LAMB SUPPORTS BIPARTISAN GUN CONTROL LEGISLATION

(WASHINGTON, DC) – Today Representative Conor Lamb (PA-17) voted to pass The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (S. 2938).

“This legislation is an important step toward reducing gun violence,” said Lamb.  “This commonsense package will make schools safer and reduce the impact of gun violence in southwestern Pennsylvania and across the country.  Nothing in this bill will infringe on anyone’s gun rights or hunting.  I look forward to the President signing this bill into law as soon as possible.”

 The legislation includes the following gun safety provisions:

• Supports State Crisis Intervention Orders: Provides $750 million for states to create and administer laws that will ensure deadly weapons are kept out of the hands of individuals determined by a court to be a significant danger to themselves or others, and for extreme risk protection orders that have sufficient due process.
• Protects Victims of Domestic Violence by Closing the Boyfriend Loophole: Adds convicted domestic violence abusers in dating relationships to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS).
• Bans Gun Trafficking & Cracking Down on Straw Purchases: Cracks down on criminals who illegally evade licensing requirements and clarifies which sellers need to register, conduct background checks, and keep appropriate records, and creates federal straw purchasing and trafficking criminal offenses for the first time, allowing prosecutors to target dangerous illegal gunrunners.
• Enhanced Background Checks for People Under 21: Requires an investigative period to review juvenile and mental health records, including checks with state databases and local law enforcement, for buyers under 21 years of age, creating an enhanced, longer background check of up to ten days.
• Anti-Violence Community Initiatives: Provides $250 million in funding for community-based violence prevention initiatives.
• Invests in Children & Family Mental Health Services: Supports the national expansion of community behavioral health center model; improves access to mental health services for children, youth, and families through the Medicaid program and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP); increases access to mental health services for youth and families in crisis via telehealth; and provides major investments at the Department of Health and Human Services to programs that expand provider training in mental health, support suicide prevention, crisis and trauma intervention and recovery
• Invests in Safe Schools: Invests in programs to expand mental health and supportive services in schools, including: early identification and intervention programs; school-based mental health and wrap-around services; improvements to school-wide learning conditions; and school safety.

The bill will now be sent to the President for his signature.

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