An Act establishing a Firearm Violence Research Center and supplementing chapter 65 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. The Legislature finds and declares that:

a. Firearm violence is a major public health and safety problem in New Jersey and throughout the United States. Both nationally and in New Jersey, death rates due to firearm-related injuries have remained essentially unchanged for more than a decade.

b. In 2014, there were 468 firearm-related deaths in New Jersey. On average, 300 to 400 homicides occur per year in New Jersey, and firearms are used in two-thirds of them. Suicides involving a firearm also account for a significant portion of firearm-related deaths in the State.

c. Although the rate of firearm-related deaths in New Jersey is below the national average, the numbers are not low enough. In local communities where firearm violence is a frequent occurrence, the very structure of daily life is affected.

d. Too little is known about firearm violence and prevention, and not enough research has been done. The crucial need for more sophisticated research, and for more support for the research, is readily apparent.

e. Federal funding for firearm violence research through the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been virtually eliminated since 1996, leaving a major gap that must be filled by other sources.

2. a. There is established a Firearm Violence Research Center, hereinafter referred to as the center, at Rutgers, The State University. The purpose of the center shall be to carry out interdisciplinary research activities that address the causes, prevention, and reduction of firearm-related violence.

b. The center shall conduct basic, translational, and transformative research with a mission to provide the scientific evidence on which sound firearm violence prevention policies and programs may be based. The center's research shall include, but need not be limited to, the following:

(1) the nature of firearm violence, including individual and societal determinants of risk for involvement in firearm violence, whether as a victim or a perpetrator;

(2) the individual, community, and societal consequences of firearm violence;

(3) prevention and treatment of firearm violence at the individual, community, and societal levels;

(4) the effectiveness of existing laws and policies intended to reduce firearm violence, including the criminal misuse of firearms; and

(5) efforts to promote the responsible ownership and use of firearms.

c. The center shall work on a continuing basis with State policymakers to identify, implement, and evaluate innovative firearm violence prevention policies and programs.

d. To help ensure a successful, long-term effort to understand and prevent firearm violence, the center shall recruit and provide specialized training opportunities for new researchers, including experienced investigators in related fields who are beginning work on firearm violence, young investigators who have completed their education, postdoctoral scholars, doctoral students, and undergraduates.

e. As a supplement to its own research, the center may administer a small grant program for research on firearm violence. Research funds under the grant program shall be awarded on the basis of scientific merit as determined by an open, competitive peer review process that assures objectivity, consistency, and high quality. The peer review process shall be modeled on the process used by the National Institutes of Health in its grant-making process. All qualified investigators, regardless of institutional affiliation, shall have equal access and opportunity to compete for research funds under the grant program.

3. State departments and agencies including, but not limited to, the Department of Health, the Department of Law and Public Safety, the New Jersey State Police, the Department of Human Services, and the Motor Vehicle Commission, shall provide to the center, upon request, the data necessary for the center to conduct its research.

4. One year following the establishment of the Firearm Violence Research Center, and every five years thereafter, Rutgers, The State University shall submit a report to the Governor, and to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), regarding the work of the center. The report shall include, but not be limited to, information on the center's current research projects, the amount and sources of funding utilized, and the future direction of the center's research. If the center administers a grant program for firearm violence research, the report also shall include information on the grants made, pending grants, and accomplishments of the program.

5. The center and any recipients of grants awarded by the center shall provide copies of their research publications to the Governor, to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), and to any State departments or agencies that supplied data used in connection with that research, as soon as practicable following publication.

6. a. The Legislature shall annually appropriate such amounts as are necessary to fund the research activities of the Firearm Violence Research Center and the functioning of the center.

b. The center may solicit and accept any grants, gifts, donations, or other additional funds from public or private sources, which may be available for research related to firearm violence.

7. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This bill establishes a Firearm Violence Research Center at Rutgers, The State University for the purpose of carrying out interdisciplinary research activities that address the causes, prevention, and reduction of firearm-related violence.

The center will conduct basic, translational, and transformative research with a mission to provide the scientific evidence on which sound firearm violence prevention policies and programs may be based. The center's research will include, but is not limited to, the following:

(1) the nature of firearm violence, including individual and societal determinants of risk for involvement in firearm violence, whether as a victim or a perpetrator;

(2) the individual, community, and societal consequences of firearm violence;

(3) prevention and treatment of firearm violence at the individual, community, and societal levels;

(4) the effectiveness of existing laws and policies intended to reduce firearm violence, including the criminal misuse of firearms; and

(5) efforts to promote the responsible ownership and use of firearms.

In furtherance of its goals, the center will work on a continuing basis with Sate policymakers to identify, implement, and evaluate innovative firearm violence prevention policies and programs. The center will also recruit and provide specialized training opportunities for new researchers.

The bill authorizes the center, in addition to its own research, to administer a small grant program for research on firearm violence. Research funds under the grant program will be awarded on the basis of scientific merit under a competitive peer review process, and all qualified investigators will have an equal opportunity to compete for grant funds.

The bill requires Rutgers to submit a report on the work of the center to the Governor and the Legislature one year following the establishment of the center, and every five years thereafter. The report must include information on the center's current research projects, funding utilized, and the future direction of its research. If the center administers a grant program, the report will also include information on the grants awarded and the program's accomplishments. In addition, the center and any recipients of grants awarded by the center will provide copies of their research publications to the Governor, the Legislature, and any State departments or agencies that supplied data used in connection with the research.

Under the bill, the Firearm Violence Research Center will be funded through an annual appropriation by the Legislature, and by any grants, gifts, donations, or other additional funds received by the center from public or private sources for research related to firearm violence.