Whereas firearm-related deaths are now the leading cause of death in United States children;

Whereas, in 2023, more than 46,000 people were shot and killed in the United States, an average of more than 128 people every day, 8 of whom were children and teens;

Whereas 6.7 million children in the United States live in homes with loaded and unlocked guns;

Whereas, more than 80 percent of guns used by youth in suicide attempts were kept in the home of the victim, a relative, or a friend, and over 90 percent of guns used in accidental shootings of children that resulted in death were left unlocked and loaded;

Whereas, in approximately 76 percent of school shootings by a student, the gun was brought from their home or the home of a family member and owned by an adult family member;

Whereas the ASK Campaign encourages parents to add a question to a conversation before their child visits other homes, Is there a gun in your house?, and follow affirmative answers with, Is it locked and unloaded?;

Whereas asking these simple questions about gun safety before sending your child to visit or play at another home could help save your child’s life;

Whereas asking these questions will raise awareness of the need for secure storage of guns in the home as a proven effective preventative safety measure;

Whereas asking these questions will prevent incidents of family fire, in which an improperly stored or misused gun results in injury or death;

Whereas the ASK Campaign was first established with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) in 2000 and is currently administered by the Brady Campaign;

Whereas the president of the AAP has said, Keeping children and teens safe from preventable injuries is one of the most important things we do as pediatricians.;

Whereas, a November 2017 Government Accountability Office report, Personal Firearms: Programs that Promote Safe Storage and Research on Their Effectiveness, identified 16 public or nonprofit programs that promote secure gun storage, including the ASK program, and reported that the ASK program was the only national program to be evaluated and validated as effective;

Whereas June 21, the first day of summer, the season in which kids typically spend more time at a friend’s or family member’s home, has traditionally been designated as National ASK Day;

Whereas the Brady Center and Campaign, its more than 100 chapters in a majority of States throughout the Nation, and its many local, State, and national partners come together to highlight the ASK Campaign each year in communities across the Nation; and

Whereas June 21 is designated by national organizations, as well as various local and State governments, including State legislatures, as the 26th annual National ASK Day: Now, therefore, be it