It has been decades since serious gun legislation was passed and the bipartisan gun violence bill in the Senate is historic in many ways.
The Senate Reaches A Bipartisan Agreement On Gun Violence Proposal
Here is what the bill negotiated by US. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), Cory Booker (D- N.J.), Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Angus King (I-Maine), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Mitt Romney (R-Utah), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), and Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) does:
Support for State Crisis Intervention Orders
- Provides resources to states and tribes to create and administer laws that help ensure deadly weapons are kept out of the hands of individuals whom a court has determined to be a significant danger to themselves or others, consistent with state and federal due process and constitutional protections.
Investment in Children and Family Mental Health Services
- National expansion of community behavioral health center model; major investments to increase access to mental health and suicide prevention programs; and other support services available in the community, including crisis and trauma intervention and recovery.
Protections for Victims of Domestic Violence
- Convicted domestic violence abusers and individuals subject to domestic violence restraining orders are included in NICS, including those who have or have had a continuing relationship of a romantic or intimate nature.
Funding for School-Based Mental Health and Supportive Services
- Invests in programs to expand mental health and supportive services in schools, including: early identification and intervention programs and school based mental health and wrap-around services.
Funding for School Safety Resources
- Invests in programs to help institute safety measures in and around primary and secondary schools, support school violence prevention efforts and provide training to school personnel and students.
Clarification of Definition of Federally Licensed Firearms Dealer
- Cracks down on criminals who illegally evade licensing requirements.
Telehealth Investments
- Invests in programs that increase access to mental and behavioral health services for youth and families in crisis via telehealth.
Under 21 Enhanced Review Process
- For buyers under 21 years of age, requires an investigative period to review juvenile and mental health records, including checks with state databases and local law enforcement.
Penalties for Straw Purchasing
Cracks down on criminals who illegally straw purchase and traffic guns.
The Bipartisan Proposal Has Support From 10 Republican Senators
The first to notice when examing the proposal is that it already has ten Republican Senators on board, so there will be no filibuster to block the legislation. If the final legislation is written like the proposal, it will fly through the Senate.
The Enhanced Protection For Domestic Violence Victims Will Save Lives.
PoliticusUSA’s Sarah Jones wrote about the connections between domestic violence, guns, and mass shootings, “50 women are shot to death by an intimate partner every month. The fact is there is a five time higher probability that a victim of domestic abuse won’t live to report it if the abuser has a gun. Of the mass shootings that occurred between 2009 and 2015, 57 percent of the shooters killed intimate partners or other family members.”
For Democrats, The Senate Gun Proposal Agreement Is Progress
The agreement is historic, because for the first time in decades, Democrats have made serious progress on gun violence legislation. It is incremental progress, but if one of these changes promotes a single mass shooting, it will be worth it.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
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