Proposed Federal Firearm Legislation HB2917
Legislation Overview
Title: End Purchase of Firearms by Dangerous Individuals Act of 2015
Subject: Administrative law and regulatory procedures: Crime prevention: Criminal justice information and records: Department of Health and Human Services: Detention of persons: Firearms and explosives: Government studies and investigations: Health information and medical records: Intergovernmental relations: Law enforcement administration and funding: Medical tests and diagnostic methods: Mental health: State and local government operations: Violent crime: Crime and law enforcement
Description: End Purchase of Firearms by Dangerous Individuals Act of 2015 This bill requires each state to establish a reporting system through which mental health professionals may report information about an individual committed to a mental institution who poses a danger to himself/herself or others or an individual who communicates a serious threat of physical violence against another individual. The legislation requires states to provide mental health records to the National Instant Criminal History Background Check System (NICS) for use in determining whether a person is disqualified from possessing or receiving a firearm. It sets forth provisions to ensure maintenance and removal of records, inclusion of an appeals process, and re-evaluation of disqualifications for individuals under age 18. The bill also requires states to establish a process related to temporary involuntary commitment of individuals at mental health facilities. The Department of Justice (DOJ) must report annually to Congress on states' progress implementing the reporting systems. The bill authorizes DOJ to reduce a state's formula grant allocation under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Program for failing to comply. It directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish guidelines for state reporting systems and state processes regarding temporary involuntary commitment. HHS must also establish a process to certify state compliance. The bill amends the federal criminal code to expand the prohibition against selling firearms or ammunition to persons committed to any mental institution to include persons who communicate to a mental health professional a serious threat to commit an act of violence. Miscellaneous provisions clarify the treatment of individuals temporarily involuntarily committed by a state process, limit civil liability for mental health professionals who fail to report, establish criteria for determining dangerousness, and require a comprehensive study of state statutes that require mental health professionals to directly report certain individuals into state firearm prohibition databases. The bill replaces various statutory references to persons adjudicated as a "mental defective" with persons adjudicated as "ineligible due to disqualifying mental status."
Session: 114th Congress
Last Action: Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations.
Last Action Date: July 9, 2015
Link: https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/2917/all-info
Sponsors
Note: the first sponsor listed is normally the primary sponsor. If a sponsor's name is a hyperlink you can click on it to 'follow the money'.
23 sponsors: David Cicilline (D); Raul Grijalva (D); Earl Blumenauer (D); Eliot Engel (D); James McGovern (D); Keith Ellison (D); Carolyn Maloney (D); Robin Kelly (D); Alcee Hastings (D); Charles Rangel (D); Henry Johnson (D); Frederica Wilson (D); Karen Bass (D); Alan Lowenthal (D); Steve Cohen (D); Luis Gutierrez (D); Lucille Roybal-Allard (D); Mark DeSaulnier (D); Nita Lowey (D); Brendan Boyle (D); Niki Tsongas (D); William Keating (D); Juan Vargas (D);
Percentage of House Of Representatives sponsoring bill: 5% (23 of 435)
History
| Chamber | Date | Action |
| House | Jul 9, 2015 | Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations. |
| House | Jun 26, 2015 | Referred to the Subcommittee on Health. |
| House | Jun 25, 2015 | Introduced in House |
| House | Jun 25, 2015 | Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned. |
| House | Jun 25, 2015 | Referred to House Judiciary |
| House | Jun 25, 2015 | Referred to House Energy and Commerce |
Texts
| Type | Date | Federal Link | Text |
| Introduced | Jul 1 2015 | federal link | bill text |
Amendments
| Title | Description | Date | State Link | Text | Adopted |
| There are no amendments to this bill at this time | |||||
Committee
Votes - Click on description to view vote roll call
There have not been any votes on this bill
