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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, Gun violence in America is the leading cause of |
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death among children and teens and the 13th leading cause of death |
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among all ages; and |
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WHEREAS, Each year, more than 39,000 people in the United |
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States die as a result of gun violence, or about 109 every day, |
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according to the Centers for Disease Control National Center for |
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Injury Prevention and Control; tens of thousands more suffer gun |
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injuries that are nonfatal but too often prove life-changing; and |
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WHEREAS, In Texas, someone is killed with a gun every three |
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hours, and guns are the state's third-leading cause of death for |
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children aged 1 to 17; guns make domestic violence incidents far |
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more likely to end in fatalities, and more than 60 percent of |
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intimate partner homicides involve a firearm; and |
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WHEREAS, Guns are a significant danger to Texans suffering |
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from suicidal ideation; 60 percent of all suicides involve |
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firearms, and the percentage is even higher for veterans who commit |
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suicide; tragically, attempts of suicide by firearm in this country |
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result in death 85 percent of the time, compared to just three |
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percent for other methods, such as drug overdose; the vast majority |
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of people who survive an attempted suicide do not try again; and |
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WHEREAS, Capable of inflicting serious or deadly injuries on |
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many people in a short time, firearms have vast potential to amplify |
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violence; the nation saw 418 mass shootings in 2019 alone, |
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resulting in the deaths of more than 460 people and injury to over |
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1,700; Texas has witnessed numerous such incidents in recent years, |
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including the 2017 Sutherland Springs church shooting, which |
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claimed 26 lives and left 20 people wounded; the next year, a |
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17-year-old student killed 10 and injured 10 at Santa Fe High |
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School; 2019 brought even more devastation; in early August, a |
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gunman murdered 23 and wounded a further 23 at an El Paso Walmart, |
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and before the month was out, another shooter went on a rampage in |
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Midland-Odessa, murdering seven and injuring 25; and |
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WHEREAS, People who survive a firearm-related injury may |
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experience severe long-term consequences, ranging from paralysis |
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and other physical disabilities to problems with memory, thinking, |
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and emotions, as well as chronic mental health conditions such as |
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post-traumatic stress disorder; the effects of firearm violence |
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extend beyond victims and their families, and mass shooting |
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incidents can affect the sense of safety and security of entire |
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communities and impact everyday decisions; the National Center for |
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PTSD estimates that 28 percent of people who have witnessed a mass |
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shooting develop the illness, while about a third develop acute |
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stress disorder; incidents of mass violence have an enormous |
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behavioral health impact on most people, whether they are |
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survivors, witnesses, or exposed through mass media; moreover, |
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active shooter drills in schools, implemented widely in response to |
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mass shootings, are associated with increases in depression, |
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stress, anxiety, and physiological problems among students, their |
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teachers, and their parents; and |
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WHEREAS, The economic impact of firearm violence is |
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substantial as well; in 2015 alone, it cost the U.S. $229 billion; |
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gun violence imposes myriad burdens on society, including work |
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loss, medical and mental health care, emergency transportation, |
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police and criminal justice activities, insurance claims |
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processing, employer costs, and decreased quality of life; and |
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WHEREAS, Gun violence is not inevitable, as shown by other |
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wealthy nations with gun homicide rates vastly lower than ours; the |
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United States has a deeply rooted culture of gun violence that has |
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not received the same sustained, data-driven attention and |
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government investment as other public health problems, including |
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motor vehicle accidents and HIV/AIDS; in addressing those threats, |
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scientific research informed a comprehensive public health |
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response that dramatically shifted their trajectory; and |
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WHEREAS, The size, complexity, and grave social and economic |
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consequences of the gun violence epidemic demand a similarly |
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comprehensive, science-based approach; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 87th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby declare gun violence a public health crisis. |