The state of New Hampshire does not give its mental health information to the national database that is used for background checks.
Bipartisan legislation planned in response to New Hampshire hospital shooting(PHOTO: AP News)
According to FOX News report, after the sad shooting death of a mental hospital security guard last month, politicians in New Hampshire are working together to pass gun control laws. Even though the deadline for writing bills had already passed, the House Rules Committee fully accepted a late bill that was backed by both Republican Rep. Terry Roy and Democrat David Meuse. The goal of this unusual partnership is to keep people with dangerous mental diseases from getting or owning guns. Because of the delicate political balance in the 400-member House, working together will be essential for any bill to pass next year.
“For us to be together here today tells you something,” Republican Rep. Terry Roy said to stress how important it was to deal with the problem right away. We believe this is a major issue that needs to be dealt with right away. The joint effort fills in a major hole in current federal law, which says that people who are sent to mental hospitals against their will are not allowed to own guns. Background checks on registered sellers do ask about these kinds of stays, but New Hampshire doesn’t add mental health information to the national database that these checks use. Roy brought up the need to close the gap between federal rules being recognized and being put into practice.
Because of the shooting death at the New Hampshire Hospital, Republican Rep. Terry Roy and Democrat David Meuse are working together on a bill that will stop people who are forcibly committed from buying or having guns until their mental health is no longer a threat. The suggested law aims to create a way for people to get their gun rights back once they have healed. The sad case of John Madore, who killed Officer Bradley Haas, shows how important it is to take thorough steps. It is still not clear how Madore got weapons after being arrested before, when police took away his guns.
