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1		HOUSE RESOLUTION
2		WHEREAS, In the United States, gun violence is a public
3		health epidemic of enormous scope; violence, particularly gun
4		violence, is a major public health problem and a leading cause
5		of premature death; gun violence is the number one cause of
6		death for children in the United States; on average, 110
7		people are killed every day in the United States by gun
8		violence; and
9		WHEREAS, The U.S. experienced a record number of gun
10		deaths and gun sales in 2020; 45,222 people died from
11		gun-related injuries in the U.S., and gunshot wounds were the
12		leading cause of death for kids and teens under 19 years of
13		age; and
14		WHEREAS, When a child is shot and killed, decades of
15		potential are lost, including the potential to grow up, to
16		have a family, to contribute to society, and to pursue their
17		passions in life; in 2018, firearm deaths accounted for
18		919,185 years of potential life lost before the age of 65; this
19		total of potential years lost is more than the combination of
20		years lost by diabetes, strokes, and liver disease; and
21		WHEREAS, The cost of gun violence takes a large toll on the
22		economy; Harvard Medical School researchers found that gun

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1		violence costs the U.S. approximately $557 billion annually or
2		2.6 percent of gross domestic product; and
3		WHEREAS, Gun violence costs Illinois $18.6 billion each
4		year, including $625.5 million of which is paid by taxpayers;
5		Illinois has the 40th highest societal cost of gun violence in
6		the U.S. at $1,468 per resident each year; and
7		WHEREAS, Gun violence disproportionately affects the Black
8		community; gun violence affects all children, but children of
9		color are at greatest risk; most shooting deaths go
10		unmentioned in national discourse and continue to
11		disproportionately impact Black communities; and
12		WHEREAS, Young Black men are 20 times more likely to be
13		killed by a gun than young white men; between 2019 and 2020,
14		gun deaths and homicides increased by 39.5 percent among Black
15		people, and Black men ages 15 to 34 were more than 20 times as
16		likely to be killed with a gun than white men of the same age;
17		the number of Black women killed by guns also increased by 50
18		percent in the same time period; and
19		WHEREAS, In 2019, Black Americans represented 14 percent
20		of the nation's population yet accounted for 52 percent of all
21		homicide victims; in 2019, Illinois was second in the entire
22		nation among states for Black homicide victimization rate; and

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1		WHEREAS, A Black person's life expectancy on average is
2		less when compared to a white person's life expectancy; when
3		comparing life expectancy in Chicago's Austin neighborhood to
4		the Chicago Loop, there is a difference of 11 years between
5		Black life expectancy of 71 years and white life expectancy of
6		82 years; and
7		WHEREAS, The devastation gun violence inflicts on Black
8		teens and adults is a crisis that should be a top priority for
9		policymakers; a critical part of ending the gun violence
10		epidemic will involve reducing homicides in the Black
11		community; and
12		WHEREAS, Wrap around services are needed to address the
13		impact of gun violence and prevent future gun violence;
14		medical care, including safety net hospitals, mental health
15		treatment, including inpatient and outpatient behavioral
16		health, affordable housing, economic empowerment such as jobs,
17		childcare, and cultural awareness, and nutrition, including
18		access to healthy and affordable food, education, and public
19		safety are the basic essentials of a quality life; services
20		must be accessible, and education and awareness efforts about
21		available services must be offered; and
22		WHEREAS, Many violence and gun violence prevention

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1		programs and services are in existence, including trauma
2		centers, wrap around services, family resource centers, RPSA,
3		R3-ICEJA, coordinated care for various co-morbidities, medical
4		treatment, mental health crisis, public health crisis, burial
5		assistance, and grantee income programs; these programs and
6		services make up a significant investment in public safety and
7		trauma recovery in the 2023 budget; with all of this in place,
8		violence and gun violence are still at public health crisis
9		levels, and more must be done; therefore, be it
10		RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
11		HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
12		as the General Assembly works to ban assault weapons it should
13		also endeavor to provide victim services before and after acts
14		of violence; and be it further
15		RESOLVED, That the General Assembly should strive to
16		provide consistent appropriation for State agencies to provide
17		support systems that wrap around the basic essentials of life
18		and reduce violence occurring in communities; and be it
19		further
20		RESOLVED, That this approach to violence and gun violence
21		needs to be addressed through a comprehensive approach and a
22		lens of equity that includes but is not limited to
23		communications and messaging, education and training,

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1		treatment and counseling, grantee income programs, trauma
2		centers and family resource centers, affordable housing and
3		healthcare, community engagement and leadership, outreach and
4		awareness, and wrap around services and community health
5		workers; and be it further
6		RESOLVED, That the General Assembly herein voices its
7		support for continued appropriations intended to stem the
8		ever-rising incidents of violence in Illinois, including but
9		not limited to medical and mental health services, training
10		and education, trauma informed treatment and care, economic
11		investments for victims of gun violence and their families,
12		and communications messaging on how to access resources.