President Joe Biden has announced a set of 13 actions his Administration has taken or will soon take to reduce gun violence by maximizing the benefits of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA).
Biden announced these measures in an op-ed published in USA Today to mark the first anniversary of the Buffalo mass shooting.
The White House, in partnership with the Department Of Justice, will convene state and local law enforcement leaders to solicit their collaboration on BSCA implementation priorities, such as: 1) increasing state and local law enforcement agencies’ response rates to enhanced background check inquiries when someone under age 21 tries to purchase a gun; and 2) ensuring that arrest and adjudication records include additional documentation of dating relationships to keep more guns out of the hands of domestic abusers.
The White House, in partnership with DOJ, will convene state legislators and governors’ offices, urging them to enact laws allowing the federal background check system to access all records that could prohibit someone under age 21 from purchasing a firearm.
DOJ is working with state and territory governments and local law enforcement agencies to increase their response rates to the federal background check system inquiries when someone under age 21 tries to purchase a gun.
The Secretaries of HHS and ED will urge governors to use BSCA and Medicaid’s funding to help schools address the trauma and mental health challenges resulting from gun violence.
HHS will educate health and social service providers, community leaders, and other individuals on the effects that gun violence trauma can have on communities.
The Department of Homeland Security will launch a dedicated public campaign to bring greater awareness to SchoolSafety.gov and its available resources and evidence-based practices. The campaign will be geared towards K-12 leaders, school administrators, teachers, school personnel, and parents and legal guardians.
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