SB 231 Would Close Loophole That Makes it Easy for Convicted Domestic Abusers to Access Guns & Require That Law Enforcement Be Notified When People with Dangerous Histories Try to Buy a Gun and Fail a Background Check
BATON ROUGE, La.– The Louisiana chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, part of Everytown for Gun Safety, praised lawmakers for passing SB 231, which would require convicted domestic abusers to relinquish guns to law enforcement and would require that local law enforcement be notified when people with dangerous histories try to buy a gun and fail a background check. Under current law, these dangerous domestic abusers are prohibited from possessing guns, but there is no enforcement mechanism in place to ensure these abusers turn in guns they already own once convicted. SB 231 would also require notification to law enforcement when a person who cannot legally buy a gun tries to buy one and fails a background check. There is clear evidence that these policies have the capacity to exact meaningful protection against abusers. A 2017 study, for example, found that domestic violence related firearm relinquishment laws result in lower rates of intimate partner homicide.
A recent poll commissioned by Everytown for Gun Safety and conducted by SurveyUSA found that 79 percent of voters — including 74 percent of gun owners — support requiring domestic violence offenders, who are prohibited by law from having guns, to turn in any guns they already have. SB 321 now goes to Governor Edwards’ desk.
STATEMENT FROM CLARICE GALLEGOS, VOLUNTEER WITH THE LOUISIANA CHAPTER OF MOMS DEMAND ACTION FOR GUN SENSE IN AMERICA:
“We are thrilled lawmakers listened to Louisianans and our demands for gun violence prevention policies that will protect our communities. As someone who survived domestic abuse, I am proud that Louisiana has a strong history of protecting domestic violence survivors and their families from gun violence, and this law will continue to uphold that tradition by requiring convicted abusers to relinquish guns in their possession. We urge Governor Edwards to sign this legislation into law immediately.”