The US Senate passed a bipartisan bill on Thursday to address the gun violence situation in the country, regarded as the first noteworthy federal gun safety legislation in years.
A major bipartisan victory on one of the nation's most controversial policy matters was achieved when the legislation garnered a final vote of 65 to 33, with 15 Republicans joining Democrats in support.
Before getting submitted to President Joe Biden to be signed into law, the legislation will go to the House for a vote.
President Biden urged a quick vote on the legislation following a series of mass shootings across the country, per BBC.
"Tonight, after 28 years of inaction, bipartisan members of Congress came together to heed the call of families across the country and passed legislation to address the scourge of gun violence in our communities," he remarked.
Stricter Gun Safety Regulations
The bipartisan gun measure includes the allotment of millions of dollars to crisis intervention programs, mental health services, school safety, and incentives for states to add juvenile records to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, according to a report from CNN.
Despite not deliberately banning any weapons and falling far short of what Democrats and polls indicate the majority of Americans expect, the package equates to the most significant new federal measures to curb gun violence since the assault weapons ban in 1994, which expired after 10 years. Nevertheless, Democrats who have long advocated for the passing of the gun control measure view it as a victory.
The 15 Republicans that supported the advancement of the gun control bill include Senators Cornyn; Mitch McConnell of Kentucky; Thom Tillis and Richard Burr of North Carolina; Susan Collins of Maine; Lindsey Graham of South Carolina; Mitt Romney of Utah; Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania; Todd Young of Indiana; Roy Blunt of Missouri; Rob Portman of Ohio; Shelley Capito of West Virginia; Bill Cassidy of Louisiana; Joni Ernst of Iowa; and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska.
Read Also : Democratic Andrew Gillum, Former Ron DeSantis Opponent, Arrested Over Wire Fraud Charges, Lying to FBI
As a financial incentive to implement "red flag" laws, which let courts seize firearms from those regarded as a threat to themselves or others, the legislation will award funds to each state. States that choose not to pass red flag regulations may use the funds for other crisis management initiatives.
Moreover, senators passed expanding background checks to include juvenile justice and mental health data for gun purchasers under the age of 21. The law mandates a 10-business-day duration before the seller and the authorities can finish the evaluation.
Such an evaluation would have prevented the recent mass shootings in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas, as well as the shooting in Charleston, South Carolina, in 2015, according to senators.
Resolving The 'Boyfriend Loophole'
USA Today reported that the measure also addresses the "boyfriend loophole," a legal limbo that exposes certain women to domestic violence involving firearms.
Domestic abusers who have assaulted their spouses or live-in partners with whom they have children are now banned from purchasing firearms. The Senate bill would stretch the definition of domestic abusers to include "boyfriends" or partners in a current or recent relationship "of a romantic or intimate nature."
The fact that both Democrats and Republicans have expressed this degree of support for the proposed reforms makes the measure noteworthy because it is the first time in many years that this has happened.
The Republican party has historically opposed attempts to tighten firearms regulations in the US.
