Prohibit People With Dangerous Histories From Having Guns
Prohibit People With Dangerous Histories From Having Guns
What does this solve?
People with dangerous histories should be prohibited from having guns. Federal law prohibits gun possession by certain categories of people. States also set standards for who is too dangerous to have guns. People prohibited by federal or state law will fail a background check if they try to buy a gun from a licensed dealer.
Federal law prohibits certain categories of people from having guns, including:
- Convicted felons.
- Abusers under final domestic violence restraining orders, or convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence crimes, if they have been married to, lived with, or have a child in common with the victim.
- People with dangerous mental illness.
- Fugitives from justice.
- Unlawful drug users.
While federal law applies in every state, without matching provisions in state law, in-state officials generally cannot enforce them. States can also fill gaps left by federal law and set even stronger standards.
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