Gallego Votes to Support Red Flag Law Legislation

Statement

Rep. Ruben Gallego (AZ-07) voted today to support H.R. 2377, the Federal Extreme Risk Protection Order Act, which establishes an extreme risk protection order procedure, also known as a "red flag" law, for the federal court system. The bill also incentivizes states to adopt red flag laws.

Red flag laws allow family members and law enforcement officers to petition a federal court for an extreme risk protection order to temporarily remove access to firearms for an individual who is deemed a danger to themselves or others.

"When an individual is in the midst of a crisis, access to a firearm can make the situation go from tragic to deadly," said Rep. Ruben Gallego. "Red flag laws allow loved ones or law enforcement to step in and deescalate the situation when someone is displaying signs of a desire to commit violence or contemplating suicide. This critical tool will help save lives, and I'm proud of House Democrats for taking action to do what's right and protect Americans from gun violence."

Currently, 19 states and the District of Columbia have extreme risk protection orders, but there is no federal extreme risk protection law.

Red flag laws work. According to Giffords, when Connecticut and Indiana implemented extreme risk laws, the laws reduced firearm suicide rates by 14% and 7.5%, respectively.

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