Kaine Statement on Bipartisan Senate Proposal to Reduce Gun Violence

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, who served as Virginia’s Governor during the 2007 Virginia Tech shooting, released the following statement applauding the bipartisan proposal to reduce gun violence:

“This bipartisan proposal is a first and necessary step to reduce gun violence in our communities. I applaud my Senate colleagues on both sides of the aisle for reaching this agreement. Every moment that Congress does not act, another community bears witness to the heartbreaking consequences of gun violence. That’s why the Senate must move quickly to pass this long overdue proposal."

The bipartisan framework would:

• Provide resources to states and Tribes to create and administer laws that ensure deadly weapons are kept out of hands of individuals whom a court has determined to be a significant danger to themselves or others, consistent with state and federal due process and constitutional protections;
• Protect victims of domestic violence and require individuals convicted of domestic violence and subject to domestic violence restraining orders to be included in NICS;
• Crack down on criminals who illegally evade licensing requirements;
• Invest in school safety resources in and around primary and secondary schools and support school violence prevention efforts and provide training to school personnel and students;
• Expand children and family mental health services, including community behavioral health centers;
• Invest in school-based mental health and supportive services, including early identification and intervention programs and school based mental health and wrap-around services;
• Invest in programs that increase access to mental and behavioral services for youth and families in crisis via telehealth;
• For buyers under 21 years of age, requires an investigative period to review juvenile and mental health records, including checks with state databases and local law enforcement; and
• Crack down on criminals who illegally straw purchase and traffic guns.

The bipartisan proposal includes similar provisions proposed by Senator Kaine’s Virginia Plan to Reduce Gun Violence, such as improving background checks, strengthening safeguards for victims of domestic violence and incentivizing states to implement their own Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPOs) to remove firearms from individuals who pose a high risk of harming themselves or others.

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