Sec. 2. Purpose and findings
138 words·~1 min read·
/bill/115/s/2546/is/section-2·A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
The purpose of this Act is to provide grants to States to encourage the implementation and maintenance of firearms licensing requirements. Congress finds the following: There is an epidemic of gun violence in the United States. In 2016, more than 38,000 lives were lost to gun violence in the United States. Gun homicide rates in the United States are 25.2 times higher than those in other high-income countries. Firearms account for over 50 percent of suicides and 66 percent of homicides.
Since 1994, Massachusetts has lowered its gun death rate by 40 percent by enacting strong gun safety measures, including firearms licensing requirements. Researchers at Boston Children’s Hospital and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that States with more gun laws have fewer gun-related deaths. Massachusetts has the lowest gun death rate in the country.