The Center for Gun Violence Research Act establishes a dedicated research center in Pennsylvania to address the public health crisis of gun violence. The center will be administered by a university selected by the Governor and will focus on conducting independent, nonpartisan academic research on gun violence. Its mission includes providing policymakers with scientific evidence to develop effective gun violence prevention policies and programs. The act emphasizes the need for state-funded research to fill the gap left by the reduction of federal funding for gun violence research due to the Dickey Amendment.

The center will collaborate with various state and local entities to evaluate and implement innovative gun violence prevention strategies. It will conduct interdisciplinary research covering the nature, consequences, and prevention of gun violence, as well as the effectiveness of existing laws. The General Assembly is tasked with providing annual funding for the center, which may also award competitive grants to nonprofit organizations for additional research. The center is required to maintain a publicly accessible website to share its findings and reports with the Governor and the General Assembly biennially.