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Congresswoman Stansbury Votes to Empower Communities to Prevent Gun Violence Through Extreme Risk Protection Orders

June 10, 2022

 The two bills bring federal support to laws similar to New Mexico’s Extreme Risk Protection Order established in 2020.

WASHINGTON– Yesterday, U.S. Representative Melanie Stansbury (N.M.-01) voted to empower communities to prevent incidents of gun violence. The Federal Extreme Risk Protection Order Act empowers family members and law enforcement to seek a federal court order to temporarily remove access to guns from those who pose a danger to themselves or others, while incentivizing states to adopt their own so-called “red flag laws."

The New Mexico State Legislature passed the Extreme Risk Firearm Protection Order Act to give law enforcement a critical tool to prevent gun homicides and suicides. A study by Everytown for Gun Safety found that most mass shooters exhibit warning signs before carrying out an attack, but without an extreme risk law, family and law enforcement lack the ability to temporarily disarm individuals considering acts of violence. 

“Our kids are asking us to take action, our parents are asking us to take action, and all over the country, American people want to see Congress take action,”Rep. Stansbury said. “Over the past 48 hours, I am proud that the House has acted to pass the Protecting our Kids Act and Federal Extreme Risk Protection Order Act. Banning high-capacity magazines, bump stocks, ghost guns, addressing gun trafficking, sales, and safe storage, and putting into place risk protection measures—these bills will help save lives. Now, it’s time for the Senate to act.”

The Federal Extreme Risk Protection Order Act allows family members and law enforcement officers to petition a federal court for an extreme risk protection order, empowering federal judges to prevent tragic shootings by temporarily removing firearms from potentially dangerous individuals. The legislation will additionally establish a new grant program at the U.S. Department of Justice, incentivizing more states to allow their courts to take this same life-saving action.

This week, Rep. Stansbury voted to pass the Protecting Our Kids Act, a robust legislative package of common-sense gun safety measures that will crack down on illegal gun trafficking, keep weapons of war out of the hands of teenagers, ban high-capacity magazines and bump stocks for civilian use, strengthen safe gun storage, impose background checks on untraceable “ghost guns” and more. 

This legislation builds on the Democratic House’s twice-passed legislation to secure universal background checks for gun purchases and close the Charleston Loophole – actions supported by nearly nine in ten Americans.