Washington, DC — Today, Rep. Lucy McBath (GA-07) was joined by Gun Violence Prevention Task Force Chair Mike Thompson (CA-04), Assistant Democratic Leader Joe Neguse (CO-02), Congressman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott, Ranking Member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce; and Congresswoman Robin Kelly (IL-02) to outline next steps in advancing gun safety legislation in the Republican-led House. Rep. McBath announced the filing of a discharge petition for her bill H.R.3018, the Federal Extreme Risk Protection Order (FERPO) Act, which would force a vote on common-sense gun violence prevention legislation. This is the fourth discharge petition filed on gun violence prevention legislation in the 118th Congress. In June 2023, McBath, Thompson, and Rep. Jim Clyburn (SC-06) filed discharge petitions for three of their bills: the Assault Weapons Ban, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act, and the Enhanced Background Checks Act. Under House parliamentary rules, once a petition has garnered 218 signatures, a motion to discharge can then be offered on the Floor and the measure can be put to a vote.
“Today’s announcement marks the next step in our mission to save as many lives as possible through common-sense policies,” Rep. Lucy McBath said. “Extreme risk protection orders are already saving lives in Republican and Democratic states, allowing law enforcement and family members to intervene before it’s too late. My bill will expand these protections from coast to coast and give every American another tool to keep their communities safe. Our ‘gun-sense’ Democratic Caucus will continue to pursue every legislative solution we can to save lives.”
“Extreme risk protection orders save lives by providing law enforcement and concerned families and friends with a tool to disarm someone who poses a danger to themselves or others. California became one of the first states to enact a red flag law in 2016 and it has already been credited with stopping 58 mass shootings. It only makes sense to bring H.R. 3018 to a vote to help ensure these laws are implemented nationwide,” said Rep. Thompson.
“We know that red flag laws will in fact, do in fact, save lives. These laws have often been passed on a bipartisan basis in a variety of different states across the country, again including Colorado. This should not and cannot be a partisan issue, because fundamentally, it is a public health issue, evidenced, of course, by the Surgeon General's announcement just yesterday regarding the epidemic and scourge of gun violence impacting communities from Atlanta to Chicago to California to Colorado. So, inaction is not an option,” said Assistant Democratic Leader Neguse.
“Extreme risk protection orders are an effective means of reducing immediate threats of gun violence while also protecting due process,” said Congressman Bobby Scott. “These laws are already enacted in multiple states. I am proud to support the federal red flag law that allows law enforcement and family members to intervene swiftly when needed.”
"Extreme risk protection orders, also known as red flag laws, save lives. They are a popular and commonsense measure to temporarily take away guns from someone who might harm themselves or others. Congress must do everything in its power to save lives from gun violence. I'm grateful for my friend and colleague in this fight, Rep. Lucy McBath, for urging her bill forward with full expediency,” said Rep. Kelly.
The Federal Extreme Risk Protection Order Act permits law enforcement and family members to petition a judge to temporarily remove firearm access from those who are deemed a danger to themselves or to others. Twenty-one states and the District of Columbia currently have such laws. McBath’s legislation would expand access to extreme risk protection orders nationwide. This legislation was approved by the House with support from Democrats and Republicans last Congress, and a similar piece of bipartisan legislation was introduced in 2018 by Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT).
With many acts of gun violence preceded by implicit or explicit threats, extreme risk protection laws have been proven measures for crisis intervention and prevention. Upon approval from a judge, extreme risk or “red flag” laws empower family members or law enforcement to temporarily prevent someone in crisis from accessing firearms. According to a study published in Psychiatric Services, one suicide is averted for every ten Extreme Risk orders in Connecticut, and the policy is associated with a 7.5% drop in the gun suicide rate in Indiana. Extreme risk protection orders have received overwhelming bipartisan support in Republican and Democratic state legislatures across the country.