Brady Campaign Endorses Bipartisan Extreme Risk Protection Order Act

Washington, D.C., February 14, 2019 - One year ago, the importance of removing guns from those in crisis was thrown into stark relief as 17 people in Parkland, FL were shot and killed by someone known to be a danger to himself and others. Today, bipartisan legislation, the Extreme Risk Protection Order Act, was introduced in the House of Representatives to encourage states nationwide to implement important extreme risk laws. The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, which has advocated for extreme risk laws since the Parkland shooting last year, applauded the legislation and the efforts of Reps. Salud Carbajal, Ted Deutch, Brian Fitzpatrick, and Don Beyer in cosponsoring the bill.

Kris Brown, president of the Brady Campaign, stated:

“Empowering family members to take action when they see someone in trouble is one of the most effective ways to protect loved ones from gun violence. When we give law enforcement the tools they need to temporarily remove guns from someone in a state of crisis, it removes the immediate threat and the danger of someone taking a permanent solution to a temporary problem. It may have saved the lives of the 17 killed at Parkland, not to mention the many people who die by suicide every day. We thank the bipartisan coalition who came together to introduce this bill, and we look forward to working towards its passage.”

The Extreme Risk Protection Order Act would establish a new grant program, encouraging states to enact Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPO) or Gun Violence Restraining Orders (GVRO). These types of bills would:

• Enable families and law enforcement to seek an ERPO or GVRO from a court to temporarily prevent someone who poses a threat to themselves or others from purchasing a firearm;
  
• Enable courts to issue a warrant allowing law enforcement to take temporary possession of firearms from someone deemed to be a threat to themselves or others;
• Ensure that law enforcement makes full use of all existing state and local gun databases when assessing a tip, warning, or request from a concerned family member or other close associate.