NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN)— It's a new approach to combatting gun violence.
The White House announced that states could begin using Medicaid to fund violence intervention programs and one Tennessee lawmaker has taken notice.
"Tennessee is having a horrible problem with gun violence," said State Representative Caleb Hemmer. "These are bipartisan things. These are things that we know are really, really bad in our state and we're really trying to improve upon them."
Hemmer took part in a White House briefing focused on using Medicaid resources to combat the gun violence epidemic.
"If we can provide those resources, then that's something the state is really trying to be a leader on," Hemmer said.
In September, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris announced that states have the right to choose to use Medicaid to pay a healthcare provider for counseling parents and caregivers on firearm safety and injury prevention. The initiative would also allow for Medicaid to be used for violence intervention programs.
"It's really important to learn best practices from other states and also [implement] these innovative, new programs that are coming through the state so we can have funds to actually impact these problems that we are trying to solve," Hemmer added.
At least seven states have passed laws approving the use of Medicaid money for gun violence prevention. Hemmer's push to learn more about the program comes after seeing how gun violence impacted his district earlier this year.
In June, a fight between teens escalated into a shooting at the Red Caboose Park in Bellevue. A 13-year-old boy was killed and his 16-year-old sister was rushed to the hospital.
"If it wasn't for him, I really wouldn't be standing here right now," the victim's sister, Rayray Hayes, said during a vigil earlier this year. "So, as I think about that about that day every day, every night before I go to sleep. and it's hard."
In order to access the money, Tennessee has to pass a law first. Hemmer said that he plans to bring it up during the next legislative session, which starts in January.