WASHINGTON — In the wake of the growing gun violence in the country, President Obama has signed a 23-part executive order that strives to curb that violence.
These orders are in addition to laws that Mr. Obama wants Congress to pass.
Here, according to the White House, are what the 23 executive actions will do, without congressional approval:
- 1. “Issue a presidential memorandum to require federal agencies to make relevant data available to the federal background check system.”
- 2. “Address unnecessary legal barriers, particularly relating to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, that may prevent states from making information available to the background check system.”
- 3. “Improve incentives for states to share information with the background check system.”
- 4. “Direct the attorney general to review categories of individuals prohibited from having a gun to make sure dangerous people are not slipping through the cracks.”
- 5. “Propose rulemaking to give law enforcement the ability to run a full background check on an individual before returning a seized gun.”
- 6. “Publish a letter from ATF to federally licensed gun dealers providing guidance on how to run background checks for private sellers.
- 7. “Launch a national safe and responsible gun ownership campaign.”
- 8. “Review safety standards for gun locks and gun safes (Consumer Product Safety Commission).”
- 9. “Issue a presidential Memorandum to require federal law enforcement to trace guns recovered in criminal investigations.”
- 10. “Release a DOJ report analyzing information on lost and stolen guns and make it widely available to law enforcement.”
- 11. “Nominate an ATF director.”
- 12. “Provide law enforcement, first responders, and school officials with proper training for active shooter situations.”
- 13. “Maximize enforcement efforts to prevent gun violence and prosecute gun crime.”
- 14. “Issue a presidential memorandum directing the Centers for Disease Control to research the causes and prevention of gun violence.”
- 15. “Direct the attorney general to issue a report on the availability and most effective use of new gun safety technologies and challenge the private sector to develop innovative technologies.”
- 16. “Clarify that the Affordable Care Act does not prohibit doctors asking their patients about guns in their homes.”
- 17. “Release a letter to health care providers clarifying that no federal law prohibits them from reporting threats of violence to law enforcement authorities.”
- 18. “Provide incentives for schools to hire school resource officers.”
- 19. “Develop model emergency response plans for schools, houses of worship and institutions of higher education.”
- 20. “Release a letter to state health officials clarifying the scope of mental health services that Medicaid plans must cover.”
- 21. “Finalize regulations clarifying essential health benefits and parity requirements within ACA exchanges.”
- 22. “Commit to finalizing mental health parity regulations.”
- 23. “Launch a national dialogue led by Secretaries Sebelius and Duncan on mental health.”
President Obama also called on members of congress to help in the effort to curb violence by restoring a ban on military-style assault rifles.
“The type of assault rifle used in Aurora for example, when paired with high capacity magazines, has one purpose to pump out as many bullets as possible,” said President Obama. “That’s what allowed the gunman in Aurora to shoot 70 people killing 12 in a matter of minutes. Weapons designed for the theater of war have no place in a movie theater. The majority of Americans agree with us on this.”
He also touched more on his desire to study the affects of violent video games on children.
