June 9, 2022 - Washington - Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) on Wednesday released the following statement on the House gun violence prevention legislation:

“The bills the House will vote on today are commonsense measures that would save lives. I’m pleased the package includes two of my proposals, both of which could have prevented recent mass shootings if they had been passed sooner.

“The first bill includes a provision to raise the minimum age to buy an assault weapon from 18 to 21. I’ve introduced similar legislation in the Senate. It’s simple: If you’re too young to buy a handgun or a beer, you’re too young to own an assault rifle. After the recent tragedies in Buffalo and Uvalde, the rationale for this change should be obvious.

“The second bill would help states set up extreme risk protection orders, also known as red-flag laws. These laws allow family members and law enforcement to petition courts to remove guns from dangerous individuals before they can harm themselves or others. Nineteen states and D.C. already have these laws and they work. More states need to adopt them, and the federal government should help them write and implement these measures.

“While I believe we must do more, these proposals, along with other provisions in the House package, can help break the cycle of mass shootings plaguing our country. I hope the Senate will pass similar measures so we can begin to restore some sanity to our gun laws.”

Background

• Senator Feinstein is the author of the Age 21 Act, a bill that would raise the minimum age to purchase assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines from 18 to 21.
  
  
• She is also the author of the Extreme Risk Protection Order Act, a bill to help states enact “red flag” laws, which are laws that allow family members and law enforcement to acquire temporary court orders to have guns removed from dangerous individuals.
  Source: Senator Dianne Feinstein