'Good First Start' Kim Says Of Recently Passed Gun Legislation

NEW JERSEY — U.S. Representative Andy Kim (NJ-03) called the Safer Communities Act, a collection of bills geared towards preventing gun violence a "good first start" but emphasized more work needs to be done to make the United States safer.

"We need to do more and I won’t stop working to keep our kids, our communities, and our country safe from the scourge of gun violence," he said.

Kim's office told Patch that the act provides:

• Support for state crisis intervention orders
• Funding for youth, family and school-based mental health services, as well as school-based support services and safety resources
• Safety measures for victims of domestic violence
• Clarification of who is considered a federally-licensed firearms dealer
• Penalties for those who buy guns for someone who legally cannot do so (also known as straw purchasing)
• Crackdowns on criminals who illegally evade licensing requirements as well as those who straw purchase and traffic guns
• Investments in telehealth
• Review processes for those aged 21 years and younger that are stronger than before the current act

The act is the largest gun violence prevention legislative package to head to a President’s desk in more than 30 years, according to Kim.

The Senate passed the legislation earlier this week, and President Biden should sign the legislation into law, NBC News reported.

Bob Healey, Kim's opponent for New Jersey's Third Congressional District in the November election, had not responded to Patch's request for comment prior to this story's posting. Check back for possible updates.

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