Declaring gun violence a public health crisis.

Bill Number

H.Res. 835

Origin Chamber

House

Congress

119th Congress, Session 1

Policy Area

Health

Status

Introduced

Latest Action

2025-10-28: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Last Updated

2025-12-02T16:40:50Z

AI-Generated Summary

Purpose

This House Resolution (H. Res. 835) aims to formally recognize gun violence as a public health crisis in the United States. It highlights the scale and impact of gun violence through extensive data and examples, drawing on public health frameworks to call for a coordinated government response focused on prevention, research, and community support.

Key Provisions

The resolution includes a series of "Whereas" clauses documenting the extent of gun violence, followed by a "Resolved" section with seven specific declarations and urgings:

• Declaration of crisis: Officially states that gun violence is a public health crisis.
• Support for local actions: Endorses similar declarations by cities, states, and localities.
• Call for government coordination: Urges a comprehensive, whole-of-government approach to address the crisis and protect children.
• CDC involvement: Encourages the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to apply its four-step public health approach (defining the problem, identifying risks, developing strategies, and ensuring adoption) and collaborate with other federal agencies.
• Expansion of research: Urges the CDC to increase data collection and research on gun violence prevention.
• Surgeon General report: Urges the Surgeon General to produce a report on firearm injuries and prevention.
• Commitment to resolution: Expresses the House's dedication to ending the crisis to uphold basic rights like life, liberty, and happiness.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

This is a non-binding resolution, meaning it does not create new laws or amend existing ones. It expresses the House of Representatives' position but lacks enforceable authority. No direct changes to statutes, regulations, or policies are introduced.

Potential Impacts

• On government agencies: Could prompt increased focus and resources at the CDC and other agencies for research and prevention programs, though implementation depends on future funding or legislation. It references past actions, like a 2024 Surgeon General advisory removed in 2025, potentially influencing federal priorities.
• On citizens: May raise public awareness, particularly for vulnerable groups like children, communities of color, women facing intimate partner violence, and LGBTQ+ youth, encouraging community-based prevention efforts. It highlights disproportionate impacts in under-resourced neighborhoods, potentially spurring local initiatives for safety and equity.
• On international relations: Minimal direct impact, but it underscores U.S. gun violence rates compared to other high-income countries (e.g., 26 times higher homicide rate), which could affect global perceptions of U.S. public health and safety policies.

Main Stakeholders Affected

• Children and youth: Identified as the primary victims, with guns as the leading cause of death; over 360,000 students affected since 1999.
• Communities of color: Disproportionately impacted, including Black, Hispanic, Asian American, and American Indian/Alaska Native groups, with examples of racially motivated attacks.
• Women and intimate partners: Average of 70 women shot and killed monthly by partners; 92% of female firearm deaths in high-income countries occur in the U.S.
• LGBTQ+ individuals: Noted threats and injuries, including the Pulse nightclub shooting.
• Public health organizations and officials: CDC, Surgeon General, American Medical Association, and local governments (e.g., New York, Illinois, Ohio cities) involved in prevention.
• Broader public: All Americans, especially in high-violence areas lacking economic opportunities, schools, and housing.

Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications

• Legal: As a resolution, it has no legal force but aligns with public health precedents (e.g., CDC's violence prevention center since 1992). It could support future lawsuits or policies framing gun violence under public health laws rather than solely criminal justice.
• Constitutional: Touches on Second Amendment rights indirectly by emphasizing prevention over regulation, but avoids specific gun control measures, reducing conflict with constitutional debates on firearm ownership.
• Political: Serves as a symbolic bipartisan or advocacy tool (introduced by Rep. Espaillat), building on state/local declarations and medical consensus. References to administrations (Biden and Trump) highlight partisan divides on gun issues, potentially galvanizing support for or opposition to related bills. It promotes a "public health" lens, which may shift political discourse from punishment to evidence-based prevention, influencing elections and policy agendas.

This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.

Sponsor

Rep. Espaillat, Adriano [D-NY-13]

Recent Actions

• 2025-10-28: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
• 2025-10-28: Submitted in House
• 2025-10-28: Submitted in House

Bill Versions

• Declaring gun violence a public health crisis. — issued 2025-10-28 — PDF (9 pages)