H.R. 1307: Office of Gun Violence Prevention Act of 2025
Sponsor
Maxwell Frost
Democrat · FL-10
Bill Progress
Latest Action · Feb 13, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Democrats want a permanent DOJ gun violence office
Why it matters
132 House Democrats want to plant a permanent gun violence office inside the Justice Department — one with a director, an advisory council, and a yearly report to Congress. Zero Republicans have signed on. The bill has been sitting in House Judiciary since February 13, 2025, with no hearing scheduled.
H.R. 1307 would create the Office of Gun Violence Prevention inside the Justice Department's Office of Legal Policy. The Attorney General would appoint a director responsible for coordinating gun violence work already happening across DOJ — including ATF, U.S. Attorneys, the FBI's federal background check system, the Office on Violence Against Women, and the Office for Victims of Crime.
The bill is notable for what it doesn't do. It adds no new criminal penalties, doesn't restrict firearm ownership, and doesn't touch background check rules. It's a coordination, research, and education bill — not a new restrictions bill.
The office would also have a public-facing role. It would run education campaigns aimed at firearm owners, parents, and professionals who work with communities most affected by gun violence, with a specific focus on safe storage and suicide prevention. After mass shootings, school shootings, gang-related shootings, or domestic violence shootings, the office would help affected communities access mental health services, crisis-response training, and anti-trafficking support.
Politically, the bill carries 132 Democratic cosponsors and zero Republicans. House Judiciary, controlled by Republicans, has not held a hearing or advanced the bill since its February 2025 introduction. Supporters argue a permanent DOJ office would outlast individual administrations. Skeptics question whether it duplicates existing DOJ work or could expand into broader gun-control advocacy down the line.
H.R. 1307 Bill Summary
What H.R. 1307 actually does.
A single director runs DOJ's gun violence work
The Attorney General must establish the Office of Gun Violence Prevention inside DOJ's Office of Legal Policy and appoint a director to lead it.
Coordinates ATF, FBI background checks, and victim services
The director would unify gun violence work across ATF, U.S. Attorneys, the federal background check system (NICS), the Office on Violence Against Women, the Office for Victims of Crime, and the Office of Justice Programs.
Annual report to Congress on the state of gun violence
Within one year of enactment and every year after, the director must report to Congress on gun violence in the U.S., policy recommendations, and the office's activities.
Advisory council of survivors, doctors, teachers, and veterans
The council would include 12 senior DOJ officials plus at least 12 outside members — survivors of gun violence, public health officials, trauma physicians, mental health clinicians, state justice officials, teachers, student-group members, and veterans.
Public education on safe storage and suicide prevention
The office would run education campaigns directed at firearm owners, parents and legal guardians of minors, and professionals who serve communities most affected by gun violence.
Crisis support for communities after shootings
After mass, school, gang-related, or domestic violence shootings, the office would help connect affected communities to mental health services, anti-gun-trafficking support, crisis-response training for first responders, and suicide prevention resources.
Who benefits from H.R. 1307?
Communities hit by shootings
Direct DOJ assistance with mental health services, crisis-response training, and anti-trafficking support after mass, school, gang-related, or domestic violence shootings — not a phone tree across multiple agencies.
Survivors, victims, and families
Better navigation across DOJ victim services. The Office for Victims of Crime, the Office on Violence Against Women, and U.S. Attorney victim coordinators would all answer to one coordinating director.
Researchers and public health experts
The bill requires the office to identify gaps in gun violence data, build a plan to fill them, and set a comprehensive DOJ research agenda on what causes gun violence and what reduces it.
Parents, guardians, and firearm owners
Federal education on safe storage and suicide prevention — without new criminal penalties or new restrictions on owning firearms.
Who is affected by H.R. 1307?
DOJ leadership and components
ATF, the FBI, U.S. Attorneys, the Office of Justice Programs, victim services offices, and other DOJ components would face centralized coordination and oversight on gun violence work, with the director sitting inside the Office of Legal Policy.
14 federal agencies outside DOJ
HHS, VA, Education, HUD, Commerce, DHS, Defense, Interior, Labor, Agriculture, SBA, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the FTC, and the U.S. Sentencing Commission would all be expected to coordinate with the new office.
Future administrations
An office written into statute, with staff, mandates, and annual reporting requirements, is harder to dismantle administratively than one created by executive action.
Congress
Both chambers would receive yearly reports and policy recommendations from the director, which could shape future legislation or oversight.
What Congress Is Saying
H.R. 1307 hasn't been debated on the floor yet.
This section updates when a legislator speaks about it on the floor or in committee.
HR1307 Legislative Journey
House: Committee Action
Feb 13, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
About the Sponsor
Maxwell Frost
Democrat, Florida's 10th congressional district · 3 years in Congress
Committees: Oversight and Government Reform, Transportation and Infrastructure
View full profile →
Cosponsors (132)
All 132 cosponsors are Democrats. Cosponsors represent 35 states: Alabama, Arizona, California, and 32 more.
Adam Smith
Democrat · WA
Adriano Espaillat
Democrat · NY
Al Green
Democrat · TX
Andrea Salinas
Democrat · OR
Becca Balint
Democrat · VT
Bennie Thompson
Democrat · MS
Chellie Pingree
Democrat · ME
Christopher Deluzio
Democrat · PA
Jesús García
Democrat · IL
CLEO FIELDS
Democrat · LA
Daniel Goldman
Democrat · NY
Danny Davis
Democrat · IL
Cosponsor Coverage Map
Committee Sponsors
Judiciary Committee
15 of 42 committee members cosponsored
3 Democrats across this committee haven't cosponsored yet. Mobilize their constituents
H.R. 1307 Quick Facts
- Committee
- Judiciary
- Chamber
- House
- Policy
- Crime and Law Enforcement
- Introduced
- Feb 13, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Feb 13, 2025
Official Sources
Official bill text, cosponsors, and legislative history for the Office of Gun Violence Prevention Act of 2025
The DOJ division where the new Office of Gun Violence Prevention would be established under this bill
The federal firearms background check system that the new office would help coordinate
ATF is one of the primary DOJ components whose gun violence work would be coordinated by the new office
DOJ office addressing domestic violence — the bill requires the new office to coordinate with OVW on gun violence involving domestic violence
DOJ office providing victim services — the bill tasks the new office with connecting shooting-affected communities to victim support resources
BJS publishes the federal government's primary gun violence data; the bill requires the new office to identify data gaps and build a research agenda
H.R. 1307 Common Questions
Does H.R. 1307 ban or restrict guns?
No. The bill creates a coordination office and runs public education campaigns. It adds no new criminal penalties, doesn't restrict firearm ownership, and doesn't change background check rules. It's a structural bill, not a new restrictions bill.
Has H.R. 1307 passed?
No. The bill was introduced February 13, 2025 and referred to the House Judiciary Committee. The Republican-controlled committee has not held a hearing or advanced the bill. It carries 132 Democratic cosponsors and zero Republicans.
How is the new office different from the ATF?
ATF enforces federal firearms laws and traces guns used in crimes. The Office of Gun Violence Prevention would sit inside DOJ's Office of Legal Policy and coordinate ATF's work with the FBI's background check system, U.S. Attorneys, and victim services — adding research, public education, and a yearly report to Congress.
Does H.R. 1307 include funding?
The bill authorizes 'such sums as necessary' but sets no specific dollar amount. Actual funding would have to come through a separate appropriations bill, meaning the office could be created on paper but starved of resources.
Who would sit on the gun violence advisory council?
Twelve senior DOJ officials — including the Deputy Attorney General, ATF director, and FBI director — plus at least 12 outside members: survivors of gun violence, public health officials, trauma physicians, mental health clinicians, teachers, students, and veterans.
Does H.R. 1307 cover suicide?
Yes. The bill defines 'gun violence' to include attempted suicide, suicide, and unintentional firearm deaths or injuries — not just homicides. The office would specifically run public education campaigns on suicide prevention.
Who would the office be required to teach about safe storage?
Firearm owners, parents and legal guardians of minors, and professionals who serve communities disproportionately affected by gun violence. Public education must specifically cover secure storage and suicide prevention.
Does the bill help communities after a mass shooting?
Yes. The director would help communities affected by mass, school, gang-related, or domestic violence shootings access mental health services, anti-trafficking support, crisis-response training for first responders, and suicide prevention resources.
Based on H.R. 1307 bill text
H.R. 1307 Bill Text
“To establish the Office of Gun Violence Prevention, and for other purposes.”
Source: U.S. Government Publishing Office
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