By Michelle Hackman 

WASHINGTON -- Congress paved the way for a resumption of public-health research into gun violence by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one of several measures inserted in a broad spending bill to address the Parkland, Fla., school shooting.

In a victory for Democrats, the provision will partially alter the 1996 ban, known as the "Dickey Amendment," which the CDC has interpreted as a blanket prohibition on gun-violence research. The legislation will explicitly allow the agency to conduct public-health research on gun use, though it would still be barred from advocating tighter gun control.

Supporters of the Dickey provision say it ensures that the federal government doesn't become enmeshed in a contentious political issue. But Democrats and some centrist Republicans contend that the amendment has had a chilling effect on scientific research into the issue, interfering with a greater understanding of the causes of gun violence.

A senior Republican aide said the measure doesn't reverse the Dickey Amendment, but rather clarifies that it allows research to continue.

The change is one of several gun measures Congress will include in its spending package, which it must pass by Friday night to avoid a partial federal shutdown. Lawmakers have also agreed to include a bipartisan measure strengthening federal background checks and boosting funding for school security and mental health.

The moves were applauded by education advocates and school districts, which have spent years lobbying for increased federal dollars to supplement dwindling school budgets.

But the measures will likely do little to quell continued calls from advocates for greater gun control -- including vocal Parkland students -- who hoped to see stronger measures that they say are key to preventing future mass shootings.

Congressional leaders also agreed to include legislation from Sens. John Cornyn (R., Texas) and Chris Murphy (D., Conn.) dubbed "Fix NICS," which encourages state and federal agencies to submit conviction records to the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System, or NICS.

Most other gun-safety proposals supported by Democrats -- including expanded background checks, a higher minimum age for rifle purchases and a ban on assault-style weapons -- face an uphill battle in Congress, where nearly all Republicans and some red-state Democrats oppose them.

The bill will also include $1.1 billion this year to help pay for mental-health and school safety programs, including hiring school psychologists or counselors.

It will also authorize up to $100 million a year on other initiatives, such as violence-prevention training for teachers and students. That funding can't be spent on arming teachers, a measure the Trump administration had sought but had caused bipartisan unease.

"The fact that schools are going to get a meaningful amount of money -- that's significant," said Kelly Vaillancourt, director of government relations at the National Association of School Psychologists. But, she added, "we don't want Congress to now wipe their hands and say, 'We've addressed school safety.' "

The package reflects the sustained pressure from activists, particularly students and parents from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., whose organizing has prompted a renewed national discussion of school violence and gun safety. Last week, more than a million students across the country walked out of their schools in a coordinated gesture to protest government inaction on gun control.

On Saturday -- the date by which Congress must pass its spending bill to avoid a partial government shutdown -- hundreds of thousands of people are expected to come to Washington to attend a rally that organizers have called the "March for Our Lives."

Gun-rights activists, however, say the emotional reaction to the Parkland shooting shouldn't lead to laws that deprive responsible gun owners of their rights. A better response, they say, is greater attention to mental health, school-security funding, and enforcement of existing gun laws.

Earlier this week, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos announced the composition of a federal commission on school safety that President Donald Trump formed as part of his administration's response to the Parkland massacre. The commission, which will meet for the first time next month, will comprise secretaries from the Departments of Justice, Health and Human Services and Homeland Security.

Education activists have accused Mrs. DeVos of reneging on a promise to involve educators and other school-safety experts.

Write to Michelle Hackman at Michelle.Hackman@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

March 21, 2018 20:22 ET (00:22 GMT)

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