H.R. 2837

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

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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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