HARRISBURG — Today, the Pennsylvania House Judiciary Committee passed a package of bills to save Pennsylvanians’ lives from gun violence. The legislation focused primarily on addressing violent crime with guns, including banning ghost guns, strengthening the background check system, and stopping the conversion of handguns into rapid-fire functional machine guns. In a first in modern times, a bill to ban assault weapons also advanced to the House Floor.
Adam Garber, CeaseFirePA’s executive director, issued the following statement after the passage:
“This is what it looks like to tackle the violent crime that plagues cities from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh and everywhere else in between. The PA House Judiciary Committee, led by Chairman Briggs, has again demonstrated its commitment to survivors and responding to the data by passing a package of life-saving bills targeting crime guns.
“If you cried when a kid lost their life in an unintentional shooting, watched in horror after Lewiston or Uvalde, or were stunned to learn of another deadly act in your community, your voice is needed right now–contact your State Representative today.”
House Bills 335, 336, 777, 1157, and 1190 passed out of Committee 14 to 11. House bills 483 and 1859 will be considered in the future.
