Tennessee wants to avoid "Virginia Tech Situation"
Posted: Tue, 09 Jun 2009 21:22:31
http://blogs.knoxnews.com/knx/humphrey/ ... h-sit.html
The House unanimously approved Tuesday a bill designed to help prevent the mentally ill from purchasing guns.
"Hopefully, we'll be able to avoid a situation such as the Virginia Tech massacre," said Rep. Henry Fincher, D-Cookeville, sponsor of the bill.
Federal law requires gun purchasers go through a "instant background check" for any felony convictions or history of mental illness. The problem has been that, in Tennessee, there's no system for reporting mental health problems so they are detected in a check.
In Virginia, a similar situation allowed Seung-Hui Cho to buy the guns used to kill 32 people at Virginia Tech in April, 2007, even though a Virginia judge had declared him mentally ill.
As amended, HB2249 sets up a system for collection of records on anyone found mentally ill by a court and providing them to the FBI and TBI for inclusion in the background check database. The records will otherwise be confidential.
Those voluntarily seeking mental health treatment will not be included in the database.
Fincher said the bill results from lengthy negotiations from multiple parties, ranging from organizations advocating for the mentally ill to the TBI, Department of Safety and the Department of Mental Health.
The bill passed the House 96-0. It awaits a vote, scheduled for Thursday, on the Senate floor.
The House unanimously approved Tuesday a bill designed to help prevent the mentally ill from purchasing guns.
"Hopefully, we'll be able to avoid a situation such as the Virginia Tech massacre," said Rep. Henry Fincher, D-Cookeville, sponsor of the bill.
Federal law requires gun purchasers go through a "instant background check" for any felony convictions or history of mental illness. The problem has been that, in Tennessee, there's no system for reporting mental health problems so they are detected in a check.
In Virginia, a similar situation allowed Seung-Hui Cho to buy the guns used to kill 32 people at Virginia Tech in April, 2007, even though a Virginia judge had declared him mentally ill.
As amended, HB2249 sets up a system for collection of records on anyone found mentally ill by a court and providing them to the FBI and TBI for inclusion in the background check database. The records will otherwise be confidential.
Those voluntarily seeking mental health treatment will not be included in the database.
Fincher said the bill results from lengthy negotiations from multiple parties, ranging from organizations advocating for the mentally ill to the TBI, Department of Safety and the Department of Mental Health.
The bill passed the House 96-0. It awaits a vote, scheduled for Thursday, on the Senate floor.