(TargetLiberty.org) – Gun reform organizations have expressed significant concerns to Congress, highlighting a potential threat to veteran safety due to legislative changes. A recent letter from groups including Brady United Against Gun Violence, Everytown for Gun Safety, and Giffords, addressed to leading appropriators in the House and Senate, criticized a specific provision—Section 413—of the $1.2 trillion budget bill passed last month. This provision restricts the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) from reporting cases of mental incompetency to the federal background check system, a step previously taken to prevent gun purchases by potentially dangerous individuals.
The groups argue that this change could endanger veterans, particularly those in mental health crises, by allowing them to acquire firearms despite potentially being legally prohibited from doing so. They emphasized that the restriction weakens critical tools for preventing gun violence, such as the background check system.
Senator John Kennedy (R-La.), who introduced the measure, argues it prevents unnecessary reporting when a fiduciary is appointed to manage a veteran’s VA benefits, suggesting that the measure protects veterans’ rights. However, gun reform advocates contend that the appointment of a fiduciary is often a result of serious mental health evaluations by the VA, indicating significant risk.
The controversy arises amid heightened awareness of the suicide crisis among veterans, with firearms involved in a substantial percentage of these tragic incidents. VA press secretary Terrence Hayes confirmed that the department has stopped such reporting unless ordered by a judicial authority. This legislative change, part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024, has sparked a debate on the balance between gun rights and public safety, particularly concerning vulnerable veteran populations.
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