Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Deborah Ross (D-NC) voted to pass two commonsense gun violence prevention bills, H.R. 8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021, and H.R. 1446, the Enhanced Background Checks Act of 2021. 

“Nearly 40,000 people die every year from gun violence in the United States,” said Congresswoman Ross, “This rate is far higher than that of most other developed countries, but we can begin to close this gap by enacting these two bills. Universal background checks can save lives by preventing bad actors from accessing dangerous weapons. It is long past time that we recognize gun violence as a public health epidemic and take basic steps to curb the violence too many Americans have experienced.”

H.R. 8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021:

• Ensures that individuals already prohibited from gun possession under federal law, such as felons and domestic abusers, are not able to obtain firearms;
• Requires a background check for every gun sale or transfer, with some carefully defined exceptions such as gifts to family members and temporary transfers for purposes such as hunting, target shooting, and self-defense.

H.R. 1446, the Enhanced Background Checks Act of 2021:

• Provides the FBI with additional time to complete a background check on a potential firearms purchaser before a licensed dealer can transfer a gun.

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