News

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL), Bill Nelson (D-FL), and Jack Reed (D-RI) today introduced the Extreme Risk Protection Order and Violence Prevention Act, which will encourage states to give law enforcement the authority to prevent individuals who pose a threat to themselves or others the ability to purchase or possess firearms, while still providing due process protections. This bill is included in Rubio’s plan to address gun violence, a multi-faceted approach to prevent future mass shootings by creating a more effective system to prevent gun violence before it happens.
 
A one-pager of the legislation is available here.
 
Rubio’s comment in English and Spanish can be found below.  A high-quality version is available in English and Spanish.
 
“I think, among the things that we could do after Parkland, one of the most effective is a gun violence restraining order” said Rubio in a video statement. “Basically the police or a family member who thinks someone is dangerous can go to court. They can get a court order, and they can take that person’s guns away and keep them from buying new ones. Florida has already passed it. Five other states are already passing it. And now we’re putting out there a law to try to get all the other states in the country to do the same thing, so you can find these people and you can take away their guns before they kill anybody.”
 
“We must do all we can to keep our communities safe, which includes empowering law enforcement and family members concerned about loved ones to act and help keep guns out of the hands of those who pose a threat to themselves or others,” said Nelson. “I hope we can continue to work together on commonsense solutions, such as requiring universal background checks and getting assault rifles off our streets.”
 
 “This bill can help prevent tragedies like mass-shootings and suicides. Florida’s U.S. Senators are both leading here. This bill would provide family members and law enforcement with an opportunity to partner up to keep guns away from people who have exhibited serious, documented signs of danger to themselves or others,” said Reed.  “Red and blue states alike have been out front on this issue, with state legislatures adopting, or taking steps to adopt, so-called ‘Red Flag’ laws. Our bipartisan initiative builds on these state solutions that already exist in states like Florida, or are being developed in states like Rhode Island, and provides incentives to effectively run these important programs. It doesn’t force states to act, but rewards and supports states that do. We must come together and do more to prevent gun violence, and passing this bipartisan bill is a step in the right direction.”
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