Van Hollen Joins in Introducing Three Pieces of Legislation to Reduce Gun Violence

This week, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) has joined his Democratic colleagues to introduce three bills to reduce gun violence in the United States -- the Automatic Gun Fire Prevention Act; the Handgun Trigger Safety Act; and the Background Check Completion Act.

"In the wake of the shooting in Las Vegas, our country has united to grieve the lives we've lost. But it's also time for us to work together to stop the terrible toll of gun violence in our country." said Senator Van Hollen. "We need to take common sense steps - like improving background checks and closing the automatic weapon loophole - that are proven to save lives. Our thoughts and prayers won't end the bloodshed. I'm begging my colleagues: put politics aside. The American people need us to act now more than ever.

The Automatic Gun Fire Prevention Act, led by Senator Diane Feinstein (D-Calif.), would close a loophole that allows semi-automatic weapons to be easily modified to fire at the rate of automatic weapons, which have been illegal for more than 30 years. The Handgun Trigger Safety Act, led by Senator Edward Markey (D-Mass.), would improve gun safety by ensuring that only authorized users would be able to operate handguns utilizing personalization (or "smart gun") technology. The Background Check Completion Act, led by Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), would close the so-called "Charleston loophole," which currently allows gun buyers to walk away with a purchased firearm if a background check takes longer than 72 hours to complete.

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