Reps. Foushee, Beyer, Frost Introduce Legislation to Expand Critical Research on Gun Safety and Prevention

WASHINGTON, DC (September 30, 2025) - Today, U.S. Representatives Valerie Foushee (NC-04), Don Beyer (VA-08), and Maxwell Frost (FL-10) introduced the National Gun Violence Research Act of 2025, legislation to establish a coordinated national gun violence research program focused on the causes, consequences, and prevention of gun-related injuries and deaths, and aims to provide researchers, policymakers, and communities with the data and tools needed to reduce gun violence across the United States.

"Communities across our country have suffered from the devastating impact of gun violence for far too long, and it is imperative that the federal government responds to this epidemic and urgently acts to save lives and protect our communities," said Congresswoman Valerie Foushee. "As a member of the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force and the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, I am proud to introduce the National Gun Violence Research Act to address the root causes of gun violence, advance and fund gun violence research, and establish a coordinated, interagency national gun violence research program. By turning data and research into actionable, lifesaving policies, we can equip ourselves with the tools needed to confront this growing public health crisis head-on."

"Gun violence is a uniquely American public health crisis that claims more than 45,000 lives every year," said Congressman Don Beyer. "In addition to the brutal human costs, it perpetuates cycles of violence in affected communities, adversely impacts children's education and life outcomes, and takes an immense toll on families. Gun violence has far-reaching, devastating impacts on American society yet states and our federal government often lack data that could improve our understanding of its causes or identify effective prevention programs. Our bill would solve this problem by creating a coordinated research body to provide the critical information and data needed to craft effective policies and programming to reduce gun violence and save American lives."

"No one should worry about whether they'll make it home from school, a music festival, a night out, or a trip to the grocery store. Yet, gun violence is the leading cause of death for children and teens - and is forcing families and communities to live with that fear every day. I'm proud to join Reps. Foushee and Beyer in introducing the Gun Violence Research Act of 2025 to help us collect the data and evidence needed to address this crisis with the urgency it demands," said Congressman Maxwell Frost.

Gun violence remains a pressing public health crisis. Over the last fifty years, more Americans have died from gun violence than in all U.S. wars combined, with guns accounting for nearly 80% of homicides and over half of suicides in 2023 alone. Communities of color are disproportionately affected, with Black Americans twelve times more likely and Hispanic and Latino Americans twice as likely to be killed by gun violence compared to White Americans.

The National Gun Violence Research Act of 2025 takes a whole of government approach and represents a critical step toward evidence-based policies to reduce the incidence of gun violence, protect public health, and empower communities with the tools to respond effectively.

Specifically, the National Gun Violence Research Act of 2025 will:

• Establish the National Gun Violence Research Program to support multidisciplinary research, accelerate translation of findings into effective policies, expand training opportunities for new researchers, and fund the creation of the National Centers for Violence Research through the National Science Foundation (NSF).

• Repeal longstanding federal restrictions that have historically limited research on gun violence and access to firearm data, ensuring researchers have the information they need to study this public health crisis.

• Direct federal agencies, including the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Justice (DOJ), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and National Institute of Justice (NIJ), to fund and coordinate research, establish interagency planning through a Working Group led by the White House OSTP Director, and promote voluntary gun safety standards.

• Create an Advisory Committee composed of representatives from research institutions, higher education, healthcare and social service providers, local government, law enforcement, community organizations, and relevant nonprofits to assess the Program's management, priorities, and effectiveness.

• Authorize funding for research and Program activities from 2026 through 2031 to support these efforts and advance evidence-based strategies for reducing gun-related injuries and deaths.

The National Gun Violence Research Act is endorsed by: Brady United, Community Justice, Giffords, MomsRising, and Newtown Action Alliance.

"To end gun violence in our country, we must fully understand the scope of this complex, multi-faceted epidemic. Yet, the gun lobby's congressional allies are freezing and even trying to ban gun violence prevention research. Funding gun violence prevention research will allow academics, lawmakers, and advocates to identify tactics to prevent and respond to the various forms of gun violence. Brady applauds Rep. Foushee for reintroducing the National Gun Violence Research Act and for highlighting how crucial research is for our ability to save lives," said Mark Collins, Director of Federal Policy, Brady United.

"The epidemic of gun violence is taking away our freedom to worship, learn, play, shop, and simply live in our communities without fear - and moms and families don't want to live this way. We don't want to be gripped with terror each time we send our children to school, take them to shop or see a movie, or send them to a church, synagogue or mosque. That's why we strongly support the National Gun Violence Research Act, which offers hope for a better, safer future through the coordinated national gun violence research program and the prevention projects it would support. We thank the sponsors of this bill and urge leaders in both chambers of Congress to bring it to a vote very soon," said Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, Executive Director and CEO of MomsRising Together.

"We can no longer allow uncertainty around gun violence to stall progress. The National Gun Violence Research Act represents an urgent step forward-providing the necessary resources to understand, address, and ultimately prevent the loss of life that our communities endure every day. By investing in rigorous scientific research, we empower policymakers, public health professionals, and local leaders with the evidence they need to craft solutions that are effective, equitable, and backed by data. This is not about ideology-it's about saving lives," said Po Murray, Chairwoman of Newtown Action Alliance.

The full bill text of the National Gun Violence Research Act of 2025 is available here.