During her Florida visit to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Vice President Kamala Harris is announcing two solutions to keep guns out of the hands of people in crisis.
Florida Democrats welcomed Vice President Kamala Harris, who will travel to Parkland to meet with families and visit Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, and emphasized the politics of the trip and how important the 2024 elections will be.
“Earlier this month, the Biden-Harris campaign launched their month-long blitz across battleground states,” the Florida Democratic Party said in a statement. “We welcome the return of Vice President Kamala Harris, who has visited Florida more than 10 times since taking office.”
“This visit demonstrates their commitment to Florida as a battleground in 2024 and highlights the action Democrats are taking to address gun violence,” the FDP continued. “While Florida Republicans used this legislation session attempting to roll back Parkland-era gun reform, the Biden-Harris administration has shown leadership on gun violence prevention since day one, passing the first major bipartisan gun safety legislation in 30 years and creating the first Office of Gun Violence Prevention together with our own Congressman Maxwell Frost.”
During her visit to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, the Vice President is announcing two gun safety solutions:
First, Vice President Harris is announcing the launch of the first-ever National Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) Resource Center, which will support the effective implementation of state red flag laws.
- The Resource Center will assist states, local governments, law enforcement, prosecutors, attorneys, judges, clinicians, victim service providers, and behavioral health and other social service providers in optimizing the usage of red flag laws – laws that allows a family member or law enforcement to seek a court order to temporarily take away access to guns if they feel a gun owner may harm themselves or others.
- The Resource Center will provide training and technical assistance, which will include developing and disseminating educational opportunities and workshops for a wide variety of stakeholders, providing implementation support, supporting peer-to-peer engagements with model learning sites, performing site assessments, and developing presentations and webinars that will advance states and localities’ knowledge in key areas related to ERPOs.
- The Resource Center is funded by a Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Bureau of Justice Assistance grant made possible by BSCA, and is run by the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions.
Second, the Vice President is calling on states to pass red flag laws and to use BSCA funding to help implement laws already enacted.
- The Biden-Harris Administration made $750 million in federal funding to implement state crisis intervention programs, which includes red flag programs, mental health courts, drug courts, and veteran treatment courts. In February 2023, DOJ awarded over $238 million (covering FY22 and FY23) to 51 states, territories, and the District of Columbia that applied to use the funds to implement state crisis intervention programs. DOJ anticipates making up to an additional $141 million in awards in FY24.
- When it comes to red flag programs, this funding can be used to train (1) judiciary and court staff on red flag proceedings, (2) what family members can do when they see warning signs, and (3) first responders on recognizing signs of crisis. The funding can also be used to raise public awareness about red flag laws, distribute written and multimedia materials (including in multiple languages), and publish best practices.
- Of the 21 states and territories with red flag laws, only 6 are accessing the BSCA funding to implement their red flag laws. The remaining 15 states with red flag laws are strongly encouraged to use BSCA’s funding to implement their red flags laws.
- The 29 states without red flag laws should enact those laws and ensure effective implementation, supported by this BSCA funding.
The Department of Homeland Security’s National Threat Assessment Center conducted a systematic review of targeted school violence incidents and found that there were often warning signs. The review, which is corroborated by other analysis, found that these incidents were often preceded by observed warning signs, including instances where the individual told other about their plan ahead of time.
ERPO or “red flag” laws generally create a civil process for law enforcement (and often times family members) to seek a judicial order that a person is a danger to themselves or others and should temporarily lose the ability to purchase and possess firearms. The laws have due process protections that ensure people’s rights are respected, but also enable a concrete way to intervene.
The shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School occurred after there were clear warning signs, but there were no tools to remove the shooter’s firearm. The survivors of the shooting advocated for passage of a red flag law in Florida, and the tragedy helped to inspire the passage of red flag laws in other states across the country. Currently, 21 states and the District of Columbia have red flag laws on the books. These laws have been shown to prevent mass shootings and suicides, but the tools made available under these laws are only effective if people are aware of them and can properly invoke them.
President Joe Biden and Vice President Harris call on Congress to pass universal background checks, a national red flag law, an assault weapons ban, and a secure storage law; to repeal the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA), which gives gun dealers and manufactures special immunity from certain liability for their products; and to increase appropriations to support youth mental health and violence prevention strategies.
Florida Senator Rick Scott responded to Vice President Kamala Harris‘ visit to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland by calling her gun safety proposals “radical policies.”
“There is more work to do to make our state and country safer with sensible gun laws — and the only way we can ensure continued progress is by sending President Biden and Vice President Harris back to the White House in November,” the Florida Democratic Party said.
