Major Federal Gun Law Signed By Biden

NEW YORK — Days after the Supreme Court struck down a 108-year-old law restricting gun permits in the Empire State, to the ire of Governor Kathy Hochul and many other elected officials, President Joe Biden signed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act on Saturday.

Many lawmakers, including New York's top executive officer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, consider it to be the most significant gun safety law passed in the last 30 years.

The legislation would require young people ages 21 and under to undergo enhanced background checks, it narrows the boyfriend loophole in domestic violence cases, provides funding for states with Red Flag laws and more.

“I’d like to thank members of the House and Senate for working to get the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act done, and the families I’ve met with who lost loved ones to gun violence” Biden posted via Twitter. “They led the way so other families won’t have to experience the pain they had to live through.”

Hochul agrees.

"For far too long, this country has been plagued by an epidemic of mass violence, taking the lives of members of our own community in Buffalo and innocent school children in Uvalde, Texas,” Hochul said.

“While the bill does not take every action we need, it is an important step in the right direction. Strengthening federal background checks, criminalizing straw purchasing and gun trafficking, closing the boyfriend loophole and investing in our children's mental health are significant steps that will immediately save lives.”

The enhanced background checks for people 21 and under will include a review of juvenile mental health records for individuals 16 and older seeking to purchase firearms, according to the White House. The boyfriend loophole, which in the past allowed those in “dating relationships” or intimate or non-spousal partners who were convicted of abuse access to guns, will prohibit those people convicted of a misdemeanor for domestic violence from purchasing or possessing a firearm for five years.

States that have Red Flag laws, which prevent people who are at risk of hurting others or themselves from purchasing or possessing a gun, will be able to allocate funds toward risk protection order programs, drug courts and other crisis intervention programs, according to the White House. To further strengthen gun safety, there will also be an investment of $250 million in community violence intervention and prevention initiatives and $100 million to help the National Criminal Instant Background Check System continue the work.

Hochul said that she would do everything in her power to protect New Yorkers by buttressing gun safety in the state.

"Just weeks after the white supremacist act of terror in Buffalo, we moved swiftly to pass a landmark, nation-leading legislative package to strengthen our gun safety laws. The comprehensive, 10-bill package prevents those under the age of 21 from purchasing semi-automatic rifles, expands the Red Flag Law, puts restrictions on the sale of body armor and provides new tools for law enforcement,” added Hochul. “Following this week's flawed decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, my team is working around the clock to explore every possible action, and we are convening an extraordinary session of the New York State legislature on June 30 to pass new gun safety legislation.

"I urge Congress to follow our lead, and take further actions to make the nation safer for all,” said Hochul.

According to a Facts Page on the bill by Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s website, the legislation does not completely close the boyfriend loophole, because a convicted domestic violence abuser can purchase or possess a gun again after the five-year limitation so long as another crime is not committed in that window; red flag laws will not be implemented nationally; mental health checks for youth or young adults who want to buy firearms are not mandated; and it is not a measure for universal background checks.

Gillibrand shared Hochul’s sentiments.

“I am grateful that President Biden … signed into law the first major gun safety legislation in nearly 30 years … the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act also included major provisions from my own legislation to crack down on criminal networks and make gun trafficking a federal crime,” Gillibrand said in a statement. “Thousands of men, women and children are dying every year from guns. And more than ever before we need common-sense gun safety legislation to stem the tide of this senselessly common problem. While we still have more to do, this legislation is an important step forward that will keep our communities safe now and in the future.”