For two decades, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has supposedly been blocked from conducting research into the health effects of gun violence by a budget amendment. HHS Secretary Alex Azar has a different opinion, telling members of Congress Thursday he would allow the CDC to conduct research which doesn’t veer into advocacy.

The budget provision, which has been included in federal budgets since 1996, states: "None of the funds made available in this title may be used, in whole or in part, to advocate or promote gun control.”

Speaking before the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Azar said his interpretation is the provision only prevents the CDC from using federal funds for advocacy, not from researching gun violence at all.

“We believe we've got a very important mission with our work with serious mental illness as well as our ability to do research on the causes of violence and the causes behind tragedies like this,” he said, referencing the shooting at a Florida school on Tuesday which left 17 people dead. “So that is a priority for us.”

When pressed by Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Florida, on whether he’d be “proactive” on the issue, Azar said, “We certainly will.”

Healthcare groups have started advocating for gun violence research in recent years. Delegates for the American Medical Association passed a resolution in 2016 supporting such research at the CDC, along with endorsing gun control measures like background checks and waiting periods for all gun buyers.

AMA President David Barbe, MD, said the group agrees with Azar’s position on the scope of the research restrictions, calling gun violence “a public health crisis" which should be researched immediately.

“As in any urgent public health threat, we cannot devise effective solutions until we have a deeper understanding of the underlying causes that prompt gun violence,” Barbe said in a statement. “With more than 30,000 Americans dying each year from gun violence and firearm-related accidents, the time to act is now.”