What We're Learning

Evidence for Action (E4A) funds research evaluating the population health, wellbeing, and racial equity impacts of programs, policies, and practices. What We're Learning is a repository of media pieces, research articles, presentations, reports, and other materials highlighting E4A supported research and findings. Sort by topic or resource type. 

Topics
Type
Handguns and bullets on a table.
Handgun waiting periods, firearm permits, prohibition of firearm possession by a person convicted of a violent misdemeanor, and firearm relinquishment programs led to a lower percentage of in-state gun ownership and a lower chance that recovered guns were from an in-state source, suggesting guns tend to move from states with fewer restrictions into states with more restrictions.
Published Research resource
17 states require gun relinquishment for people under domestic violence restraining orders. If all 50 states did 120 lives would be saved every year. 9 states have "may issue" laws that give authorities some (vs. none) discretion in issuing concealed carry permits. If all 50 states did 885 lives would be saved.
Hundreds of lives could be saved each year if all states required people under domestic violence restraining orders to relinquish their firearms and instituted may issue laws, giving authorities some level of discretion over the issuance of concealed carry permits.
Briefs, Reports, and Infographics resource
Handguns and bullets on a table.
A recently created database tracks state-level firearm-related laws from 1991 to 2016. The database shows that while the overall number of laws has increased during that time, the number of laws varies a great deal from state to state, with some states adding a large number of laws over the year and other states not adding a single one.
Published Research resource
Number of firearm laws by state.
Access to firearms varies from state to state. The State Firearm Laws Database includes information on the laws in place in each of the 50 states and DC and the website highlights some of the things you can learn from the database.
Commentaries resource

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