H.Res. 318 — Introduced in House

IV 113th CONGRESS 1st Session H. RES. 318 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES July 25, 2013 Ms. Kelly of Illinois (for herself, Mr. Richmond, Mr. Lewis, Mr. Hastings of Florida, Mr. Bishop of Georgia, Mr. Carson of Indiana, Mr. Cleaver, Mr. Thompson of Mississippi, Mr. Clay, Ms. Lee of California, Ms. Fudge, Ms. Moore, Mr. David Scott of Georgia, Ms. Brown of Florida, Ms. Norton, Mr. Jeffries, Mr. Meeks, Mr. Payne, Ms. Bass, Mr. Cummings, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas, Ms. Clarke, Ms. Waters, Mrs. Christensen, Ms. Edwards, Mr. Rush, Mr. Danny K. Davis of Illinois, Ms. Jackson Lee, and Mr. Rangel) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary RESOLUTION Expressing disapproval over the gun violence plaguing America’s communities, and calling on the Congress to enact comprehensive gun reforms that reduce gun violence. Whereas more than 31,000 people a year in the United States die from gunshot wounds; Whereas, in 2010, there were an estimated 337,960 nonfatal violent crimes committed with guns, and 73,505 persons treated in hospital emergency departments for nonfatal gunshot wounds; Whereas the burden of gun violence on American society is substantial when measured in years of productive life lost, disability, fear, and economic costs; Whereas, in 2005, gun-related deaths and injuries in the United States resulted in medical and lost productivity expenses estimated at $37,000,000,000; Whereas the use of guns is the second leading cause of traumatic death related to a consumer product in the United States, and is the second most frequent cause of death overall for Americans ages 15 to 24; Whereas gun violence is the leading cause of death for African-American teens; Whereas women who are victims of domestic violence are 5 times more likely to be killed if their abuser has a gun; Whereas tragedies at schools, such as Sandy Hook, Virginia Tech, and Columbine bring to the forefront the need to protect our most vulnerable citizens, our children, and school personnel from gun violence; Whereas similar events have taken place in public areas, such as the Century Movie Theater in Aurora, work places around the Nation, and Fort Hood, which is considered a secure environment; Whereas stand-your-ground laws have dramatically and recklessly expanded the right of citizens to use deadly force, and have been subject to national scrutiny; Whereas there has been widespread support among gun owners and non-gun owners for commonsense gun reforms that include banning assault weapons and high capacity magazine clips of more than 10 rounds, reporting the sale of large quantities of ammunition to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and requiring background checks on all gun purchasers, including those purchasing at gun shows; and Whereas the President of the United States has issued executive actions based on the recommendations of a study commission on gun violence, to promote fact-based, commonsense legislation which would protect the rights and freedom of all citizens: Now, therefore, be it That the House of Representatives— (1) supports the President’s Plan to Reduce Gun Violence based on the study commission’s recommendations; (2) urges the Congress to enact legislation based on the recommendations of the President to reduce gun violence; (3) condemns all gun violence and relevant parties for their role in obstructing communities ability to be safe from gun violence; (4) condemns all efforts to weaken gun laws and proposals that stand in the way of comprehensive gun law reform; (5) condemns all relevant parties for their roles in proposing stand-your-ground legislation and similar legislation that compromises public safety and the integrity of the prosecutorial system; (6) urges any State legislature considering stand-your-ground legislation to reject such proposals; and (7) urges the repeal of the stand-your-ground law in every State which has enacted such a law.