President Biden Signs Gun Safety Legislation

President Biden on Saturday signed into law gun safety legislation passed in the aftermath of shootings in Uvalde, Texas and Buffalo, New York. The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act includes incentives for states to pass "red flag laws" that allow law enforcement or family members to petition courts to temporarily remove weapons from people who are deemed a threat to themselves or others. It also expands background checks on gun purchasers under the age of 21 and increases funding for mental health resources and school safety. 

Archbishop Paul Coakley, chairman of the USCCB Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, commended Congress for passing the bipartisan measure. "This agreement, born of dialogue and compromise to advance the safety and well-being of all, embodies the work Pope Francis calls us to in his encyclical, Fratelli tutti," said Coakley. "I commend members of Congress for their work thus far and encourage them to continue working to confront the plague of gun violence in our nation."

Archbishop Coakley's full statement can be read here.