PA House Judiciary Committee Passes Common Agenda to End Gun Violence
Harrisburg, PA. April 26, 2023 — Today, the Pennsylvania House Judiciary Committee passed a package of four life-saving gun violence prevention bills known as the Common Agenda to End Gun Violence. In response, the Executive Director of CeaseFirePA Action, Adam Garber, released the following statement:
“Today was a good day for a safer Pennsylvania. The Judiciary Committee gave voice to the vast majority of Pennsylvanians who for years have been crying out for life-saving improvements to our firearm safety laws. We will not stop honoring those we’ve already lost and preventing the next death until these bills are on Governor Shapiro’s desk. If you cried when a kid lost their life in an unintentional shooting, watched in horror as news rolled in after Uvalde, or were stunned to learn of another deadly act in your community, your voice is needed right now – contact your State Representative today. We will not rest until all Pennsylvanians can live a life free from gun violence.”
The Judiciary Committee’s passage was the latest in a series of actions that demonstrate growing momentum for gun safety policy change, including the first House Judiciary Committee hearing on gun violence prevention in a decade on March 23rd.
Advocates hope the full House votes soon on these four bills, because lives are being lost every day.
The Common Agenda to End Gun Violence addresses the full scope of the gun violence crisis spanning every corner of our Commonwealth, by:
- Requiring the safe storage of guns in the home to prevent school shootings, suicides, and unintentional shootings (HB 731);
- Requiring the reporting of lost and stolen firearms to reduce the flow of illegal guns fueling community-based violence (HB 338);
- Creating Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPOs) to prevent firearm suicide and mass shootings (HB 1018);
- Enacting Universal Background Checks to stop weapons of war from getting into the wrong hands (HB 714).
Yesterday, CeaseFirePA Action sent a letter urging all members of the Judiciary Committee to vote yes on all four pieces of legislation.
The final vote on each bill was 12-9. Today’s full meeting recording can be watched HERE.
More information about gun violence in Pennsylvania can be found at CeaseFirePA.org.
