WASHINGTON – The Senate is debating a bipartisan bill aimed at keeping weapons out of the hands of dangerous people, a product of compromise that could lead to the most substantial gun safety legislation in decades.
The law on bipartisan safer communities, written by a small group of Republicans and Democrats after a series of mass shootings, will improve checks on gun buyers between the ages of 18 and 21, encourage states to pass red flag laws that allow them to be temporarily confiscated. firearms from people considered dangerous and provide hundreds of millions of dollars for mental health and safety at school. It will also extend to dating partners a federal law that prohibits domestic abusers from buying guns.
A trial vote on Thursday signaled the measure had more than enough support to pass through an evenly divided Senate after 15 Republicans crossed party lines to support its consideration, pushing it away from fraud. A final vote on the adoption is expected no later than Thursday night.
The 80-page bill does not meet the strictest gun control measures Democrats have long sought, but its passage will still be a remarkable breakthrough after years of impasse in Congress to tackle gun violence in the United States. To win Republicans, Democrats had to drop some of their broader proposals, many of which passed in the House of Representatives but stopped in the Senate amid Republican opposition.
Here’s a look at what’s in the bill – and what’s missing.
Improved checks for younger gun buyers
Juvenile files, including those on mental health, will be required for the first time in criminal checks for potential buyers of weapons under the age of 21, and authorities will have more time to carry out checks – 10 days compared to the current three .
Under the law, federal authorities will have to check with local law enforcement and review government records to determine if the prospective buyer has a criminal or mental history of minors, which would disqualify them from purchasing a weapon. If they find such a record, they will turn it over to the FBI for further investigation.
What was missed: The proposal is far from complying with legislation passed by the Chamber, which prohibits anyone under the age of 21 from buying a semi-automatic weapon.
Democrats also agreed to allow the requirement to intensify scrutiny of younger buyers to expire after 10 years, leaving future congresses to bargain on whether they should be extended. Such a “sunset” provision allowed the federal ban on assault weapons, adopted in 1994, to be lifted in 2004, to the horror of Democrats, who never managed to gather enough support to revive it.
And there is a limit to how long the authorities could get to the buyer’s mental health history; such records from before a potential buyer turns 16 cannot disqualify them from purchasing a weapon.
Incentives for countries to implement red flag laws
The bill will provide $ 750 million in federal money to states that create so-called red flag laws that allow weapons to be temporarily confiscated from people the judge considers dangerous. Funding designed to encourage the adoption of such measures would also support the establishment of crisis court programs.
What was missed: Democrats wanted to go beyond providing incentives to states and adopt a federal red flag measure passed by the House that would allow weapons to be taken from anyone a federal judge deems dangerous.
Closing the “boyfriend door”
One of the bill’s latest difficulties was the provision to tighten federal law to keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers. This will extend the current law, which prohibits people convicted of domestic violence or subject to a restraining order for domestic violence from buying weapons. The current law applies only to people who are married or have lived with the victim or have a child with her.
The legislation will include other intimate partners, closing what has become known as the “boyfriend door”.
What was missed: Democrats wanted a total ban, but in talks with Republicans, they agreed to allow some violators to regain the opportunity to buy weapons. If a person is a first-time offender and the crime is a violent crime, the ban will disappear five years after the end of his sentence, as long as he has not committed other violent crimes. Negotiators also agreed not to make the provision retroactively, obeying another request from Republicans.
Funding for mental health and safety at school
The bill will allocate billions of dollars to schools and communities to expand mental health programs. Funding also aims to increase safety in schools. The bill provides $ 300 million over five years for violence-targeted school safety programs that will fund school staff and increase security in schools. In addition, funding will go to training school staff and adults who interact with minors to respond to mental health problems.
What was missed: Republicans insisted that the bill be kept as low as possible. The measure will cost a total of 13.2 billion dollars.
Stricter penalties for illegal purchases
The bill will violate “straw buyers” or people who buy weapons for those who do not meet the requirements. No current law explicitly prohibits these buyers or illegal arms trafficking, so prosecutors rely on people to make false statements about buying weapons.
The bill provides for up to 15 years in prison or 25 years if firearms are used in connection with serious criminal activity such as drug trafficking or terrorism. It will also provide resources to help prevent and investigate these purchases.
What was missed: The bill does not include broader measures to impose universal inspections or ban the sale of high-capacity magazines. Republicans also said they refused to consider a mandatory waiting period for the sale of weapons or a requirement for a license to purchase weapons of attack.
Annie Carney contributed to the report.
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