Explore The NRA Universe Of Websites

APPEARS IN Legal & Legislation

NRA Applauds U.S. Rep McSally's Introduction of Mental Health Bill

Friday, October 16, 2015

NRA Applauds U.S. Rep McSally's Introduction of Mental Health Bill

Last week, U.S. Representative Martha McSally (R-Ariz.) introduced HR 3722, NRA supported legislation to protect the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens from continued bureaucratic abuse by the Obama Administration while strengthening America’s failing mental health system.  McSally’s bill is the House version of the Mental Health and Safe Communities Act, introduced in August in the U.S. Senate by Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) as S. 2002.

As we reported here on S.2002, the Mental Health and Safe Communities Act requires that significant due process protections must be in place before an individual can be entered into the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) as a prohibited person under the Gun Control Act (GCA).  This critical change is necessary as the Obama Administration continues to sweep more and more Americans into NICS, with his agencies hard at work to deny the Second Amendment rights of the law-abiding with no due process whatsoever.

As we’ve reported here and here, the Veterans Administration (VA) has forwarded an estimated 177,000 veterans into NICS simply because they’ve been assigned someone to help them manage their financial affairs.  This is being done to our brave service men and women by simple bureaucratic fiat, with no chance for a hearing, no right to counsel, and no opportunity to argue their case before the VA forwards their name to NICS.  These veterans can appeal the decision after VA makes the determination, but there is no such right before they are, in essence, “found guilty.” 

But it’s not just the VA.  As reported in the L.A. Times in July, the Social Security Administration (SSA) is currently developing a similar program to forward to NICS the names of those SSA recipients who need help with their finances.  Of course, helping to manage a checkbook has nothing to do with public safety; this is just another way for the Obama Administration to prohibit more Americans from owning guns.  This program has the potential to assign prohibited person status to over four million Americans, and if implemented as it has been reported, would amount to the largest gun grab in our history.  HR 3722 bill will end these abuses.

Beyond the due process mandate, the bill will also provide incentive funding to the states to forward prohibiting mental health records to the NICS, but, importantly, the bill clarifies the scope of mental health records that are to be shared to ensure that only those who pose a danger to themselves or others are included.

HR 3722 strengthens several federal programs to fix our ailing mental health system.  In addition to targeting funding to improve local responses to those in mental health crisis, HR 3722 also will help state and local authorities to identify the dangerously mentally ill while also providing treatment resources for communities to prevent acts of violence.

The NRA applauds Rep. McSally’s commitment to the Second Amendment rights of all Americans while recognizing the need to address America’s broken mental health system.  We look forward to working with her, along with Senator Cornyn in the Senate, to push for passage of the Mental Health and Safe Communities Act to address these critical needs.

TRENDING NOW
Undercover Video: Sen. Fetterman (D-Pa.) staffer claims boss would be “okay with like overturning the Second Amendment”

News  

Tuesday, May 30, 2023

Undercover Video: Sen. Fetterman (D-Pa.) staffer claims boss would be “okay with like overturning the Second Amendment”

It seems as though Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) may like to overturn more than just the U.S. Senate’s standards of professional attire. According to an undercover video of Fetterman senate staffer Luke Borwegen, obtained by O’Keefe Media Group, ...

Need a Good Lawyer? Don’t Use Anti-Gun Groups as a Resource

News  

Tuesday, May 30, 2023

Need a Good Lawyer? Don’t Use Anti-Gun Groups as a Resource

The anti-gun extremists at Giffords and March for Our Lives are running a joint operation to try to convince students in law school to sign a pledge to never represent anyone within “the gun industry or gun ...

Hypothesis or Hyperbole Gun Control Researchers Balk at Betting on Gun Control

News  

Tuesday, May 30, 2023

Hypothesis or Hyperbole Gun Control Researchers Balk at Betting on Gun Control

Dr. John Lott, Jr., a leading researcher and founder of the Crime Prevention Research Center (CPRC), recently embarked on an unusual personal experiment: how many pro-gun control academics would literally bet in favor of their own ...

Updates to ATF Final Rule on Stabilizing Braces

News  

Monday, January 30, 2023

Updates to ATF Final Rule on Stabilizing Braces

On Monday, January 30, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives’ (ATF) published the final Factoring Criteria for Firearms with Attached “Stabilizing Braces” rule for public inspection in the federal register.

Report: Biden Administration Weaponizes DHS “Anti-Terrorism” Program Against Political Opponents

News  

Tuesday, May 30, 2023

Report: Biden Administration Weaponizes DHS “Anti-Terrorism” Program Against Political Opponents

Those paying attention to official D.C. already know that Joe Biden’s political strategy involves portraying his political rivals, as not just wrong on policy or facts but as altogether illegitimate.

Connecticut:  Gun Control Bill Passes the House and Moves to the Senate

Saturday, May 27, 2023

Connecticut: Gun Control Bill Passes the House and Moves to the Senate

On Thursday, the House passed HB 6667 on a vote of 96-51.  This drastic gun control legislation has a bit of everything.  It contains a ban on open carry and strengthens prohibitions and registration of semi-auto "assault ...

Pennsylvania:  House Democrat Majority Passes Gun Control by Slimmest of Margins

Tuesday, May 23, 2023

Pennsylvania: House Democrat Majority Passes Gun Control by Slimmest of Margins

The House Democrat Majority leadership carried through on one of their agenda items late Monday afternoon – attacking law-abiding gun owners.  There are only a couple of sticking points for the gun-grabbers leading the Pennsylvania House.  ...

California: Six Anti-Gun Bills Pass Chamber of Origin, Others Still Eligible for Votes

Tuesday, May 30, 2023

California: Six Anti-Gun Bills Pass Chamber of Origin, Others Still Eligible for Votes

Last week, the Assembly and Senate both held floor votes and passed three anti-gun bills each. In addition, other anti-gun bills in the Assembly are still eligible for floor votes ahead of the June 2nd deadline ...

U.S. House Judiciary Committee Advances Pistol Brace Resolution

News  

Monday, April 24, 2023

U.S. House Judiciary Committee Advances Pistol Brace Resolution

On April 19, the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee voted 23-15 to advance H.J.Res.44, which would reign in the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ attempt to regulate pistol stabilizing braces. The resolution employs ...

The Disingenuous “Assault Weapons” Ban

News  

Monday, May 8, 2023

The Disingenuous “Assault Weapons” Ban

On April 25, 2023, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D) signed HB1240 into law. The legislation is a sweeping, and flagrantly unconstitutional ban on commonly-owned semi-automatic firearms. The law prohibits a host of rifles by name, including America’s ...

MORE TRENDING +
LESS TRENDING -

More Like This From Around The NRA

NRA ILA

Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the "lobbying" arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.