White House Announces Executive Actions Enhancing Gun Violence Prevention

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on Sept. 26 announced actions,including an executive order, directing several federal agencies to enhance gun violence prevention. Among several other provisions, the administration stated that in October, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will announce that states may choose to use Medicaid to reimburse health professionals for counseling parents and caregivers on firearm safety and injury prevention. In addition, the CMS will work with states to communicate to health care providers that they can be reimbursed through Medicaid for violence intervention programs. As part of this effort, the Department of Justice will announce an additional $85 million in funding through the Community Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative, including for hospital-based violence interventions.

The announcement also included actions regarding extreme risk protection orders, school-based active shooter drills, and actions to combat emerging firearm threats, among others.