California could soon join a national effort to track violent deaths after lawmakers Tuesday approved legislation that calls for the creation of a statewide database.
The Assembly voted 53-14 for a bill that would task the California Department of Public Health to create and manage a California Electronic Violent Death Reporting System.
“Violence can be prevented when we have data to understand what drives violent deaths, and we’ll be able to address the root of the problem,” Assemblymember Cheryl R. Brown, D-San Bernardino, said on the floor before the vote.
The bill by state Sen. Dr. Richard Pan, D-Sacramento, would require the department to collect data on violent deaths as reported by death certificates, law enforcement reports, coroner or medical examiner reports, and other sources.
SB 877 would require the department to also post a summary and analysis of the data on its website in an effort to discover information that could help prevent and reduce violent deaths.
“As a doctor, I’ve seen the horrors of gun violence first-hand, and prevention begins with collecting and analyzing the data,” Pan said in a news release after the vote.
The bill also would require the state to participate in a similar national database that supporters say will help inform decision-makers about the magnitude, trends and characteristics of violent deaths in a particular state or community.
California in the past participated in the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS), a federal program that collects data on violent deaths. But, the state hasn’t done so since 2008 because of lack of funding.
There was no debate on the measure, and it now goes back to the Senate for concurrence.
