Bill Overview
Title: Local Gun Violence Reduction Act
Description: This bill requires the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to develop and maintain a database that states and localities may populate with information about laws and ordinances enacted to reduce gun violence and their effectiveness.
Sponsors: Rep. DeSaulnier, Mark [D-CA-11]
Target Audience
Population: People living in areas impacted by gun violence or with potential laws to reduce it.
Estimated Size: 330000000
- The bill focuses on collecting and assessing data related to gun violence reduction measures, potentially affecting all regions where such measures could be applied or monitored.
- It targets communities suffering from gun violence as it could lead to more informed legislation and policies, thus potentially reducing gun violence.
- Any population living in areas where state and local governments adopt the database for violence prevention initiatives could be directly impacted.
- States and localities that opt-in to the database will implement and modify their gun laws based on collected evidence, affecting residents in those regions.
- As the bill involves the CDC, it is a nationwide U.S. initiative focused on reducing gun violence.
- Indirectly, all citizens might be affected as successfully reducing gun violence can lead to general societal benefits.
Reasoning
- The target population for this policy primarily includes individuals living in regions where gun violence is a pressing issue, as they may experience more direct impacts from any changes in local laws and ordinances informed by the database.
- The potential impact on wellbeing can vary. In communities affected by gun violence, the policy might improve safety perceptions and overall quality of life, translating into higher wellbeing scores.
- The policy's indirect effects could manifest more slowly, as the database first needs to be built and data collected before any legislative changes occur.
- Gun violence levels can differ drastically between urban and rural areas, so the impact on individuals might not be uniform; those in highly impacted areas should see more significant benefits over time.
- Since the policy's budget is moderate compared to the size of the population it aims to affect, the scale of impact on individuals may be limited to the data and subsequent regional actions it influences rather than immediate changes.
- Due to the CDC's involvement, the policy could have far-reaching implications beyond the immediate target areas, subtly influencing nationwide attitudes and policies on gun violence reduction.
Simulated Interviews
Police Officer (Chicago, IL)
Age: 35 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I believe the data collection could really help us understand what laws work to reduce gun violence.
- I'm hopeful but skeptical about how quickly changes will be made based on this info.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 5 |
School Teacher (Dallas, TX)
Age: 28 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This database is a step towards understanding and solving root causes of gun crime.
- If it leads to fewer incidents, it could have a big impact on places like where I live and work.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 4 |
City Council Member (New York, NY)
Age: 50 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- A centralized database could be a game-changer for policy effectiveness.
- I'm eager to see laws shaped by what *actually* works.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 6 |
Social Worker (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 42 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- We need to distill and apply what works across different localities.
- Database will be useful if it leads to actionable insights and policies.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 5 |
College Student (Detroit, MI)
Age: 19 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I think it's a good idea to see which laws are actually helping reduce gun violence.
- It's a start, but we need more comprehensive solutions.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 4 |
Software Developer (San Francisco, CA)
Age: 37 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- It's good that we're trying to solve this through data, though it doesn't affect me much.
- Hopefully, this can prevent violence in more troubled areas.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
Retired (Atlanta, GA)
Age: 65 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I've seen crime rates change a lot here over the years—anything that can help reduce gun violence is welcome.
- I'm cautiously optimistic about how this will turn out.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Entrepreneur (Miami, FL)
Age: 31 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I think leveraging data for legislation is smart.
- I'm interested in how this might make the area safer and improve business sustainability.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
State Policy Analyst (Austin, TX)
Age: 45 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This aligns perfectly with the push for data-driven solutions in state policy.
- Reflection on more accurate data can refine our approaches to reducing violence.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
Healthcare Worker (Denver, CO)
Age: 57 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Public health perspective really benefits from understanding the effectiveness of laws.
- Hopeful that the policy will pave the way for informed, impactful decisions.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $35000000 (Low: $30000000, High: $40000000)
Year 2: $30000000 (Low: $25000000, High: $35000000)
Year 3: $30000000 (Low: $25000000, High: $35000000)
Year 5: $30000000 (Low: $25000000, High: $35000000)
Year 10: $30000000 (Low: $25000000, High: $35000000)
Year 100: $30000000 (Low: $25000000, High: $35000000)
Key Considerations
- Successful implementation depends on state and local participation.
- Additional funding might be required for states to adapt their systems to integrate with the new database.
- Long-term success is contingent upon continued federal support and updates to the system based on feedback.
- Uncertainty exists regarding the quantifiable impact on gun violence directly related to the database.