What’s in US President Joe Biden’s bipartisan gun violence bill? | Explainer News

The new law is the most pervasive gun violence bill in decades and follows a string of mass shootings in the United States.

US President Joe Biden signed into law the largest gun violence bill in decades, a bipartisan compromise that seemed unthinkable until a series of mass shootings occurred. recently.

Citing the families of shooting victims he has met, the president said: “Their message to us is, ‘Let’s do something. How many times have we heard that? ‘Just do something. For God’s sake, just do something. ‘ Today we did.

“The time has come, when it seems impossible to get anything done in Washington, that we are doing something in consequence.”

Here are some highlights of the bill Biden signed on Saturday:

Extensive background check:

• State and local juvenile and mental health records of gun purchasers will be part of the federal background check for 18- to 20-year-old purchasers.
• The maximum three-day period for records collection will be extended up to 10 days for juvenile data searches.
• If there is no resolution within 10 days, the sale will be made.

‘Boyfriend flaw’:

• Convicted domestic violence offenders will be denied firearms if they have a current or past “serious continuing relationship of a romantic or intimate nature” with the victim.
• The abuser’s right to purchase a gun will be restored after five years if no more violent crimes are committed.
• Domestic abusers are now denied firearms if they are married, cohabiting or have children with the victim.

Red flag law:

• Federal aid will be given to 19 states, plus the District of Columbia, whose laws help the government get court orders to temporarily take guns away from people deemed dangerous. Those countries will need robust processes to challenge the use of weapons. Other states could use the money for crisis intervention programs.

Mental health:

• The bill would expand community behavioral health clinics, help states strengthen mental health programs in schools and provide more remote mental health consultations.

Education:

• The bill would increase spending on school mental health, crisis intervention, violence prevention programs, mental health staff training and school safety.

Federally licensed gun dealers:

• Current law requires that people who are “in the business” of selling firearms be licensed, which means they must undergo a background check. The bill defines that guns are sold ”for primarily profit”, in an effort to prosecute those who evade that requirement.

Gun dealers:

• The bill would create a federal crime against gun dealers and “straw buyers,” who buy guns for people who fail a background check.
• Penalty up to 25 years in prison.
• Such offenders are now mainly prosecuted for breach of paperwork.

Cost:

• The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates the bill’s cost at $13 billion, mostly for mental health and schools.