First major federal gun safety legislation passed in the US, just Biden’s signature left

The federal gun safety legislation passed by the Senate earlier in the week was passed by the House of Representatives, which means that all that is now needed is Joe Biden’s signature to sign the bill into law.

The vote on June 24 saw the gun safety legislation passed by a narrow majority after 14 Republican representatives sided with Democrats, resulting in a final tally of 234 for and 193 against.

The bill, one of the most contentious in the gun-happy US, was approved just one day after it made it through the Senate. The bill, which goes to President Joe Biden for his approval, is expected to be signed by no later than Saturday.

The bill will not only see some changes to the way guns are bought and ownership approved but will release millions of dollars for mental health, school safety, crisis intervention programs and incentives for states to include juvenile records in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.

Perhaps most importantly the bill makes some significant changes to the process involved in buying a gun, although many of the provisions considered by the Democrats to be more important, were stripped out to ensure approval.

The new changes include the so-call “boyfriend loophole” which will prevent someone who has a history of violence against a spouse, partner or lover from owning a gun. It also ups the background checks for 18 to 21-year-olds making it more difficult for this group to acquire weapons.

The bill falls well short of what the Democrats and many others wanted to achieve, but it has been hailed as a small but important step in the right direction.

The fourteen House Republicans who voted for the gun safety bill are::

1. Liz Cheney of Wyoming
2. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois
3. Tom Rice of South Carolina
4. John Katko of New York
5. Maria Salazar of Florida
6. Chris Jacobs of New York
7. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania
8. Peter Meijer of Michigan
9. Fred Upton of Michigan
10. Tony Gonzales of Texas
11. Steve Chabot of Ohio
12. Mike Turner of Ohio
13. David Joyce of Ohio
14. Anthony Gonzalez of Ohio

The law isn’t retroactive but it will allow those convicted of misdemeanour domestic violence crimes to restore their gun rights after five years, assuming they haven’t committed other crimes.

The bill also goes after those individuals who sell guns as primary sources of income but who have previously evaded registering as federally licensed firearms dealers.

Considered a big change in the US with the first major federal gun safety legislation passed, but for the rest of the Western World, they will be left scratching their heads at the notion the bill is of any significance.

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