TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Stacey Shrader Joslin on Jun 27, 2022

President Joe Biden has signed into law the most wide-ranging gun violence prevention bill passed by Congress in nearly 30 years, The Hill reports. The bill, known as the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, enhances background checks for gun purchasers between the age of 18 and 21, makes obtaining firearms through straw purchases or trafficking a federal offense, and clarifies the definition of a federally licensed firearm dealer. It allocates $750 million to help states administer red flag laws, which seek to keep guns away from people deemed a threat to themselves or others, and includes funding for mental health treatment. Finally, it closes the so-called “boyfriend loophole” by barring individuals from possessing a firearm for at least five years if they are convicted of a misdemeanor crime of violence involving a current or former romantic partner.