Giffords Applauds Massachusetts House for Passing Bill to Remove Guns from Dangerous People
May 24, 2018 — Today, Giffords, the gun safety organization founded by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and Captain Mark Kelly, applauded the passage of H 4517, a bill in Massachusetts that would establish a process for obtaining an Extreme Risk Protective Order (ERPO) that temporarily prohibits an individual who is a danger to themselves or others from possessing a firearm.
“Massachusetts has long been a leader on the issue of gun safety and today the House took another bold step to make Massachusetts communities safer,” said Nico Bocour, State Legislative Director of Giffords. “Extreme Risk Protective Orders provide families and law enforcement officers with a critical tool to help prevent individuals who are pose a danger to themselves or others from accessing a firearm. Massachusetts now is moving closer to joining states like Oregon, Vermont, and Florida who have passed these life-saving bills. We thank Rep. David Linsky and Rep. Marjorie Decker for their commitment and courage to reducing gun violence by championing this legislation.”
“Extreme Risk Protection Orders are an important and needed additional tool in the tool box for gun violence prevention in Massachusetts,” said Janet Goldenberg, chair of the Massachusetts Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence. “We are thankful to Representative Decker for filing this important legislation and to Speaker DeLeo who has once again prioritized gun safety legislation and shown leadership on this issue in the Commonwealth. We are hopeful that Wednesday’s vote will continue to keep Massachusetts as a model for the nation and a leader on gun violence prevention.”
In Connecticut, research has shown that a similar law saves one life for every 10-20 risk warrants issued. Massachusetts joins other states that have introduced these types of bills backed by Giffords. New Jersey, New York, and Delaware are among the states currently considering ERPO-style bills.
About the Extreme Risk Protective Order
The Extreme Risk Protective Order (ERPO) is a civil court order issued by a judge upon consideration of evidence provided by a family member or law enforcement officer that temporarily prohibits a person in crisis from possessing or purchasing firearms or ammunition. A common thread in many shootings is that family members of the shooters had noticed their loved ones engaging in dangerous behaviors and were concerned about their risk of harming themselves or others – even before any violence occurred.
- An ERPO creates a mechanism for families and law enforcement to temporarily prevent access to guns by individuals who pose an elevated risk of endangering themselves or others. This law can save lives while ensuring critical legal protections for respondents, just as it has in states that have already taken this responsible step.
- The ERPO is based on the long-standing domestic violence protection orders (in place in all 50 states) and involves both a court hearing and clearly defined due process protections. Qualifying petitioners would be able to petition the civil court in their jurisdiction for an ERPO based on evidence they present through a written application and at a hearing before a judge.
- The ERPO gives individuals an opportunity to present evidence to show they are not a danger to themselves or others. If a court issues a ERPO, respondents would still be able to petition once for termination of the order and be eligible to have their firearms and ammunition returned upon expiration of the order.
- States with ERPO laws have seen positive results and are saving lives. California enacted this life-saving law in 2014, and Washington voters overwhelmingly passed it in November 2016. Connecticut and Indiana have similar versions that allow law enforcement officers to intervene when people are in crisis and have easy access to guns. In the first 14 years of the implementation of Connecticut’s law, it is estimated that between 38-76 lives were saved as a result of risk-warrants. In addition, nearly one third of respondents received critical mental health and substance abuse treatment as a result of the intervention.
- The ERPO is a particularly important tool to help prevent suicides. Those in a suicidal crisis are much more likely to survive if they do not have easy access to firearms for the duration of the crisis. Research shows that people are more likely to die by suicide if they have easy access to firearms. Eighty-five percent of suicide attempts involving firearms are fatal. Nine out of 10 people who survive a suicide attempt do not die by suicide at a later date. These facts demonstrate that the ERPO, which can prevent suicidal individuals from accessing guns during a crisis, will likely save lives.
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