House Passes Bonamici-Backed Bills to Prevent Gun Violence in Schools, Communities

Press Release

Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), a member of the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, helped the House pass significant legislation to curb gun violence in the wake of the tragedies in Uvalde, Buffalo, and other communities across the country.

The House passed the Protecting Our Kids Act to outlaw high-capacity magazines, raise the minimum age to purchase a semi-automatic weapon to 21, require background checks for ghost gun purchases, strengthen safe storage requirements, and close the bump stock loophole. The House also passed the Federal Extreme Risk Protection Order Act, which would allow law enforcement to remove guns from people who are a danger to themselves or others. In 2017 the Oregon Legislature passed a similar law with bipartisan support. Bonamici is a co-sponsor of both pieces of legislation.

"We must take bold action and implement policies that prevent gun violence," said Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici. "We have seen too many tragedies like the horrific attack on children and teachers in Uvalde and the racist targeting and murder of grocery shoppers in Buffalo. The House has already passed bipartisan legislation to expand background checks and close loopholes. The Protecting Our Kids Act and Federal Extreme Risk Protection Order Act include many more commonsense, widely-supported measures that will help keep our loved ones safe. We cannot bring back those who have been murdered, but we can enact meaningful laws that will prevent more senseless deaths. I call on the Senate to follow through on their responsibility to our children and our nation by taking up this legislation immediately."

More information about the Protecting Our Kids Act can be found here.

Bonamici helped the House pass the bipartisan Background Checks Act (H.R. 8) and the Enhanced Background Checks Act (H.R. 1446) in March 2021. She has repeatedly called on the Senate to repeal the filibuster to allow these commonsense measures to move forward and joined several efforts to urge them to end their inaction on these gun violence prevention proposals.

Additional legislation she has co-sponsored this Congress to prevent gun violence includes:

H.R. 748, Ethan's Law, regarding safe storage of firearms and supporting state and Tribal governments implementing similar laws.
H.R. 825, the Gun Violence Prevention Research Act, to support the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention researching gun violence.
H.R. 881, the Recognizing Gun Violence as a Public Health Emergency Act, to require the Surgeon General to report annually to Congress on the public health effects of gun violence and the status of actions taken to address those effects.
H.R. 1007, the Hadiya Pendleton and Nyasia Pryear-Yard Gun Trafficking and Crime Prevention Act, making it a federal crime to traffic firearms.
H.R. 1560, the Resources for Victims of Gun Violence Act, establishing an interagency Advisory Council to share information on better serving victims of gun violence.
H.R.2282, the Gun Records Restoration and Preservation Act, repealing federal laws that prevent the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) from properly administering the background checks program and sharing data.
H.R. 2377, the Federal Extreme Risk Protection Order Act, to keep guns out of the hands of those who pose a threat to themselves or others by implementing a nationwide extreme risk law and encouraging states to enact their own extreme risk laws.
H.R. 2814, the Equal Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act, repealing civil immunity for gun manufacturers.
H.R. 1808, Assault Weapons Ban of 2021, outlawing the possession of dangerous semiautomatic assault weapons and large capacity magazines.
H.R. 2510, Keep America Safe Act, addressing the proliferation of large capacity magazines by prohibiting possession and allowing federal funding to be used for buyback programs by state and local law enforcement.
H.R. 3929, the Disarm Hate Act, prohibiting people convicted of hate crimes from possessing firearms.
H.R. 6717, the Preventing Pretrial Gun Purchases Act, amend federal gun laws to deny gun sales to any person specifically subject to a pretrial release order from a court that prohibits the person from purchasing, possessing, or receiving guns.
H.R. 4118, the Break the Cycle of Violence Act, provide grants to support community violence initiatives.
H.R. 2715, Jamie's Law, requiring background checks for the sale of ammunition.
H.R. 3015, the Raise the Age Act, making 21-years the minimum age to purchase semiautomatic rifles.
H.R. 5428, the School Shooting Safety and Preparedness Act, creates a federal framework for collecting and sharing data on school shootings, which will significantly improve the ability for law enforcement to communicate, track, and respond to these tragedies

Source