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H.R. 4199 · 116th Congress

Safer Communities Act of 2019

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Never voted on. It didn't reach a floor vote before the 116th Congress ended, so it expired. A bill has to be introduced again to be considered in a new Congress.

1 cosponsor · 1 D

1 signed on when it was introduced; the rest joined later. Cosponsors who withdrew aren't shown.

This bill establishes grants for mental health programs, revises certain prohibitions related to firearms, and revises criminal history reporting systems.

What it does: CRS summary · Introduced in House · Aug 20, 2019

Safer Communities Act of 2019

This bill establishes grants for mental health programs, revises certain prohibitions related to firearms, and revises criminal history reporting systems.

Specifically, it provides grants to expand mental health crisis assistance programs, support comprehensive school mental health programs, and enhance mental health and substance abuse needs of prisoners.

The Department of Health and Human Services must expand research on violence associated with mental illness and substance abuse disorders.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must expand the National Violent Death Reporting System to all 50 states and research the causes, mechanisms, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of injuries from gun violence.

Additionally, physicians are not prohibited from asking patients about guns in their homes, speaking to a patient about gun safety, or reporting a patient's threat of violence.

The bill authorizes state grants to remove firearms from individuals who pose a threat to themselves or others.

The Department of Justice must promptly notify law enforcement agencies when a prohibited person attempts to purchase a firearm.

It also revises the National Instant Criminal Background Check System to

  • establish procedures to restore firearm ownership rights after a mental health adjudication or commitment,
  • authorize state grants for the automation and transmittal of mental health and criminal history records, and
  • require certain annual reports and quarterly updates.

Finally, it reauthorizes through FY2024 the National Criminal History Records Improvement Program.

Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov

About this bill and sources

Official title: Safer Communities Act of 2019

Latest action (Sep 25, 2019): Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.

Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement · Origin: House · Introduced: Aug 20, 2019

Official page on Congress.gov · Bill text (GovInfo) · Status record (XML)

No recorded floor vote found.