SHM Joins Letter of Support for FY27 Appropriations Funding for Gun Violence Prevention Research

Dear Chair Collins, Vice Chair Murray, Chairman Cole, and Ranking Member DeLauro:

As you consider appropriations for Fiscal Year (FY) 2027, the undersigned 410 national, state, and local medical, public health, and research organizations write to ask you to provide $35 million for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), $25 million for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and $1 million for the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) to conduct public health research into firearm morbidity and mortality prevention.

We represent many medical, public health, and research organizations, including members who are proud firearm owners. The freedom of individuals to own firearms can and should be balanced with protecting children and their families from serious harm, and ensuring the health, security, and well-being of all people. This is why our organizations strongly support federal funding for research into firearm morbidity and mortality prevention.

We are grateful to Congress for providing $12.5 million for the CDC and $12.5 million for the NIH in FY 2026 and encourage Congress to sustain and build on this funding in FY 2027. Across this country, communities are suffering from preventable firearm-related injuries and deaths. Suicide, violent crime, and accidental shootings cause trauma to families, communities, and children affected by these preventable tragedies. In 2024, the most recent year for which we have provisional data, firearm-related injuries led to an estimated 44,492 total fatalities, with suicides contributing to more than half of those deaths.

After decades without dedicated funding, Congress came together in 2019 to reach a bipartisan agreement to provide this research funding in the FY 2020 spending bill that was signed into law by President Trump. We are grateful for these continued investments and their positive impact in the lives of Americans. These initial research investments are a crucial step toward increasing gun safety and reducing firearm-related injuries and deaths, and we are excited to see these funds contributing to important research projects that are now underway.

Since 2020, the CDC and NIH have made dozens of awards for two- and three-year projects in states all across the country to improve scientific understanding of firearm-related morbidity and mortality and to rigorously evaluate the effectiveness of death and injury prevention strategies, as well as determinants of firearm injury, the identification of those at risk, and the evaluation of innovative interventions. Several of these projects provide insights on how to reduce suicide risk in U.S. Army soldiers and veterans, how to partner with families and adolescents to promote firearm safety, how to improve intervention strategies to reduce youth violence, how to help families with loved ones experiencing dementia talk through secure storage solutions, and the relationship between firearm access and opioid-related harm on firearm suicide risk, among other topics. This research is already yielding valuable results: we now have insight into screening tools and interventions for healthcare settings that could help prevent future violence and suicide among people at risk, and into the use of crisis hotline data to better understand how mass shootings impact young people.

These initial investments are important, but increased funding is still needed to overcome the decades-long lack of federal funding that set back our nation’s response to the public health issue of firearm-related morbidity and mortality. A 2021 report by Health Management Associates estimated that the federal government will need to spend approximately $100 million per year to fully fund a comprehensive research agenda on reducing firearm morbidity and mortality. At current funding levels, agencies receive many more quality proposals than they are able to fund. With additional funding, we can research the most effective methods to prevent firearm-related suicides, measures to help prevent the next shooting at a school or public place, how to help law enforcement address illegal guns in our communities, and numerous other vital public health questions.

Our groups strongly urge Congress to increase the funding level to $35 million for the CDC, $25 million for the NIH, and $1 million for the NIJ for firearm morbidity and mortality prevention research as part of FY 2027 appropriations. Continuing this funding is critical, and expanded funding could support the creation of additional, multi-year studies and accelerate the rebuilding of a research community that shrank in the decades before Congress restored this federal funding under the Trump administration. Robust and sustained research on motor vehicle crashes and subsequent legislation has helped save hundreds of thousands of lives through public health interventions, including seat belts and other safety features. The same approach can help reduce firearm-related injuries in our communities, including ensuring that the CDC, NIH, and NIJ are able to adequately fund non-biased, evidence-based research into this health priority.

Our organizations stand ready to work with you to support this critical effort. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

National Organizations:

Academic Pediatric Association

Access Ready Inc.

Advocate Health

AFT: Education, Healthcare, Public Services

American Academy of Emergency Medicine

American Academy of Family Physicians

American Academy of Neurology

American Academy of Nursing

American Academy of Pediatrics

American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

American Anthropological Association

American Art Therapy Association

American Association for Community Psychiatry

American Association for Emergency Psychiatry

American Association for the Surgery of Trauma

American Association of Colleges of Nursing

American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy

American Association of Neurological Surgeons

American College of Emergency Physicians

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists

American College of Osteopathic Emergency Physicians

American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians

American College of Physicians

American College of Preventive Medicine

American College of Surgeons

American Educational Research Association

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

American Geriatrics Society

American Medical Association

American Medical Women’s Association

American Nurses Association

American Osteopathic Association

American Pediatric Society

American Pediatric Surgical Association

American Psychiatric Association

American Psychological Association

American Public Health Association

American School Counselor Association

American Society for Pediatric Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery

American Society of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology

American Society of Pediatric Nephrology

American Society of Pediatric Neurosurgeons

American Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology

American Society for Surgery of the Hand Professional Organization

American Thoracic Society

American Trauma Society

Association of Academic Physiatrists

Association of American Medical Colleges

Association of Bioethics Program Directors

Association of Departments of Family Medicine

Association of Family Medicine Residency Directors

Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs

Association of Medical School Pediatric Department Chairs

Association of Population Centers

Association of Professionals Solving the Abuse of Children (APSAC)

Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health

Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO)

Baylor College of Medicine

Be Strong Families

Big Cities Health Coalition

Camp Fire

Catholic Health Association of the United States

Child Injury Prevention Alliance

Child Welfare League of America

Children’s Advocacy Institute

Children’s Health Fund

Children’s Hospital Association

Coalition for National Trauma Research

Columbia Scientific Union for the Reduction of Gun Violence

Congress of Neurological Surgeons

Consortium of Social Science Associations

Council of Pediatric Subspecialties

Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists

Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)

Doctors for America

Family Centered Treatment Foundation

Federation of Associations in Behavioral and Brain Sciences

First Focus Campaign for Children

Foster Care Alumni of America

Futures Without Violence

Gender Inclusion in Water and Sanitation

Gerontological Society of America

Global Alliance for Behavioral Health & Social Justice

Government Services Chapter, American College of Emergency Physicians

Grandmothers for Gun Responsibility

Healthy Teen Network

Injury Free Coalition for Kids

1. Richardson Consulting

Jewish Women International

Just Solutions

Justice + Joy National Collaborative

Kinnect

Mad Learning Lab

MomsRising

National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)

National Association of County and City Health Officials

National Association of Medical Examiners (NAME)

National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health

National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners

National Association of School Nurses

National Association of School Psychologists

National Association of Social Workers

National Association of State Emergency Medical Services Officials

National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA)

National Network of Public Health Institutes

National Nurse-Led Care Consortium

National Organization for Women

National Prevention Science Coalition to Improve Lives

National PTA

NAPCRG

Newtown Action Alliance

North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition

OnCall4Kids

Orthopaedic Trauma Association

Peace Through Action USA

Pediatric Policy Council

Pediatric Trauma Society (PTS)

Pediatric & Young Adult Oncology & Sociology

PIRE: Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation

Population Association of America

Prevention Institute

Primary Care Development Corporation

Public Health Research Presentations & Publications

Research!America

Research Institute for Key Indicators Data Laboratory

Research Society for the Prevention of Firearm Related Harms

Respect Together

SAFE – Scrubs Addressing the Firearm Epidemic

Safe States Alliance

Sandy Hook Promise

Social Affective Neuroscience Society (SANS)

Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine

Society for Advancement of Violence and Injury Research

Society for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics

Society of Hospital Medicine

Society of Teachers of Family Medicine

Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine

Society for Pediatric Anesthesia

Society for Pediatric Pathology

Society for Pediatric Radiology

Society for Pediatric Research

Society for Prevention Research

Society for Public Health Education

Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD)

Society for Social Work and Research

Society of Critical Care Medicine

Society of General Internal Medicine

Society of Teachers of Family Medicine

The Health Alliance for Violence Intervention

The Institute for Human Services

The National Alliance to Advance Adolescent Health

The National Federation of Families

The Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America (POSNA)

The Society of Laparoscopic and Robotic Surgeons

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons

The Susan Jolley Foundation

The Urban Political Pipeline and Advocacy Network

Trinity Health

Youth Villages

State and Local Organizations:

Alabama

Alabama Chapter – American Academy of Pediatrics

Alabama Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians

American College of Emergency Physicians-Alabama Chapter

National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, Alabama Chapter

VOICES for Alabama’s Children

Alaska

Alaska Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics

Alaska Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians

Alaska Public Health Association

Arizona

Arizona Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics

National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, Arizona Chapter

Prevent Child Abuse Arizona

Arkansas

Arkansas Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics

California

American Academy of Pediatrics California Chapter 1

American Academy of Pediatrics, CA Chapter 3

Antelope Valley Partners for Health

California Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians

Centers for Violence Prevention, University of California, Davis

Choices for Freedom Inc

Consumer Protection Policy Center

East Bay Asian Youth Center

National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, Orange County, California Chapter

National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, San Francisco, California Chapter 8

Physicians for Social Responsibility, San Francisco Bay

Southern California Public Health Association

UCLA Health

UCSF

Youth Alive

Colorado

American Academy of Pediatrics, Colorado Chapter

Colorado Chapter, American College of Emergency Physicians

Connecticut

Connecticut College of Emergency Physicians (CCEP)

Connecticut Public Health Association

Delaware

Delaware Academy of Medicine & Public Health

Delaware Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics

Delaware Chapter, American College of Emergency Physicians

Kohnlinq, Inc.

WeKonnect, LLC.

District of Columbia

American Academy of Pediatrics, DC Chapter

DC Public Health Association

Federation of Associations in Behavioral and Brain Sciences

Johns Hopkins University & Medicine

National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, District of Columbia Chapter

Florida

FL National Organization for Women

Florida Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics

Florida Chapter, American College of Physicians

Florida College of Emergency Physicians (FCEP)

Greater Orlando National Organization for Women

Johns Hopkins University & Medicine

National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, Florida Chapter

Physicians for Social Responsibility/Florida Chapter

Georgia

Georgia Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics

Georgia Clinicians for Gun Safety

Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence

Georgia Majority for Gun Safety

Georgia Public Health Association

University of Georgia

Valley Healthcare System Inc. – Federally Qualified Health Center

Hawaii

American Academy of Pediatrics, Hawaii Chapter, Inc.

Hawaii Public Health Association

Idaho

Idaho Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics

Illinois

Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago

Illinois Academy of Family Physicians

Illinois Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics

Illinois Collaboration on Youth

Illinois College of Emergency Physicians (ICEP)

Illinois National Organization for Women

Illinois Public Health Association

Illinois State Medical Society

Mothers War on Violence Ministry

National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, Illinois Chapter

Will County NOW

Indiana

Hoosiers Concerned About Gun Violence

Indiana Association of School Nurses

Indiana Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics Indiana Public Health Association

Indiana University Bloomington

Marion County Commission on Youth

Iowa

Iowa Chapter of American College of Emergency Physicians

Iowa Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics

Iowa Public Health Association

Kansas

Kansas Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics

Kentucky

Kentucky Chapter of the American College of Physicians

Kentucky Psychological Association Kentucky Public Health Association

KY Chapter of the AAP

Prevent Child Abuse Kentucky

Louisiana

Louisiana Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians

Louisiana Public Health Association (LPHA)

The Louisiana Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics

Tulane University Violence Prevention Institute

VIA LINK

Maine

Dirigo Maine Geriatrics Society

Healthcare Advocates of Maine

Healthy Acadia

Indivisible Washington County Maine

Maine Association of Psychiatric Physicians

Maine Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics

Maine Chapter, American College of Emergency Physicians

Maine Children’s Alliance

Maine Children’s Trust

Maine Council of Churches

Maine Gun Safety Coalition

Maine Medical Association

Maine Osteopathic Association

Maine Providers for Gun Safety

Maine Psychological Association

Maine Public Health Association

Maine Veterans for Peace Chapter 001

Maine Women’s Lobby

National Association of Social Workers – Maine Chapter

Physicians for Social Responsibility, Maine

Unitarian Universalist Church of Brunswick

Maryland

Innovating Minds LLC

Johns Hopkins University & Medicine

LifeBridge Health Center for Hope

Maryland Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics (MDAAP)

Maryland Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians

Maryland Psychiatric Society, Inc.

MOORE | Preventing Child Sexual Abuse

NAMI Howard County, MD

National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, Maryland Chesapeake Chapter

The Parents’ Place of MD

PROGRESS University of Maryland

Massachusetts

Brain Injury Association of Massachusetts (BIA-MA)

Massachusetts Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics

Massachusetts College of Emergency Physicians

National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, Massachusetts Chapter

The Gillian Reny Stepping Strong Center for Trauma Organization

YMCA of Greater Boston

Michigan

Brain Injury Association of Michigan

Corewell Health Children’s

Michigan Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics

Michigan College of Emergency Physicians

Michigan Council for Maternal and Child Health

National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners – Michigan Chapter

Physicians for the Prevention of Gun Violence

Starfish Family Services

Minnesota

Children’s Minnesota

Minnesota Association of Geriatrics Inspired Clinicians

Minnesota Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics

Minnesota Medical Association

Minnesota Public Health Association

Protect MN

Mississippi

Mississippi Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics

Missouri

Center on Violence and Health, Washington University in St. Louis

Missouri Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics

Missouri College of Emergency Physicians

Missouri Public Health Association

National Organization for Women, Columbia Area

National Organization for Women, Missouri

Montana

Montana Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics

Montana Public Health Association

Nebraska

National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners – Midwest Chapter

Nebraska Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics

Public Health Association of Nebraska

Nevada

Nevada Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics

Nevada Public Health Association

New Hampshire

NHAAP

NHACEP

NHAFP

NH Psychiatric Society

New Jersey

Family Voices NJ

Health Resources in Action

NAMI Essex/Passaic

New Jersey Chapter American Academy of Pediatrics

New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center

New Jersey Local Boards of Health Association

New Jersey Public Health Association (NJPHA)

NJ ACEP SPAN Parent Advocacy Network

The Urban Health Collaborative

New Mexico

New Mexico Association of School Psychologists

New Mexico American College of Emergency Physicians

New Mexico Pediatric Society, the New Mexico Chapter of the AAP

Santa Fe National Organization for Women

New York

AAP New York Chapter 1

Blythedale Children’s Hospital

National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, Greater New York State Chapter

New York American College of Emergency Physicians

New York Chapter 2, American Academy of Pediatrics

New York Chapter 3, American Academy of Pediatrics

Northwell Center for Gun Violence Prevention

Northwell Health

Prevent Child Abuse NY

Where Do We Go From Here Inc

North Carolina

Batish Family Medicine

National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, North Carolina Chapter

NC Pediatric Society

North Carolina College of Emergency Physicians

North Carolinians Against Gun Violence

North Dakota

ND Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics

North Dakota Public Health Association

Ohio

American College of Emergency Physicians, Ohio Chapter

Begun Center for Violence Prevention, Research and Education, Case Western Reserve University

Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence

Ohio Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics

Ohio Geriatrics Society

Ohio School Psychologists Association

The Ohio Chapter of the American College of Physicians

Oklahoma

Oklahoma Chapter American Academy of Pediatrics

Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy

Oregon

Micronesian Islander Community

National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners – Oregon Chapter

Oregon Chapter, American College of Emergency Physicians

Oregon Geriatrics Society

Oregon Pediatric Society

Pennsylvania

Association of School Psychologists of Pennsylvania (ASPP)

Pennsylvania Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics

Pennsylvania College of Emergency Physicians

Pennsylvania Public Health Association

Youth Empowerment for Advancement Hangout (YEAH)

Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians

Rhode Island

Rhode Island Coalition for Children and Families

South Carolina

South Carolina Association of School Psychologists

South Carolina Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics

South Carolina College of Emergency Physicians

South Dakota

South Dakota Public Health Association

Tennessee

Life Paths Research Center

Safe and Free Tennessee

Tennessee Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics

Tennessee College of Emergency Physicians

Tennessee Geriatrics Society

Tennessee Public Health Association

Texas

National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners – Austin, Texas Chapter

National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, South Texas Alamo Chapter

Texas Doctors for Social Responsibility

Texas Geriatrics Society, Inc.

Texas Neurological Society

Texas Pediatric Society

Texas Physicians for Social Responsibility

Utah

Utah Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics

Utah Public Health Association

Vermont

Vermont Public Health Association

Virginia

Carilion Children’s

Johns Hopkins University & Medicine

VCU Health

Virginia Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics

Washington

Foundation for Healthy Generations

National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, Washington State Chapter

Public Health-Seattle & King County

Washington Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics Washington State Public Health Association

West Virginia

West Virginia Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics

West Virginia College of Emergency Physicians

Wisconsin

Children’s Wisconsin

NAMI Northwoods

National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, Wisconsin Chapter

WAVE Educational Fund Wisconsin Association of Osteopathic Physicians & Surgeons

Wisconsin Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics

Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault

Wisconsin Gun Violence Prevention Coalition, Healthcare Committee

Wisconsin Public Health Association

Wyoming

Wyoming Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics

Wyoming Public Health Association