A resolution expressing support for the designation of June 2, 2023, as "National Gun Violence Awareness Day" and June 2023 as "National Gun Violence Awareness Month".

III 118TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION S. RES. 231 Expressing support for the designation of June 2, 2023, as ‘‘National Gun Violence Awareness Day’’ and June 2023 as ‘‘National Gun Violence Awareness Month’’. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES JUNE 1, 2023 Mr. DURBIN (for himself, Ms. DUCKWORTH, Mr. MARKEY, Mr. WELCH, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mr. MURPHY, Mr. MENENDEZ, Mr. MERKLEY, Mr. CARDIN, Mr. CASEY, Mr. WYDEN, Mr. BOOKER, Mr. LUJA´N, Ms. HIRONO, Ms. BALDWIN, Mr. REED, Mr. KAINE, Mr. WARNOCK, Ms. CANTWELL, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, Mr. HEINRICH, and Mr. PADILLA) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary RESOLUTION Expressing support for the designation of June 2, 2023, as ‘‘National Gun Violence Awareness Day’’ and June 2023 as ‘‘National Gun Violence Awareness Month’’. Whereas, each year in the United States, more than— (1) 43,000 individuals are killed and 76,000 individ- uals are wounded by gunfire; (2) 17,000 individuals are killed in homicides involv- ing guns; (3) 25,000 individuals die by suicide using a gun; and (4) 500 individuals are killed in unintentional shoot- ings; VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:07 Jun 02, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR231.IS SR231 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •SRES 231 IS Whereas, since 1968, more individuals have died from guns in the United States than have died on the battlefields of all the wars in the history of the United States; Whereas 2022 was an especially deadly year for the United States, with an estimated 20,100 people killed in homi- cides involving guns or nonsuicide-related shootings; Whereas, in 2022, unintentional shootings by children sur- passed 350 incidents for the third year in a row, result- ing in nearly 140 deaths annually; Whereas, by one count, in 2022 in the United States, there were 646 mass-shooting incidents in which not fewer than 4 people were killed or wounded by gunfire; Whereas, from 2010 to 2021 in the United States, 65,000 military veterans died by suicide, the overwhelming ma- jority of such deaths being the result of a firearm; Whereas, every year in the United States, nearly 4,000 chil- dren and teens are killed by gun violence and 15,000 children and teens are shot and wounded; Whereas approximately 9,300 individuals in the United States under 25 years of age die because of gun violence annually, including Hadiya Pendleton, who, in 2013, was killed at 15 years of age in Chicago, Illinois, while stand- ing in a park; Whereas, on June 2, 2023, to recognize the 26th birthday of Hadiya Pendleton (born June 2, 1997), people across the United States will recognize ‘‘National Gun Violence Awareness Day’’ and wear orange in tribute to— (1) Hadiya Pendleton and other victims of gun vio- lence; and (2) the loved ones of those victims; and VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:07 Jun 02, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR231.IS SR231 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •SRES 231 IS Whereas June 2023 is an appropriate month to designate as ‘‘National Gun Violence Awareness Month’’: Now, there- fore, be it Resolved, That the Senate— 1 (1) supports— 2 (A) the designation of ‘‘National Gun Vio- 3 lence Awareness Month’’ and the goals and 4 ideals of that month; and 5 (B) the designation of ‘‘National Gun Vio- 6 lence Awareness Day’’, in remembrance of the 7 victims of gun violence; and 8 (2) calls on the people of the United States 9 to— 10 (A) promote greater awareness of gun vio- 11 lence and gun safety; 12 (B) wear orange, the color that hunters 13 wear to show that they are not targets, on ‘‘Na- 14 tional Gun Violence Awareness Day’’; 15 (C) concentrate heightened attention on 16 gun violence during the summer months, when 17 gun violence typically increases; and 18 (D) bring community members and leaders 19 together to discuss ways to make communities 20 safer. 21 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:07 Jun 02, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\SR231.IS SR231 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS