A North Carolina congresswoman wants the federal government to build a centralized database of gun violence research. Supporters say it would help policymakers and the public access data. Critics say it risks turning taxpayers into sponsors of gun-control advocacy.
Rep. Valerie Foushee (D-N.C.) introduced the Gun Violence Prevention and Public Safety Database Act of 2026, which would direct the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to establish and maintain a publicly accessible online database of gun violence-related research.
According to Foushee, the goal is to give Americans access to “credible, data-driven research” that can help communities understand the causes of violent crime and identify effective public safety solutions.
The legislation would require the CDC to compile findings from federal public health data systems, peer-reviewed studies, research organizations, and reports issued by local, state, and federal government agencies.
The bill is backed by gun-control organizations including Brady, Everytown for Gun Safety, and the Safe States Alliance.
“Communities across our country have suffered from the devastating impact of gun violence for far too long,” Foushee said in announcing the legislation. “The Gun Violence Prevention and Public Safety Database Act will help ensure that every American has access to credible, data-driven research needed to understand the root causes of gun violence.”
Not surprisingly, the proposal is already drawing sharp criticism from the firearms industry.
In a commentary reacting to the bill, NSSF’s Matt Manda argued that the database would function less as a neutral research tool and more as a government-backed platform for gun-control advocacy.
“The problem begins when advocacy groups define the terms, select the data, frame the conclusion and then demand government validation,” Manda wrote. Garbage in, garbage out — so to speak.
NSSF also pointed to the bill’s endorsements from Brady and Everytown as evidence that the effort is designed to support a particular policy agenda rather than simply organize information.
The organization expressed concern that federal officials would ultimately decide which studies receive the credibility of a CDC platform, allowing lawmakers, activists, and media outlets to cite the database as authoritative support for additional gun-control proposals.
Manda also argued that some commonly cited gun-control data sets have faced criticism over definitions used for terms such as “mass shootings” and other firearm-related statistics. According to NSSF, a federal database could amplify those disputes by placing contested research under a government umbrella.
For now, the legislation faces long odds in Congress. With Republicans controlling the House, the bill is unlikely to advance in its current form.
What do you think? Do you believe we need a centralized database of research to tell us what causes violence in our society?
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