Firearms Owners Against Crime
Institute for Legal, Legislative and Educational Action
Institute for Legal, Legislative and Educational Action
This legislation purports to strengthen the mental health community (sorely needed) 'but' it appears to be expanding the prohibitions on firearms ownership. Considering that it is coming from a Calif. Congressman the impact could be far reaching.
Title: Safer Communities Act of 2017
Subject: Child health: Congressional oversight: Criminal justice information and records: Drug, alcohol, tobacco use: Education programs funding: Elementary and secondary education: Firearms and explosives: Health information and medical records: Health personnel: Health programs administration and funding: Home and outpatient care: Law enforcement administration and funding: Law enforcement officers: Medical research: Medical tests and diagnostic methods: Mental health: Performance measurement: Research administration and funding: Retail and wholesale trades: State and local government operations: Violent crime: Crime and law enforcement
Description: Safer Communities Act of 2017 This bill provides grants to expand mental health crisis assistance programs, support comprehensive school mental health programs, and enhance mental health and substance abuse needs of prisoners. The Department of Health and Human Services must expand research on violence associated with mental illness and substance abuse disorders. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must expand the National Violent Death Reporting System to all 50 states and research the causes, mechanisms, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of injuries from gun violence. The bill states that no provision of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act prohibits physicians from asking patients about guns in their homes, speaking to a patient about gun safety, or reporting a patient's threat of violence. It amends the federal criminal code to specify that the term "committed to a mental institution" applies to involuntary inpatient or outpatient treatment. It amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to authorize state grants to remove firearms from individuals who pose a threat to themselves or others. The Department of Justice must promptly notify law enforcement agencies when a prohibited person attempts to purchase a firearm. The bill replaces statutory references to persons "adjudicated as a mental defective" with persons "adjudicated as ineligible due to disqualifying mental status." It amends the NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007 to: establish procedures to restore firearm ownership rights after a mental health adjudication or commitment, require an annual report on record submissions due to domestic violence misdemeanor convictions, authorize state grants to improve the automation and transmittal of mental health and criminal history records, and require quarterly updates to federal agency record submissions. The bill reauthorizes the National Criminal History Records Improvement Program through FY2023.
Session: 115th Congress
Last Action: Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations.
Last Action Date: November 14, 2017
Link: https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/4142/all-info
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'.
8 sponsors: Mike Thompson (D); Ed Perlmutter (D); Steve Cohen (D); Sheila Jackson-Lee (D); Albio Sires (D); William Keating (D); Alcee Hastings (D); Judy Chu (D)
| Chamber | Date | Action |
| House | Nov 14 2017 | Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations. |
| House | Oct 27 2017 | Referred to the Subcommittee on Health. |
| House | Oct 26 2017 | Introduced in House |
| House | Oct 26 2017 | 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 | Oct 26 2017 | 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. |
| Type | Date | Federal Link | Text |
| Introduced | Oct 31 2017 | federal bill text | bill text |
| Title | Description | Date | State Link | Text | Adopted |
| There are no amendments to this bill at this time | |||||
Chamber: H
Committee Name: Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, And Investigations
There have not been any votes on this bill