The United States Senate has put forward a bill that aims to control the possession and use of guns in the state.
The bill will now have to go through the House of Representatives before President Joe Biden can sign it into law.
The Bipartisan Gun Safety Bill passed the Senate by a vote of 65-33. The bill seeks to mandate states to pass red flag laws and carry background checks for youths below 21, and other measures.
President Biden reacted to this move with urgency, calling on the House to act quickly on the bill. The House and Senate are understood to embark on a two-week break after Friday.
“Tonight, after 28 years of inaction, bipartisan members of Congress came together to heed the call of families across the country and passed legislation to address the scourge of gun violence in our communities. Families in Uvalde and Buffalo – and too many tragic shootings before – have demanded action. And tonight, we acted,” Biden said in a statement.
The bill also covers increased funding for mental health and school safety and will reinforce a federal ban on domestic abusers buying firearms, and laws against straw purchasing and trafficking of guns.
The move came on the day that the Supreme Court ruled against a New York law that placed strict restrictions on carrying guns outside the home. And followed negotiations between 10 Republicans and 10 Democrats after multiple mass shootings were recorded last month.
