On Thursday, the House of Representatives passed a bill to nationalize “red flag” laws. The Federal Extreme Risk Protection Order, passed in a 224-202 vote. Two Republicans did not vote.
The Hill reports:
Five Republicans — Reps. Fred Upton (Mich.), Adam Kinzinger (Ill.), Anthony Gonzalez (Ohio), Brian Fitzpatrick (Pa.) and Chris Jacobs (N.Y.) — bucked the GOP in voting for the measure, and Democratic Rep. Jared Golden (Maine) broke from the party in opposing the bill.
Passage of the measure came one day after the House cleared a sweeping gun package that, among other provisions, called for raising the minimum age to purchase a semi-automatic weapon from 18 to 21 and banning civilian use of high-capacity weapons.
Both pieces of legislation were brought up in response to last month’s mass shootings in Buffalo, N.Y. and Uvalde, Texas.
The red flag bill — introduced by Rep. Lucy McBath (D-Ga.), whose son died by gun violence in 2012 — would authorize family members and law enforcement officers to petition U.S. district courts to issue federal extreme protection orders that would temporarily prohibit individuals from purchasing or possessing firearms.
Red flag laws already exist in 19 states and the District of Columbia.
The orders can either be short-term, lasting for a maximum of 14 days and issued without a hearing or long-term, remaining in existence for 180 days and requiring a hearing.
Petitioners must provide evidence that the individual poses an imminent risk to themselves or others by purchasing, possessing, or receiving firearms or ammunition.
