WASHINGTON D.C. – Today, Congressman Andy Kim (NJ-03) voted for the final piece of a package of legislation to reduce gun violence in America by instituting a federal red flag law to prevent individuals who pose a danger to themselves or others from obtaining firearms, prohibiting bump stocks and high-capacity magazines, ensuring safe storage, banning ghost guns, and raising the minimum age to purchase a semi-automatic rifle to 21. This is the first time in history that Congress has ever advanced many of these common sense solutions to gun violence in a bipartisan way.
“Progress isn’t inevitable and inaction was unacceptable. Yesterday I saw moms, students, and public servants of both parties rejecting the idea that gun violence is intrinsic to who we are as Americans,” said Congressman Kim. “I am especially glad that we did this in a bipartisan way. I know not everyone agrees with me on what to do about gun violence. But I hope everyone agrees that something needs to be done to protect our kids and communities. I hope my colleagues in the Senate take up this meaningful legislation and keep Americans safe from senseless gun violence.”
Today, Congressman Kim voted to pass the Federal Extreme Risk Protection Order Act, a bill that would create a federal red flag law. Nineteen states and the District of Columbia already have red flag laws that are designed to preempt incidents of gun violence by empowering third parties, including concerned family members and law enforcement officials, to petition a court to issue an “extreme risk” protective order barring firearm sales to individuals thought to be a threat. Congressman Kim is a cosponsor of this bill.
Yesterday, Congressman Kim voted to pass the Protecting Our Kids Act, a bill that would raise the purchasing age for certain semi-automatic weapons from 18 to 21 years old, crack down on gun trafficking, close the ghost gun loophole, strengthen safe storage requirements for guns, and outlaw bump stocks and high-capacity magazines for civilian use.
Major provisions within the Protecting Our Kids Act include:
Title I – The Raise the Age Act
Raises the lawful age to purchase certain semi-automatic centerfire rifles and shotguns from 18 to 21 years old.
Title II – The Prevent Gun Trafficking Act
Establishes new federal offenses for gun trafficking and for the use of “straw purchasers.”
Title III – The Untraceable Firearms Act
Closes the ghost gun loophole so that that untraceable 3D printed or artificially manufactured firearms that lack serial numbers are subject to existing federal firearm regulation.
Title IV – Safe Storage
- The presence of unsecured firearms in the home increases the risk of unintentional and intentional shooting, particularly when there are children in the home. More than75 percent of firearms used in youth suicide attempts and unintentional firearm injuries were stored in the residence of the victim, a relative, or a friend.
- Ethan’s Law
- Sets federal standards for safe gun storage on residential premises and provides incentives to states to create and implement safe gun storage laws.
- The Safe Guns, Safe Kids ActImposes a penalty of up to 5 years in prison if a child or a resident who is ineligible to possess a firearm accesses an unsecured firearm and causes injury or death.
- The Kimberly Vaughan Firearm Safe Storage ActRequires the Attorney General to establish best practices for the safe storage of firearms and requires most firearms to include a label that says, “Safe Storage Saves Lives” and directs people to a website with these best practices.
Title V – The Closing the Bump Stock Loophole Act
Defines bump stocks and lists them under the National Firearms Act so that they are regulated the same as machine guns. A bump stock is a device that, when added to a semi-automatic firearm, allows the firearm to shoot more than one shot with a single pull of the trigger.
Title VI – The Keep Americans Safe Act
Prohibits the importation, sale, manufacture, transfer, or possession of high-capacity magazines, or those that hold more than 15 rounds of ammunition.
Title VII – Miscellaneous
- Instructs the Attorney General to report annually on the demographic data of persons who were determined to be ineligible to purchase a firearm based on the background check performed by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, including race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, gender, age, disability, average annual income, and English language proficiency, if available.
In 2022, there have already been more than 200 mass shootings in America. Every day, 30 Americans are killed by someone using a gun, and that number jumps to more than 100 when suicides are factored in. There have been nearly 50 mass shootings since the May 14 shooting that killed ten shoppers at a grocery store in Buffalo, NY. Ten days later 21 people were killed, including 19 students, at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, TX. June is Gun Violence Awareness Month.
Congressman Kim is a member of the House Armed Services Committee, the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and the House Committee on Small Business. He has previously cosponsored and voted in support of HR8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act and HR1446, the Enhanced Background Checks Act. He is a cosponsor of the Disarm Hate Act, the Extreme Risk Protection Act, the Assault Weapons Ban of 2021, and the Federal Firearm Licensee Act. More information about Congressman Kim can be found on his website by clicking here.
Original source found here.
