RELEASE: Giffords Applauds Senators Blumenthal, Graham for Introducing Bipartisan Bill to Prevent Firearm Access for Individuals in Crisis

March 8, 2018 — Today, Giffords, the gun violence prevention organization founded by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and Captain Mark Kelly, applauded Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) for introducing a bipartisan bill to expand the use of extreme risk protection orders (ERPOs), allowing them to be obtained by federal or state law enforcement and family members in federal courts. The bill would prohibit a person subject to an extreme risk protection order from purchasing or possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

“Easy access to a firearm can be the difference between life and death,” said Robin Lloyd, Government Affairs Director at Giffords. “Across the country, too many people see signs of crisis right before their eyes – but lack the tools to prevent someone from accessing a gun. We are grateful to Senators Blumenthal and Graham for this bill that would give law enforcement and family members the legal ability to act to keep their loved ones and communities safe. There’s no reason that solutions to our gun violence epidemic cannot be solved in a bipartisan manner, and I urge the Senate to consider this bill.”

ERPOs allow law enforcement and family members to petition a court to temporarily restrict an individual’s access to firearms and ammunition if sufficient evidence exists that the individual is at risk of harming himself or herself or others. In recent weeks, information has come to light suggesting the gunman in the Parkland, Florida shooting would have qualified as the subject of an ERPO because of behaviors noticed by family and law enforcement. These laws have also proven effective at reducing suicide, as four out of five individuals considering suicide show some signs of their intentions. A recent study of Connecticut’s ERPO law showed the policy prevented over 70 people from taking their own lives.

Related resources:

•  Background on Extreme Risk Protection Orders 
•  Annual Gun Law Scorecard: Extreme Risk Protection Orders 
•  Nine Policy Recommendations to Address Gun Violence in the United States 
•  Confronting the Inevitability Myth 

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  Giffords is a nonprofit organization dedicated to saving lives from gun violence. Led by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and her husband, Navy combat veteran and retired NASA astronaut Captain Mark Kelly, Giffords inspires the courage of people from all walks of life to make America safer.