Bipartisan Safer Communities Act

We marched for our lives and Congress took action.

Following the devastating tragedies in Buffalo and Uvalde, tens of thousands of people across the nation took to the streets again to call for change. We organized the second March For Our Lives, with hundreds of simultaneous rallies across the country, to demand lawmakers take immediate, meaningful action. After the historic march in D.C. and communities nationwide, and March For Our Lives organizers meeting with 70+ members of Congress, lawmakers finally heard our pleas.

Upending decades-long gridlock, Congress finally passed lifesaving gun safety legislation in the  Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA). Marking the first federal legislation on gun safety in almost 30 years, the package is a testament to the power of people and a beacon of hope for meaningful action on gun safety.

While imperfect and not going nearly far enough to end the gun violence epidemic, BSCA is already saving lives. The expansive legislation contains lifesaving provisions that prevent gun violence before someone even picks up a gun and raises the bar for gun safety.

The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act includes:

• $300 million for enhanced background checks for 18 to 21-year-olds
• Tightens background checks by expanding the definition of “gun dealers”
• Partially closes the dating partner loophole
• Provides $250 million in steady funding for  community violence intervention
• Provides $1.9 billion for children, family, and school-based mental health services 
• $750 million in state incentives for extreme risk protection orders
• $1M annually to reduce the risk of straw purchasing and firearm trafficking

We’ve advocated for many of these measures for years and are proud to see Congress finally take action on them. The package proves that Congress can push past political games to deliver life-saving legislation. Since the passage of BSCA, we’ve been hard at work holding the White House and state governments accountable for the promises made in the package, and we are proud to share the immense progress that BSCA has already made.

The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act is already saving lives.

While we celebrate this momentous victory, there’s so much work left to do. Gun violence remains the number one threat to our kids and our communities. The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act was the floor and not the ceiling. A divided Congress is no excuse for inaction, especially when our lives are on the line.