It should be noted that Boxer has not introduced or released this bill yet, so we don't know exactly what's in it. But knowing her, it can't be good.
That's not quite correct, she and Feinstein actually introduced the legislation. While a copy of the bill is not publicly available yet, Boxer's first press release, which I posted, outlines what it is designed to do. This supplemental press release offers a little more detail - especially regarding
the creation of a completely new kind of court order, a "gun violence prevention order," a new warrant, a "gun violence prevention warrant", and, of course, a new funding program:
Press Release of U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer
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[TD="align: left"]For Immediate Release:
June 5, 2014[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]Contact:
Washington D.C. Office (202) 224-3553[/TD]
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Boxer, Feinstein, Capps Introduce Legislation to Help Empower Families to Prevent Gun Violence
New Senate and House Legislation Would Encourage States to Provide Families with New Tools to Help Prevent a Tragedy
Washington, D.C. – In response to the recent mass shooting in the Isla Vista community near Santa Barbara, U.S. Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein (both D-CA) today introduced The Pause for Safety Act – legislation that will encourage states to empower families and others with new tools to prevent a tragedy if someone they are close to poses a threat of gun violence.
Congresswoman Lois Capps (D-CA), who represents the Santa Barbara area, is introducing The Pause for Safety Act in the House today.
“It is haunting to me that the family of the gunman was desperate to prevent an act of violence and alerted police, but they were still unable to stop this tragedy,” Senator Boxer said. “When the people who know someone best fear there is a threat of violence, they should be able to go to court – with due process for everyone involved – to help prevent a tragedy.”
“We must do everything in our power to keep firearms out of the hands of those who pose a serious risk of harm to themselves or to others,” Senator Feinstein said. “I’m pleased to work with Senator Boxer on this bill, which creates a new grant program to encourage states to allow family members and others to seek court orders to temporarily prohibit dangerous individuals from possessing a firearm. The bill would allow those who know the most about the condition of someone who poses a risk of committing violence to take steps to remove firearms from that individual’s possession.”
“Our community in Isla Vista has been upended by this horrific act of violence,” Congresswoman Capps said. “We need reasonable, common sense solutions so that we all feel safe in our homes and out in our communities. This important bill will allow families who see disturbing warning signs the ability to work with law enforcement and mental health professionals so that they may intervene and better prevent acts of violence. Far too often there are many red flags but no one is able to connect the dots. This bill seeks to do just that.”
The Pause for Safety Act would encourage states to take the following steps to help prevent gun violence:
• One, ensure that families and others can go to court to seek a gun violence prevention order to temporarily stop someone close to them who poses a threat to himself, herself or others from purchasing a firearm.
• Two, ensure that a court can issue a gun violence prevention warrant that would allow law enforcement to take temporary possession of firearms that are in an individual’s possession if the court determines that the individual poses a threat to himself, herself or others.
• Three, 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.
The measure would create a new grant program – the Pause for Safety Grant Program – to help support these efforts. States that take action to enact these preventive measures would be eligible for the grants to provide resources for courts and law enforcement as they implement these measures.
In California, Assemblywoman Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley), Assemblyman Das Williams (D-Santa Barbara) and state Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) recently introduced legislation that would empower families and others to go to court and seek these type of preventive orders and warrants if they fear someone close to them could commit an act of violence.
Apparently, Feinstein didn't feel she got enough press in Boxer's original press release.
In this House, this is HR 4806 (
Link Removed); in the Senate, it is S 2445 (
Link Removed). The text of neither bill has been posted quite yet.
It should be noted that Boxer has been a busy woman this session, submitting a couple of other anti-gun bills, including S 145, a bill that would get the
Dept. Of Defense involved in state school safety matters,
Save Our Students Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to provide funds to states submitting specified plans for using National Guard personnel to: (1) perform administrative functions normally performed by state and local law enforcement personnel in order to enable such law enforcement personnel to be dispatched to keep schools and students safe from violence, (2) help conduct school security assessments and safety plans, and (3) conduct capital improvements related to enhancing school and student safety. Link Removed, Link Removed
and S 147, a bill that would override States' Rights and Constitutional authority by mandating that any state that permits concealed carry "
(1) ensure that a local law enforcement agency participates in the process; and (2) require that an applicant be a legal resident of the United States, be not less than 21 years of age, demonstrate good cause for requesting the permit, and demonstrate that he or she is worthy of the public trust to carry a concealed firearm in public," Link Removed, Link Removed, turning "shall issue" states into "may issue" states.
Too bad we don't have a test to determine that LEGISLATORS are worthy of the public trust.
