RCW 9.41.113: A Health Impact Assessment
Introduction
Gun violence is the leading cause of premature death in the United States1 and a serious public health problem in Washington State. The Brady Act is a federal law that requires all firearm sales or transfers be subject to a background check unless specifically exempted by state or federal law2. Washington State incorporates this into state law under RCW 9.41.113, and requires firearms dealers to use NICS, the Washington State Patrol electronic database, the Department of Social and Health Services’ electronic database, and other agencies or resources as appropriate when processing firearm transactions2. However, one caveat to this law is that if the background check is not completed within …show more content…
The main source of information will come from police records regarding gun violence and homicides. These will be provided by local and state law enforcement agencies. Another source of information will be hospital records. Using ICD Code W34.00, information regarding patients with gun-shot wounds will be pulled from the system and available to analyze. This will allow researchers to see how many people are admitted to the hospital with gunshot wounds or other related gun injuries. Death certificates provided by the state will also be an important source of information, as they will allow researchers to see the total number of people that have lost their life to a gun. The State and County Health Departments also collect and provide statistics related to guns, as well as offer education and information to the public. Stratifying the data provided by these sources by age, gender, race, and location will allow researchers to delve deeper and see how different groups are disproportionately affected by gun …show more content…
The current three day period is not long enough for many background checks to go through, and many people are able to get their hands on a firearm before it is discovered that they are ineligible. In addition, many suicides and mass shootings are impulsive acts, and having interested gun-owners wait out the necessary time for a background check will reduce gun-related incidents.
Report
This assessment will be reported to state and local policymakers in the form of quantitative facts and figures. Recommendations and suggestions will be provided, and policymakers can weigh the costs and benefits of keeping the current law, or updating it to remove the three day wait period. Other key stakeholders, such as communities with high rates of gun-violence, law enforcement agencies and gun-dealers, will be included so they can communicate their thoughts and feelings to policymakers before a final decision is made.
Introduction
Gun violence is the leading cause of premature death in the United States1 and a serious public health problem in Washington State. The Brady Act is a federal law that requires all firearm sales or transfers be subject to a background check unless specifically exempted by state or federal law2. Washington State incorporates this into state law under RCW 9.41.113, and requires firearms dealers to use NICS, the Washington State Patrol electronic database, the Department of Social and Health Services’ electronic database, and other agencies or resources as appropriate when processing firearm transactions2. However, one caveat to this law is that if the background check is not completed within …show more content…
The main source of information will come from police records regarding gun violence and homicides. These will be provided by local and state law enforcement agencies. Another source of information will be hospital records. Using ICD Code W34.00, information regarding patients with gun-shot wounds will be pulled from the system and available to analyze. This will allow researchers to see how many people are admitted to the hospital with gunshot wounds or other related gun injuries. Death certificates provided by the state will also be an important source of information, as they will allow researchers to see the total number of people that have lost their life to a gun. The State and County Health Departments also collect and provide statistics related to guns, as well as offer education and information to the public. Stratifying the data provided by these sources by age, gender, race, and location will allow researchers to delve deeper and see how different groups are disproportionately affected by gun …show more content…
The current three day period is not long enough for many background checks to go through, and many people are able to get their hands on a firearm before it is discovered that they are ineligible. In addition, many suicides and mass shootings are impulsive acts, and having interested gun-owners wait out the necessary time for a background check will reduce gun-related incidents.
Report
This assessment will be reported to state and local policymakers in the form of quantitative facts and figures. Recommendations and suggestions will be provided, and policymakers can weigh the costs and benefits of keeping the current law, or updating it to remove the three day wait period. Other key stakeholders, such as communities with high rates of gun-violence, law enforcement agencies and gun-dealers, will be included so they can communicate their thoughts and feelings to policymakers before a final decision is made.