Rep. Stansbury Votes to Protect N.M. Kids and Pass Bipartisan Gun Safety Legislation
WASHINGTON—Today, U.S. Representative Melanie Stansbury (N.M.-01) voted to pass the first significant bipartisan gun safety legislation in three decades to better protect New Mexico’s kids, communities, and survivors of domestic violence. The Safer Communities Act, which passed the Senate last night 65-33, will now head to President Biden’s desk to be signed into law.
Among other important provisions, the Safer Communities Act closes the dating partner loophole, enhances background checks, bans gun trafficking, and invests significant resources in community safety and mental health programs. Every year, New Mexico loses an average of 433 people to gun violence.
“After decades of inaction, Congress has finally taken action on gun safety today. While I was proud to vote for this bill, we know it is not enough and that the work continues to protect our communities from gun violence,” said Rep. Stansbury. “This bipartisan legislation will invest billions in mental health and school safety, help prevent dangerous individuals from getting access to guns, prevent deaths from domestic violence, enhance background checks, and ban gun trafficking. We still have much more work to do, but this bill will help save lives. I am grateful to the activists, parents, students, and leaders like Senator Heinrich for helping get this bill done. The work continues to ensure that our communities are safe.”
The Safer Communities Act invests in proven violence interruption models to prevent gun violence and enhance public safety. In March, Rep. Stansbury secured $1 million for Albuquerque’s Trauma Recovery Center, which will use public health models to break cycles of violence.
The legislation is the result of weeks of bipartisan negotiations in the U.S. Senate, during which Senator Martin Heinrich (N.M.) helped secure provisions to ban gun trafficking and crack down on gun purchasing.
The Safer Communities Act will:
Protect Survivors of Domestic Violence by closing the dating partner loophole: Adds convicted domestic violence abusers in dating relationships to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.
Create Penalties for Straw Purchasing: Creates federal straw purchasing and gun trafficking criminal offenses, allowing prosecutors to target dangerous illegal gunrunners.
Ban Gun Trafficking: Cracks down on criminals who illegally evade licensing requirements and clarifies which sellers need to register, conduct background checks, and keep appropriate records.
Enhance Background Checks for People Under 21: Requires an investigative period to review juvenile and mental health records, including checks with state databases and local law enforcement, for buyers under 21 years of age, creating an enhanced, longer background check of up to ten days.
Invest in Anti-Violence Community Initiatives: Provides $250 million in funding for community-based violence prevention initiatives.
Support State Crisis Intervention Orders: Creates $750 million for states to create and administer laws that will ensure deadly weapons are kept out of the hands of individuals determined by a court.
Further Details on the Safer Communities Act Include:
Investments in Children and Family Mental Health Services
This legislation expands the existing Medicaid CCBHC demonstration program to all states to increase access to community-based behavioral health services and expands school-based mental health.
Gold standard in mental health coverage for children: Improves oversight of states’ implementation of Medicaid’s Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment (EPSDT) benefit, the country’s gold standard in children’s health coverage, to strengthen children’s access to comprehensive mental health services.
Telemental health services for children: Requires CMS to provide guidance to states on how they can increase access to behavioral health services through telehealth under Medicaid and CHIP.
Training for pediatric providers: Appropriates $60 million over five years for training in mental health for primary care clinicians who treat children and youth.
Community and first responder mental health training: Appropriates $120 million over four years to prepare and train community members and first responders on how to appropriately and safely respond to individuals with mental disorders.
Support for states to expand mental health services: Provides $250 million for states, DC, and territories to enhance comprehensive community mental health services.
Building awareness of and access to services for mental health: Appropriates $240 million over four years for programs that increase awareness of mental health issues among school-aged youth, provide training for school personnel and other adults who interact with school-aged youth to detect and respond to mental health issues, and connect school-aged youth who may have behavioral health issues and their families to needed services.
School-based trauma support: Includes a set aside of $28 million for grants to support trauma care in school settings.
Support after traumatic events: Appropriates $40 million over four years to improve treatment and services for children, adolescents, and families who have experienced traumatic events.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline/9-8-8: Appropriates $150 million to support implementation of the 9-8-8 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline that provides 24/7, free and confidential support to people experiencing a suicidal crisis or emotional distress.
The bill invests in programs to expand mental health and supportive services in schools, including early identification and intervention programs, school-based mental health and wrap-around services, improvements in school-wide learning conditions, and school safety. Some of the specific provisions include:
School Based Mental Health Services and Staff: Provides $500 million through the School Based Mental Health Services Grant Program to increase the number of qualified mental health service providers that provide school based mental health services to students in school districts with demonstrated need.
Training and Pipeline Development for School Based Mental Health Staff: Provides $500 million in funding for School Based Mental Health Service Professionals Demonstration Grant. This money will help train and diversify the pipeline of school counselors, school social workers, and school psychologists.
Improving Conditions for Student Learning: Provides $1 billion in funding through Title IV-A to support a variety of activities to improve conditions for student learning, including developing positive school climates through evidence-based practices.
Out-of School Programs: Provides $50 million in funding to the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program, which funds extracurricular, after school and summer programs, with a focus of new funding to target programs for older youth.
School Safety: Provides $300 million in funding through the STOP School Violence Act to institute safety measures in and around schools, support school violence prevention efforts and provide training to school personnel and students. Codifies the SchoolSafety.gov clearinghouse, which provides evidence-based resources to improve school safety. Prohibits use of funds under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to train or equip any person with dangerous weapons in schools.