Previous Gun Reform Bills

Hosanna Eyob, Staff Writer

Gun control has maintained its role as a controversial topic in the United States for decades, and legislation regarding gun control has become quite large itself.

Many small reforms and bills have been passed throughout the history of the country including those from February 2019. They included the Bipartisan Background Check Act and a law that lengthens the time period federal authorities need to wait for their gun purchase to be processed. 

The Bipartisan Background Check Act requires all gun sales to occur with background checks thus denying those with felonies and other violent crime charges, yet the rule applies primarily to licensed gun sellers.

The other bill proposed that the FBI would be provided more time to vet the backgrounds of those purchasing guns from private sellers online or from gun shows in attempts to limit unnecessary gun violence. 

The House recently approved the two bills on 11 March 2021 and the legislation was officially passed after years of waiting.

Conversation revolving around new orders has arisen as a result of Biden’s recent executive orders on gun laws. These six orders target smaller aspects of firearm purchases and ownership, but also target issues like gun violence in urban communities.

Many observable changes have been occurring regarding gun regulations under democratic dominance in the White House and Congress, and more is to be expected.