color, religious minorities, and individuals 16 in the LGBTQ+ community. 17 (13) In 2020, communities and cities across the 18 United States experienced an increase in gun vio- 19 lence and gun homicides as the country struggled 20 with the economic and social uncertainty caused by 21 the COVID–19 pandemic. 22 (14) From March 2020 through November 23 2020, an estimated 17,400,000 guns were sold, an 24 81 percent increase over the same period in 2019. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:40 Apr 01, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S556.IS S556 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 5 •S 556 IS This unprecedented surge in gun sales put children, 1 victims of domestic abuse, and communities of color 2 at an even greater risk of gun violence. 3 (15) The individuals who survive gun violence 4 every year in the United States face a lifelong proc- 5 ess of physical and emotional healing, in addition to 6 the heavy economic costs faced by those survivors, 7 their families and communities, and society as a 8 whole. Furthermore, victims of gun violence are 9 often unaware of or have trouble accessing many 10 available resources that could help them in their re- 11 covery. 12 (16) Victims of gun violence experience per- 13 sistent mental health problems, including post-trau- 14 matic stress, depression, self-harm, anxiety, and sub- 15 stance abuse. The National Center for PTSD (Post- 16 Traumatic Stress Disorder) of the Department of 17 Veterans Affairs estimates that 28 percent of indi- 18 viduals who witness a mass shooting develop PTSD, 19 and about one-third of those individuals develop 20 acute stress disorder. Victims of gun violence suffer 21 from increased rates of unemployment, and young 22 victims of gun violence are more likely to have lower 23 grades and more absences from school. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:40 Apr 01, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S556.IS S556 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 6 •S 556 IS (17) Young people who survive gun-related inci- 1 dents are also at risk of experiencing gun violence 2 again in the future. One study estimated that nearly 3 one-fourth of the individuals who survive a gun 4 shooting at age 24 or younger will be shot again 5 within the next 10 years. 6 (18) Given the immense physical and emotional 7 toll of gun violence on victims, Congress must do 8 more to ensure that victims of gun violence have ac- 9 cess to the resources they need to recover from their 10 trauma—especially for victims experiencing common, 11 everyday gun violence in racially segregated neigh- 12 borhoods with high rates of poverty and chronic dis- 13 investment. 14 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 15 In this Act: 16 (1) ADVISORY COUNCIL.—The term ‘‘Advisory 17 Council’’ means the Advisory Council to Support 18 Victims of Gun Violence established under section 4. 19 (2) APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES.—The term 20 ‘‘appropriate committees’’ means the following: 21 (A) The Committee on Health, Education, 22 Labor, and Pensions of the Senate. 23 (B) The Committee on the Judiciary of the 24 Senate. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:40 Apr 01, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S556.IS S556 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 7 •S 556 IS (C) The Committee on Education and 1 Labor of the House of Representatives. 2 (D) The Committee on Energy and Com- 3 merce of the House of Representatives. 4 (E) The Committee on the Judiciary of the 5 House of Representatives. 6 (F) Any other relevant committee of the 7 Senate or of the House of Representatives with 8 jurisdiction over matters affecting victims of 9 gun violence. 10 (3) GUN VIOLENCE.—The term ‘‘gun violence’’ 11 means— 12 (A) suicide involving firearms; 13 (B) homicide involving firearms; 14 (C) domestic violence involving firearms; 15 (D) hate crimes involving firearms; 16 (E) youth violence involving firearms; 17 (F) mass shootings; 18 (G) unintentional shootings; 19 (H) non-fatal shootings; and 20 (I) threats or exposure to violent acts in- 21 volving firearms. 22 (4) VICTIM ASSISTANCE PROFESSIONAL.—The 23 term ‘‘victim assistance professional’’ means a pro- 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:40 Apr 01, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S556.IS S556 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 8 •S 556 IS fessional who assists victims of gun violence, includ- 1 ing— 2 (A) a medical professional, including an 3 emergency medical professional; 4 (B) a social worker; 5 (C) a provider of long-term services or 6 care; and 7 (D) a victim advocate. 8 (5) VICTIM OF GUN VIOLENCE.—The term ‘‘vic- 9 tim of gun violence’’ means— 10 (A) an individual who has been wounded 11 as a result of gun violence; 12 (B) an individual who has been threatened 13 with an act of gun violence; 14 (C) an individual who has witnessed an act 15 of gun violence; and 16 (D) a relative, classmate, coworker, or 17 other associate of— 18 (i) an individual who has been killed 19 as a result of gun violence; or 20 (ii) an individual described in sub- 21 paragraph (A) or (B). 22 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:40 Apr 01, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S556.IS S556 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 9 •S 556 IS SEC. 4. ADVISORY COUNCIL TO SUPPORT VICTIMS OF GUN 1 VIOLENCE. 2 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established an Advi- 3 sory Council to Support Victims of Gun Violence. 4 (b) MEMBERSHIP.— 5 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Advisory Council shall 6 be composed of the following members or their des- 7 ignees: 8 (A) The Secretary of Health and Human 9 Services. 10 (B) The Attorney General. 11 (C) The Secretary of Education. 12 (D) The Secretary of Housing and Urban 13 Development. 14 (E) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs. 15 (F) The Commissioner of the Social Secu- 16 rity Administration. 17 (G) The Assistant Secretary for Mental 18 Health and Substance Use. 19 (H) The Director of the Centers for Dis- 20 ease Control and Prevention. 21 (I) The Director of the National Institutes 22 of Health. 23 (J) The Administrator of the Administra- 24 tion for Community Living. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:40 Apr 01, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S556.IS S556 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 10 •S 556 IS (K) The Director of the Office on Violence 1 Against Women. 2 (L) The Director of the Office for Victims 3 of Crime. 4 (M) The chairman of the Board of the 5 Legal Services Corporation. 6 (N) As appropriate, the head of any other 7 Federal department or agency identified by the 8 Secretary of Health and Human Services as 9 having responsibilities, or administering pro- 10 grams, relating to issues affecting victims of 11 gun violence. 12 (2) ADDITIONAL MEMBERS.—In addition to the 13 members described in paragraph (1), the Advisory 14 Council shall be composed of the following: 15 (A) Not fewer than 2 and not more than 16 5 victims of gun violence, who shall be ap- 17 pointed by the Secretary of Health and Human 18 Services. 19 (B) Not fewer than 2 and not more than 20 5 victim assistance professionals, who shall be 21 appointed by the Secretary of Health and 22 Human Services. 23 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:40 Apr 01, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S556.IS S556 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 11 •S 556 IS (3) LEAD AGENCY.—The Department of Health 1 and Human Services shall be the lead agency for the 2 Advisory Council. 3 (c) DUTIES.— 4 (1) ASSESSMENT.—The Advisory Council 5 shall— 6 (A) survey victims of gun violence and vic- 7 tim assistance professionals about their needs 8 in order to inform the content of information 9 disseminated under paragraph (2) and the re- 10 port published under paragraph (3); 11 (B) conduct a literature review and assess 12 past or ongoing programs designed to assist vic- 13 tims of gun violence or individuals with similar 14 needs to determine— 15 (i) the effectiveness of the programs; 16 and 17 (ii) best and promising practices for 18 assisting victims of gun violence; and 19 (C) assess the administration of compensa- 20 tion funds established after mass shootings to 21 determine best and promising practices to di- 22 rect victims of gun violence to sources of fund- 23 ing. 24 (2) INFORMATION.— 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:40 Apr 01, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S556.IS S556 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 12 •S 556 IS (A) IN GENERAL.—The Advisory Council 1 shall identify, promote, coordinate, and dissemi- 2 nate to the public information, resources, and 3 best and promising practices available to help 4 victims of gun violence— 5 (i) meet their medical, financial, edu- 6 cational, workplace, housing, transpor- 7 tation, assistive technology, and accessi- 8 bility needs; 9 (ii) maintain their mental health and 10 emotional well-being; 11 (iii) seek legal redress for their inju- 12 ries and protection against any ongoing 13 threats to their safety; and 14 (iv) access government programs, 15 services, and benefits for which they may 16 be eligible or to which they may be enti- 17 tled. 18 (B) CONTACT INFORMATION.—The Advi- 19 sory Council shall include in the information 20 disseminated under subparagraph (A) the 21 websites and telephone contact information for 22 helplines of relevant Federal agencies, State 23 agencies, and nonprofit organizations. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:40 Apr 01, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00012 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S556.IS S556 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 13 •S 556 IS (C) AVAILABILITY.—The Advisory Council 1 shall make the information described in sub- 2 paragraphs (A) and (B) available— 3 (i) online through a public website; 4 and 5 (ii) by submitting a hard copy and 6 making available additional hard copies 7 to— 8 (I) each Member of Congress; 9 (II) each field office of the Social 10 Security Administration; 11 (III) each State agency that is 12 responsible for administering health 13 and human services, for dissemination 14 to medical facilities; 15 (IV) each State agency that is re- 16 sponsible for administering education 17 programs, [Text truncated for display. Full text available on Congress.gov.]