119-hr2837

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2837 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 2837

 To establish a Federal Advisory Council to Support Victims of Gun 
 Violence.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 April 10, 2025

 Mr. Evans of Pennsylvania (for himself, Ms. Barragan, Mr. Beyer, Ms. 
 Bonamici, Mr. Boyle of Pennsylvania, Ms. Brown, Ms. Brownley, Mr. 
 Casten, Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick, Ms. Clarke of New York, Mrs. 
 Fletcher, Mrs. Foushee, Ms. Garcia of Texas, Mr. Goldman of New York, 
 Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Ms. Kelly of Illinois, Mr. Khanna, Mr. 
 Krishnamoorthi, Mr. Lynch, Mr. Magaziner, Ms. McCollum, Mr. McGarvey, 
Mr. Moskowitz, Mr. Moulton, Ms. Norton, Mrs. Ramirez, Ms. Schrier, Ms. 
 Titus, Ms. Tlaib, Ms. Tokuda, and Mrs. Watson Coleman) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee 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 Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``Resources for Victims of Gun 
Violence Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

 In this Act:

    (1) Advisory council.--The term ``Advisory Council'' means 
 the Advisory Council to Support Victims of Gun Violence 
 established under 

section 3.

    (2) Appropriate committees.--The term ``appropriate 
 committees'' means the following:
        (A) The Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and 
 Pensions of the Senate.
        (B) The Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate.
            (C) The Committee on Education and Workforce of the 
 House of Representatives.
            (D) The Committee on Energy and Commerce of the 
 House of Representatives.
        (E) The Committee on the Judiciary of the House of 
 Representatives.
        (F) Any other relevant committee of the Senate or 
 of the House of Representatives with jurisdiction over 
 matters affecting victims of gun violence.

    (3) Gun violence.--The term ``gun violence'' means--
        (A) suicide involving firearms;
        (B) homicide involving firearms;
            (C) domestic violence involving firearms;
            (D) hate crimes involving firearms;
        (E) youth violence involving firearms;
        (F) mass shootings;
        (G) unintentional shootings;
        (H) non-fatal shootings; and
            (I) threats or exposure to violent acts involving 
 firearms.

    (4) Victim assistance professional.--The term ``victim 
 assistance professional'' means a professional who assists 
 victims of gun violence, including--
        (A) a medical professional, including an emergency 
 medical professional;
        (B) a social worker;
            (C) a provider of long-term services or care; and
            (D) a victim advocate.

    (5) Victim of gun violence.--The term ``victim of gun 
 violence'' means--
        (A) an individual who has been wounded as a result 
 of gun violence;
        (B) an individual who has been threatened with an 
 act of gun violence;
            (C) an individual who has witnessed an act of gun 
 violence; and
            (D) a relative, classmate, coworker, or other 
 associate of--
            (i) an individual who has been killed as a 
 result of gun violence; or
            (ii) an individual described in 
 subparagraph
        (A) or
        (B) .

SEC. 3. ADVISORY COUNCIL TO SUPPORT VICTIMS OF GUN VIOLENCE.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established an Advisory Council to 
Support Victims of Gun Violence.

    (b) Membership.--

    (1) In general.--The Advisory Council shall be composed of 
 the following members or their designees:
        (A) The Secretary of Health and Human Services.
        (B) The Attorney General.
            (C) The Secretary of Education.
            (D) The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.
        (E) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
        (F) The Commissioner of Social Security.
        (G) The Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and 
 Substance Use.
        (H) The Director of the Centers for Disease Control 
 and Prevention.
            (I) The Director of the National Institutes of 
 Health.
        (J) The Administrator of the Administration for 
 Community Living.
        (K) The Director of the Office on Violence Against 
 Women.
            (L) The Director of the Office for Victims of 
 Crime.
            (M) The chairman of the Board of the Legal Services 
 Corporation.
        (N) As appropriate, the head of any other Federal 
 department or agency identified by the Secretary of 
 Health and Human Services as having responsibilities, 
 or administering programs, relating to issues affecting 
 victims of gun violence.

    (2) Additional members.--In addition to the members 
 described in paragraph

    (1) , the Advisory Council shall be 
 composed of the following:
        (A) Not fewer than 2 and not more than 5 victims of 
 gun violence, who shall be appointed by the Secretary 
 of Health and Human Services.
        (B) Not fewer than 2 and not more than 5 victim 
 assistance professionals, who shall be appointed by the 
 Secretary of Health and Human Services.

    (3) Lead agency.--The Department of Health and Human 
 Services shall be the lead agency for the Advisory Council.
            (c) Duties.--

    (1) Assessment.--The Advisory Council shall--
        (A) survey victims of gun violence and victim 
 assistance professionals about their needs in order to 
 inform the content of information disseminated under 
 paragraph

    (2) and the report published under paragraph

    (3) ;
        (B) conduct a literature review and assess past or 
 ongoing programs designed to assist victims of gun 
 violence or individuals with similar needs to 
 determine--
            (i) the effectiveness of the programs; and
            (ii) best and promising practices for 
 assisting victims of gun violence; and
            (C) assess the administration of compensation funds 
 established after mass shootings to determine best and 
 promising practices to direct victims of gun violence 
 to sources of funding.

    (2) Information.--
        (A) In general.--The Advisory Council shall 
 identify, promote, coordinate, and disseminate to the 
 public information, resources, and best and promising 
 practices available to help victims of gun violence--
            (i) meet their medical, financial, 
 educational, workplace, housing, 
 transportation, assistive technology, and 
 accessibility needs;
            (ii) maintain their mental health and 
 emotional well-being;
            (iii) seek legal redress for their injuries 
 and protection against any ongoing threats to 
 their safety; and
            (iv) access government programs, services, 
 and benefits for which they may be eligible or 
 to which they may be entitled.
        (B) Contact information.--The Advisory Council 
 shall include in the information disseminated under 
 subparagraph
        (A) the websites and telephone contact 
 information for helplines of relevant Federal agencies, 
 State agencies, and nonprofit organizations.
            (C) Availability.--The Advisory Council shall make 
 the information described in subparagraphs
        (A) and
        (B) available--
            (i) online through a public website; and
            (ii) by submitting a hard copy and making 
 available additional hard copies to--
            (I) each Member of Congress;
            (II) each field office of the 
 Social Security Administration;
            (III) each State agency that is 
 responsible for administering health 
 and human services, for dissemination 
 to medical facilities;
            (IV) each State agency that is 
 responsible for administering education 
 programs, for dissemination to schools; 
 and
            (V) the office of each State 
 attorney general, for dissemination to 
 local prosecutor's offices.

    (3) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
 enactment of this Act, the Advisory Council shall--
        (A) prepare a report that--
            (i) includes the best and promising 
 practices, resources, and other useful 
 information for victims of gun violence 
 identified under paragraph

    (2) ;
            (ii) identifies any gaps in items described 
 in clause
            (i) ; and
            (iii) if applicable, identifies any 
 additional Federal or State legislative 
 authority necessary to implement the activities 
 described in clause
            (i) or address the gaps 
 described in clause
            (ii) ;
        (B) submit the report prepared under subparagraph
        (A) to--
            (i) the appropriate committees;
            (ii) each State agency that is responsible 
 for administering health and human services;
            (iii) each State agency that is responsible 
 for administering education programs; and
            (iv) the office of each State attorney 
 general; and
            (C) make the report prepared under subparagraph
        (A) available to the public online in an accessible format.

    (4) Follow-up report.--Not later than 2 years after the 
 date on which the Advisory Council prepares the report under 
 paragraph

    (3) , the Advisory Council shall--
        (A) submit to the entities described in 
 subparagraph
        (B) of that paragraph a follow-up report 
 that includes the information identified in 
 subparagraph
        (A) of that paragraph; and
        (B) make the follow-up report described in 
 subparagraph
        (A) available to the public online in an 
 accessible format.

    (5) Public input.--
        (A) In general.--The Advisory Council shall 
 establish a process to collect public input to inform 
 the development of, and provide updates to, the best 
 and promising practices, resources, and other 
 information described in paragraph

    (2) , including by 
 conducting outreach to entities and individuals 
 described in subparagraph
        (B) of this paragraph that--
            (i) have a range of experience with the 
 types of gun violence described in 

section 2

    (3) ; and
            (ii) include representation from 
 communities disproportionately affected by gun 
 violence.
        (B) Entities and individuals.--The entities and 
 individuals described in this subparagraph are--
            (i) States, local governments, and 
 organizations that provide information to, or 
 support for, victims of gun violence;
            (ii) victims of gun violence; and
            (iii) victim assistance professionals.
            (C) Nature of outreach.--In conducting outreach 
 under subparagraph
        (A) , the Advisory Council shall ask 
 for input on--
            (i) information, resources, and best and 
 promising practices available, including 
 identification of any gaps and unmet needs;
            (ii) recommendations that would help 
 victims of gun violence--
            (I) better meet their medical, 
 financial, educational, workplace, 
 housing, transportation, assistive 
 technology, and accessibility needs;
            (II) maintain their mental health 
 and emotional well-being;
            (III) seek legal redress for their 
 injuries and protection against any 
 ongoing threats to their safety; and
            (IV) access government programs, 
 services, and benefits for which the 
 victims may be eligible or to which the 
 victims may be entitled; and
            (iii) any other subject areas discovered 
 during the process that would help victims of 
 gun violence.
            (d) Federal Advisory Committee Act.--Chapter 10 of title 5, United 
States Code, shall not apply to the Advisory Council.

    (e) Funding.--No additional funds are authorized to be appropriated 
to carry out this Act.

    (f) Sunset.--The Advisory Council shall terminate on the date that 
is 5 years after the date of enactment of this Act.
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