Gun violence: public health crisis.

Under existing law, the Department of Justice is responsible for carrying out several functions related to the sale, delivery, and transfer of firearms, including maintaining a centralized list of all persons licensed to sell firearms and inspecting firearms dealers. Existing law requests the Regents of the University of California to establish the California Firearm Violence Research Center at UC Davis to conduct research with a mission to provide the scientific evidence on which sound firearm violence prevention policies can be based. Existing law requires that various data relating to crimes and firearms be made available to researchers affiliated with the research center, and that, at the Department of Justice's discretion, that information be made available to any other public agency concerned with the study and prevention of violence. This bill would declare that it is established policy of the state that gun violence is required to be recognized and addressed as a public health crisis, as specified. The bill would require all relevant state agencies, including the Department of Justice, to consider this state policy when revising, adopting, or establishing polices, regulations, and grant criteria, or making any expenditures related to the prevention of gun violence and increasing community safety. The bill would also create the Office of Gun Violence Prevention within the Department of Justice with the goal of developing a strategy, through collaboration with the Board of State and Community Corrections and other specified community members, to identify causes of gun violence in communities and to incorporate a public health approach to improve social determinants of health for communities most affected by gun violence. The bill would require the Office of Gun Violence Prevention to create a plan of action for how the Department of Justice and Board of State and Community Corrections will incorporate a public health approach to their gun violence prevention-related programs and services. The bill would require the office to submit the plan to the Legislature no later than July 1, 2023.