Congresswoman Hanabusa's Statement Following Shooting at Santa Fe High School

Press Release

"We are heartbroken by the tragedy at Santa Fe High School in Texas. Our Aloha and prayers are with everyone impacted by this horrific act. Barely three months after 17 students and staff lost their lives in Parkland, Florida, America again mourns the tragic loss of children, killed by gun violence while attending school. Our rate of gun deaths is higher than most other countries in the world. We are capable of so much as a nation. But we consistently fail to protect our children and communities from gun violence," said Congresswoman Colleen Hanabusa "Congress must enact reasonable gun control legislation that improves public safety and respects the rights of law abiding gun owners. Our schools must be safe spaces for our youth to learn and grow. I remain committed to a bipartisan solution to help end gun violence."

Background:

Congresswoman Hanabusa is a co-sponsor of H.R. 4240, the Second Amendment Rights Protection Act of 2017, a bill she co-sponsored with 164 of her colleagues, and H.R. 3464, the Background Check Completion Act of 2017.

H.R. 4240, introduced by Congressman Mike Thompson from California, Chair of the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, is a bipartisan bill to expand the existing background check system and close procedural and legal loopholes.

The measure requires enforceable background checks on all commercial gun sales, including sales made at gun shows, over the internet, or through classified ads.

The bill strengthens the National Instant Background Check System (NICS) to improve the procedures that manage the reporting of convicted criminals, domestic abusers, and the dangerously mentally ill in order to ensure that individuals who should be prohibited from purchasing a firearm are in the system.

H.R. 3464, introduced by Congressman James E. Clyburn, amends the federal criminal code to prohibit a licensed gun dealer from transferring a firearm to an unlicensed person prior to completion of a background check. The current statute permits a licensed gun dealer to transfer a firearm to an unlicensed person if a submitted background check remains incomplete after three business days.

Congresswoman Hanabusa is also an original co-sponsor of the Assault Weapons Ban of 2018

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