UPDATE (06/09/22): With a 224-202 vote, the House has passed H.R. 2377. The legislation now moves to the Senate for consideration.
In 2021, Representative Lucy McBath reintroduced H.R. 2377, the Federal Extreme Risk Protection Order Act (FERPO) commonly referred to as “red flag laws,” to empower families and law enforcement to more effectively intervene to prevent gun violence, including suicides. Individuals who ultimately commit gun violence commonly exhibit early warning signs to their families or law enforcement. Under this new law, there would be a mechanism to petition the court for a temporary block on gun access. Nineteen states and the District of Columbia already have red flag laws in place, and if passed, FERPO would replicate this known-to-be effective process at the federal level.
With 86 percent of Americans in support of implementing red flag laws, it is time for Congress to act to implement these life saving measures. Tell your representative that this commonsense approach to proactively prevent gun violence should be a top priority.