Joe Biden on Thursday (local time) signed an executive order in order to curb gun violence in the country targeting 3D printed guns , machine guns and improving active shooter drills in schools. In his speech, the US President said that it was about time that parents were held "accountable for being negligent" as he addressed the rising instances of gun violence in schools.
“It’s time we establish universal background checks and require safe storage of firearms,” Biden said.
“Start holding parents accountable for being negligent,” he added.
Biden said that a gun conversion device, capable of allowing handguns and semi-automatic firearms to fire at rates comparable to military machine guns, was discovered at the site of a mass shooting in Alabama over the weekend, which resulted in four fatalities.
Addressing her first gun-related event with Biden, Harris said, “It is a false choice to suggest you are either in favor of the Second Amendment, or you want to take everyone’s guns away."
"I am in favor of the Second Amendment and I believe we need to reinstate the assault weapons ban,” she added.
What is the new gun order all about
“It’s time we establish universal background checks and require safe storage of firearms,” Biden said.
“Start holding parents accountable for being negligent,” he added.
Biden said that a gun conversion device, capable of allowing handguns and semi-automatic firearms to fire at rates comparable to military machine guns, was discovered at the site of a mass shooting in Alabama over the weekend, which resulted in four fatalities.
Join @VP and me as we deliver remarks on addressing the scourge of gun violence in America. https://t.co/YFGOKtBV2Q
— President Biden (@POTUS) September 26, 2024
Addressing her first gun-related event with Biden, Harris said, “It is a false choice to suggest you are either in favor of the Second Amendment, or you want to take everyone’s guns away."
"I am in favor of the Second Amendment and I believe we need to reinstate the assault weapons ban,” she added.
What is the new gun order all about
- Task force to evaluate risks involving 3D-printed guns: The order seeks to create an Emerging Firearms Threats Task Force with the of leadership from important government departments and agencies. It would produce a report in 90 days that will assess the dangers of machinegun conversion devices and unserialized, 3D-printed firearms.
- Improving active shooter drills in schools: It mandates that federal agencies produce and share guidelines within 110 days for US schools, colleges, and universities on creating, implementing, and evaluating evidence-based active shooter drills. While many states require these drills, research has indicated that they can be ineffective and may even be traumatic for students.
- Safe firearm storage: The department of education is launching a new interactive website to help schools and communities promote safe gun storage. This resource includes a map of state safe storage laws, examples of how schools are informing parents, and local policies on safe storage education.
- Improving background checks for those under 21: The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA) has implemented enhanced background checks for individuals under 21 purchasing firearms, preventing over 900 transactions involving dangerous individuals. However, some states have privacy laws that limit responses to these inquiries. The Biden-Harris Administration has prioritized resolving this issue, and states like Connecticut, Vermont, Nevada, Texas, and Kentucky have made necessary changes. The Department of Justice is now providing model legislation to help other states share juvenile records for enhanced background checks and will offer guidance on state laws regarding this information-sharing, according to a White House statement.
