- Details
- By Native News Online Staff
President Joe Biden signed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act into law on Saturday morning, June 25, 2022. The law is the most comprehensive gun control piece of legislation in almost three decades.
The House of Representatives on Friday approved the legislation by a 234-193 margin, as 14 Republicans joined all Democrats. On Thursday, the Senate passed its version of the bill on Thursday with a final vote of 65 to 33, with 15 Republicans voting in favor of the legislation.
Citing the numerous shootings across America during the past two decades, President Biden said Americans have been calling for action.
"From Columbine to Sandy Hook, to Charleston, Orlando, Las Vegas, Parkland, El Paso, Atlanta, Buffalo, Uvalde, and for the shootings that happen every day in the streets that are mass shootings -- and we don't even hear about them, the number of people killed every day in the streets -- their message to us was: “Do something.” How many times we heard that? “Just do something.” For God's sake, just do something," Biden said.
The new law is intended to keep guns out of dangerous people’s hands by closing the so-called boyfriend loophole and restricting gun ownership for domestic violence offenders who are not married to their partners.
The law will set up grants for states to encourage red-flag laws, which allows a means for law enforcement, relatives, and friends to seek courts to order the removal of a gun if an individual is deemed dangerous.
Another key provision of the law enhances screening for gun buyers under the age of 21, and crack down on illegal gun purchases and trafficking.
The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act provides billions of dollars in additional funding for school safety and mental health resources.
More Stories Like This
House Passes Bipartisan Debt Ceiling Deal; How Native American Members of Congress VotedHistory Made as First Navajo Appointed U.S. Federal Judge in California
California Bill Aims to Increase State Funding for Tribal Housing
Navajo Nation Leaders Recognized the Fallen on Memorial Day
This Day in History — May 28, 1830, Andrew Jackson Signs Indian Removal Act
Native News is free to read.
We hope you enjoyed the story you've just read. For the past dozen years, we’ve covered the most important news stories that are usually overlooked by other media. From the protests at Standing Rock and the rise of the American Indian Movement (AIM), to the ongoing epidemic of Murdered and Missing Indigenous People (MMIP) and the past-due reckoning related to assimilation, cultural genocide and Indian Boarding Schools.
Our news is free for everyone to read, but it is not free to produce. That’s why we’re asking you to make a donation to help support our efforts. Any contribution — big or small — helps. Most readers donate between $10 and $25 to help us cover the costs of salaries, travel and maintaining our digital platforms. If you’re in a position to do so, we ask you to consider making a recurring donation of $12 per month to join the Founder's Circle. All donations help us remain a force for change in Indian Country and tell the stories that are so often ignored, erased or overlooked.
Donate to Native News Online today and support independent Indigenous journalism. Thank you.
