HB2777 Summary

• Establishes the Impact of Crime-related Violence on Public Health Research Center to be administered by the University of Illinois Board of Trustees to conduct research on crime-related violence prevention.

• Center shall conduct basic, translational, and transformative research on the effectiveness of existing laws and policies intended to reduce crime-related violence, including criminal misuse of weapons.

• Creates the Impact of Crime-related Violence on Public Health Research Center Fund as a special fund in the state treasury, which receives fees, gifts, grants, and donations to support the Center's research and activities.

• Requires the Center to administer a small grants program for crime-related violence research awarded through competitive peer review based on scientific merit, modeled on the National Institutes of Health grantmaking process.

• Mandates the University of Illinois submit programmatic and financial reports to the General Assembly and Governor by December 31, 2019, and every five years thereafter, detailing grants, accomplishments, and future direction.