What do I propose to fight gun violence?

I’m glad you asked. The following list comprises 30 gun safety bills that I have cosponsored in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. No one bill is a complete answer to gun violence, but taken together – or even one by one – these bills could help save lives.

For schools

H.R. 784 P.N. 3222: Rep. Corr (R). Creation of a select committee to investigate school violence. Referred to EDUCATION, April 2, 2018 [House]

HB 2165 P.N. 3201: Rep. Frankel (D). Will establish a 21-person commission, comprised of parents, teachers, school board members, school administrators, mental health professionals, and law enforcement. The committee will review laws, policies, and practices in place and make recommendations to reduce the probability of mass-casualty violence at our schools in the future. (safety advisory committee). Referred to EDUCATION, March 26, 2018 [House]

HB 2143 P.N. 3181: Rep. Miller (D). Require our school-based police and security officers to receive enhanced training to assist them with interacting with students, especially children with a mental health diagnosis, a disability, or those who suffer from trauma. Referred to EDUCATION, March 15, 2018 [House]

HB 2057 P.N. 2988: Rep. Boback (R). The first provision would mandate that all schools conduct a school safety drill within the first 90 days to prepare for these potential situations. The second provision requires that all schools equip their school buildings with a minimum of two panic buttons: one button to be placed in the principal’s office, and the other inconspicuously and strategically in the main administration office so office personnel would have access to during a violent or life-threatening emergency situation. Referred to EDUCATION, Feb. 5, 2018 [House]

For Mental Health

H.R. 804 P.N. 3263: Rep. Kampf (R). Calling on the Joint State Government Commission to convene an advisory committee of experts and stakeholders to study the diagnostic and treatment systems currently available for people with mental health concerns who are under the age of 21. Referred to HEALTH, April 6, 2018 [House]

HB 2109 P.N. 3040: Rep. McCarter (D). Authorize the issuance of firearm restraining orders. Provide a mechanism for families, friends and others to petition the court for a firearm restraining order when there is good cause to believe an individual poses an immediate threat to the safety of a family or household member, or other person by possessing a firearm, other weapon, or ammunition. Referred to JUDICIARY, Feb. 26, 2018 [House]

HB 22 P.N. 35: Rep. O’Brien (D). Prohibit the possession of firearms by individuals who have been ordered to undergo involuntary mental health treatment on an outpatient basis. Referred to JUDICIARY, Jan. 23, 2017 [House]

At home

HB 1505 P.N. 1924: Rep. Brown (D). An Act providing for child firearm safety lock mechanisms; and prescribing penalties. Referred to JUDICIARY, June 6, 2017 [House]

HB1635 P.N. 2181: Rep. Briggs (D). Require owners of firearms to store them securely if children are present. Failure to comply will result in criminal penalties. These penalties will not only be enforced if a crime with the firearm occurs, but the owners can be charged with a summary offense if a child is found in possession of a firearm. Legislation of this kind is often referred to as “Child Access Prevention.” Referred to JUDICIARY, June 28, 2017 [House]

During sales, background checks and registration/ licensing

HB 2249 P.N. 3306: Rep. Murt (R). Eliminate the “gun show loophole,” and add a new provision to allow for a single background check that would remain valid for 48 hours for use at gun shows across the Commonwealth. Referred to JUDICIARY, April 10, 2018 [House]

HB 1709 P.N. 2294: Rep. Kinsey (D). Requires any individual who would like to purchase a firearm to first receive safety training from an instructor who has been certified by the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP). Purchasers would then be required to take a written objective test covering firearm laws and safety. Referred to JUDICIARY, Aug. 16, 2017 [House]

HB 1423 P.N. 1791: Rep. Barrar (R). Making materially false statements on the state and federal forms required or providing false identification for the purchase of a firearm is a felony of the third degree. Referred to JUDICIARY, May 22, 2017 [House]

HB 680 P.N. 731: Rep. Cruz (D). Creates a new firearm eligibility license. The legislation would require an individual to be at least 21 years of age, complete an application, live in Pennsylvania, complete a firearms safety-training course within the last three years, and not be prohibited by law from purchasing or possessing a firearm. Referred to JUDICIARY, March 3, 2017 [House]

HB 682 P.N. 733: Rep. Cruz (D). Require that individuals seeking to rent a firearm at a shooting range undergo a yearly application process that includes a background check. Referred to JUDICIARY, March 3, 2017 [House]

HB 657 P.N. 696: Rep. Cruz (D). Require that individuals seeking to rent a firearm at a shooting range undergo a yearly application process that includes a background check. Referred to JUDICIARY, Feb. 28, 2017 [House]

HB 528 P.N. 555: Rep. Warren (D). Prohibit anyone who is currently named on the federal terrorist watch list, which includes the no-fly list, from purchasing or possessing a firearm in Pennsylvania. Referred to JUDICIARY, Feb. 17, 2017 [House]

For assault weapons and conversion devices

HB 2216 P.N. 3233: Rep. Kampf (R). Ban high-capacity magazines and conversion devices, like bump-stocks, used to create a machine-gun effect. Referred to JUDICIARY, April 2, 2018 [House]

HB 2170 3211: Rep. Schweyer (D). Ban the sale or possession of assault weapons for individuals under the age of 21. Referred to JUDICIARY, March 27, 2018 [House]

HB 1872 P.N. 2618: Rep. Dean (D). Updates the state’s definition of “offensive weapons” to include “multiburst trigger activators.” Referred to JUDICIARY, Oct. 23, 2017 [House]

HB 194 P.N. 159: Rep. Gainey (D). Effectively ban the possession, purchase, transfer, use or manufacture of an assault weapon. Referred to JUDICIARY, Jan. 24, 2017 [House]

In cases of domestic abuse

HB 2097 P.N. 3026: Rep. Dawkins (D). Create a statewide notification system to alert victims of domestic violence, the general public, and law enforcement agencies when a known domestic violence abuser attempts to purchase or transfer a gun at a licensed firearms dealer. Referred to JUDICIARY, Feb. 16, 2018 [House]

HB 2060 P.N. 3035: Rep. Quinn (R). This targeted amendment is designed to limit the third-party safekeeping options available to convicted domestic abusers. Under this legislation an individual found guilty and sentenced before a judge would be required to relinquish any and all firearms in their possession narrowing the window of time in which convicted abusers would have to relinquish their weapons from 60 days to 48 hours for an individual convicted of the misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. The defendant would be prohibited from turning over their weapons to a family member or friend and instead would be required to relinquish them to law enforcement, an authorized gun dealer or an attorney. Referred to JUDICIARY, Feb. 26, 2018 [House]

HB 2223 P.N. 3281: Rep. Davis (D). Bolster protections for domestic violence victims by requiring any person convicted of domestic violence or against whom a Protection from Abuse (PFA) order is granted to surrender all firearms, ammunition and firearms licenses to a county sheriff, a law enforcement agency, or to Federal Firearms Licensed dealer within 24 hours. In addition, the legislation would prohibit third-party safekeeping of firearms by a family member or friend. Finally, under the legislation, police would have limited authority to search for and seize firearms from those offenders who deny ownership. Referred to JUDICIARY, April 6, 2018 [House]

For ammunition

HB 2112 P.N. 3042: Rep. Boyle (D). Prohibit the sale, offering and exposing for sale, use, purchase, possession and control of a large capacity ammunition magazine – which is defined as an automatic ammunition feeding device capable of accepting more than 15 rounds of ammunition or 5 shotgun shells. Referred to JUDICIARY, Feb. 26, 2018 [House]

HB 1115 P.N. 1320: Rep. Sims (D). Regulate the sale of ammunition in the same way that firearm sales are currently regulated. Referred to JUDICIARY, April 10, 2017 [House]

Other Gun Reform Bills

H.R. 837 P.N. 3342: Rep. Gainey (D). Directing the Joint State Government Commission to establish an advisory committee to conduct a study on gun violence as a public health crisis and issue a report of its findings and recommendations to the House of Representatives. Referred to JUDICIARY, April 16, 2018 [House]

HB 2227 P.N. 3344: Rep. Stephens (R). Make it easier for relatives to get a court order taking firearms away from people deemed a danger to themselves or society (ERPO). Referred to JUDICIARY, April 16, 2018 [House]

HB 832 P.N. 914: Rep. Dean (D). Require any owner or other person lawfully in possession of a firearm who suffers the loss or theft of a weapon to report it to law enforcement within 72 hours of the discovery. If a person fails to do so, he or she will be charged with a summary offense. Referred to JUDICIARY, March 13, 2017 [House]

HB 1771 P.N. 2393: Rep. Cruz (D). Establish the Pennsylvania Gun Buyback Program and the Pennsylvania Gun Buyback Program Fund. Referred to JUDICIARY, Sept. 11, 2017 [House]

HB 273 P.N. 231: Rep. Donatucci (D). Establish a voluntary firearm purchase self-exclusion list to be maintained by the Pennsylvania State Police. Referred to JUDICIARY, Jan. 31, 2017 [House]