GIFFORDS Applauds the Vermont House on Passage of Suicide Prevention Bill

Washington DC — Today, GIFFORDS, the gun violence prevention organization led by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, applauded the Vermont House of Representatives for passing H.230, legislation to implement mechanisms to reduce suicide.

Joe Platte, Giffords State Legislative Manager:
“Tragically, Vermont is no stranger to the suicide epidemic and it’s a problem that is not slowing down. This legislation, filled with commonsense and easy-to-understand policy, will go a long way toward saving lives. We thank Representative Alyssa Black for her leadership, Speaker Jill Krowinski, Healthcare Committee Chair Lori Houghton, and Judiciary Committee Chair Martin LaLonde for coming together to call attention to a problem that takes too many lives: gun suicides. We are grateful they’ve shown the courage to protect the people of Vermont from this epidemic.”

H.230 would require the safe storage of firearms to prevent children and other prohibited individuals from accessing firearms, allow family members to seek an extreme risk protection order to remove firearms from someone who is a danger to themselves or others, and require a 72-hour waiting period for gun purchasers. According to Giffords Law Center’s Annual Gun Law Scorecard, Vermont holds a C- grade. In recent years, Vermont made enormous progress by enacting universal background checks, passing an extreme risk protection law, raising the minimum age to purchase firearms, and limiting access to large-capacity magazines.