Today, Vice President Harris, the Office of Gun Violence Prevention and the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs convened 100 state legislators to announce the Biden-Harris Administration's Safer States Initiative to reduce gun violence and save lives.
This was the largest White House convening of state legislators to discuss gun violence prevention, and falls right before state legislative sessions kick off in 2024. During the convening, White House officials and state legislators discussed the Safer States Agenda, which highlights key actions states can take to end the epidemic of gun violence, including the establishment of state offices focused on gun violence prevention, strengthening support for survivors and victims, and establishing industry accountability and standards.
At today's convening, the Justice Department announced the publication of two pieces of model legislation drawn from common-sense gun-safety statutes already on the books in a broad cross-section of states. These model bills will assist additional states in crafting appropriate requirements for safe gun storage and the prompt reporting of lost and stolen firearms-both of which are proven, evidence-informed solutions that will save lives.
Georgia Congresswoman Lucy McBath emphasized the action required at the federal, state and local level to protect communities from the threat of gun violence, and White House officials thanked the state legislators for their leadership and ongoing partnership.
Senior Administration officials included:
- Vice President Kamala Harris
- Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco
- Director of the Office of Gun Violence Prevention Stef Feldman
- Assistant to the President and Director of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs Tom Perez
- Deputy Director of the Office of Gun Violence Prevention Gregory Jackson
