What the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention Has Accomplished In Its First Year
On September 21, 2023, President Biden established the first-ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention. Gun violence prevention groups, advocates, legislators, and survivors of gun violence had long requested that the White House create an office dedicated to preventing gun violence.
What is the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention?
The White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention (WHOGVP) helps coordinate federal gun violence prevention efforts. It also helps state and local governments do the same.
Vice President Kamala Harris oversees the WHOGVP. It is tasked with four key responsibilities:
- Coordinating the federal response to mass shootings and concentrations of community gun violence;
- Expanding state and local partnerships to help reduce gun violence;
- Developing and implementing executive actions on gun safety to save lives; and
- Implementing the landmark Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA) and other federal gun violence prevention laws.
Responding to crisis
On October 25, 2023, 18 people were killed and 13 people were injured when a gunman opened fire on a bowling alley, then a bar, in Lewiston, Maine.
In the days following the shooting, WHOGVP Deputy Director Greg Jackson traveled to Lewiston to coordinate the federal government’s emergency response efforts.
In Lewiston, the WHOGVP helped with burial costs for the victims of the shooting. It also helped set up a “family and victim assistance center.” Community members could receive information and help there in the days after the shooting.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has deployed law enforcement and FBI victim services to impacted communities following a mass shooting. Jackson built the WHOGVP crisis response strategy off of this foundation.
In addition to the DOJ and FBI resources, the WHOGVP now:
- Connects with local officials to identify survivor and victim needs;
- Works with federal agencies to identify available resources for impacted communities; and
- Can be a contact for officials on the ground to help coordinate with federal agencies.
On April 19, 2024, the WHOGVP formally announced this emergency response protocol. The WHOGVP and federal agencies will use this protocol after mass shootings or sharp increases in community violence.
State and local partnerships
The WHOGVP has brought together survivors, industry leaders, and federal agencies. It informs these stakeholders about federal resources available to address gun violence.
These include:
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Improving Job Opportunities
On February 28, 2024, the WHOGVP hosted a roundtable with Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff and the Department of Labor. They discussed the connection between employment and violence prevention.
The Department of Labor provides up to $85 million of funding annually to programs that support:
- Employment opportunity services;
- Skill development;
- Educational support and job training; and
- Youth mentorship in communities impacted by gun violence and poverty.
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Mothers Impacted by Gun Violence
On March 25, 2024, the WHOGVP heard from mothers affected by gun violence. These women also lead victim service and survivor support organizations in their communities.
The WHOGVP shared resources that are available to victims and survivors of a shooting or a violent crime. It also heard from the mothers who have been directly impacted, who spoke about:
- Their personal experiences with gun violence;
- How they are working to help survivors and victims of gun violence in their communities;
- Barriers they’ve encountered when trying to access resources to aid their work; and
- The resources and efforts still needed to address the epidemic of gun violence.
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Healthcare Professionals and Systems
In June 2024, the WHOGVP convened health systems and hospitals to discuss public health solutions to gun violence. It was the first time the White House had done so.
The next day, the WHOGVP held the “White Coats at the White House” event. There, 80 medical workers discussed how the public health crisis of gun violence impacts them personally and professionally. This WHOGVP gathering also included gun violence survivors and organizations working to address gun violence through a public health lens.
Implementing executive actions and BSCA
The White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention has played a key role in supporting the violence prevention efforts of the Biden-Harris Administration. The WHOGVP has helped to implement gun safety priorities such as:
The Safer States Initiative
On December 13, 2023, Vice President Kamala Harris launched the Biden-Harris Administration’s Safer States Initiative. The initiative provides states with the tools and support they need to reduce gun violence and save lives.
States are encouraged to prioritize gun safety through measures such as:
- Create a state-level office of gun violence prevention;
- Work to prevent and respond to gun violence by prioritizing evidence-based solutions like Extreme Risk Protection Orders; and
- Encourage responsible gun ownership through measures like secure storage.
In July 2024, the WHOGVP brought together over 30 leaders from 16 states as part of this agenda. The convening discussed:
- Gun violence prevention strategies that have helped to decrease the rate of homicide across the country;
- How to collaborate with local, state, and federal offices to reduce gun violence;
- Why it is important to raise awareness about gun violence prevention efforts; and
- What federal resources are available to state-level offices of gun violence prevention.
Executive Action on Secure Firearm Storage
On January 25, 2024, the Biden-Harris Administration announced three executive actions to promote secure storage and protect children:
- The Department of Education sent a letter to school principals across the country. This letter discusses how secure firearm storage can protect students—both in school and in their communities.
- The Department of Education gave principals and other school leaders a template to connect with parents, guardians, and families about secure firearm storage.
- The Department of Justice issued “the most comprehensive guide” ever released on secure storage of firearms. The guide includes types of storage devices and best practices for secure storage.
The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act
BSCA includes significant funding for improved mental health support, particularly in schools. Thanks to BSCA funding, the Department of Education has awarded more than $280 million to help hire and train school mental health professionals.
In February, the WHOGVP hosted a briefing with the Department of Education and historically Black colleges and universities. It highlighted two recent Department of Education grants to help educational institutions increase mental health support staff in schools.
BSCA also provides $250 million in funding for community-based violence prevention initiatives. In February 2024, the WHOGVP put these on full display as it marked Community Violence Awareness Week. This week highlighted the disproportionate impact gun violence has on marginalized communities. It also centered the leaders and programs working on community-level solutions to the crisis of gun violence.
Many of these leaders gathered in person for the week’s closing ceremony. Vice President Harris and the WHOGVP recognized the inaugural graduating cohort of the University of Chicago Crime Lab’s Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy.
Notably, BSCA also redefined what it means to be “engaged in the business” of dealing in firearms—what makes someone who sells guns need to obtain a dealer license to do so. This is important because, under federal law, only licensed dealers are required to run background checks on their customers. In April 2024, the Biden-Harris Administration announced a new rule to help provide clear guidance to gun sellers on the conduct that makes them “engaged in the business” of firearms dealing and, thus, requires them to get a license and conduct background checks. Learn more about the final rule here.
“Today, as the head of the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, I am proud to say that all gun dealers must conduct background checks no matter where or how they sell.”
—Vice President Kamala Harris, 4/11/2024
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