Share:
House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2021 - 2022
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | June 29, 2022 10:37 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Angel Cruz |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Statewide Gun Buyback Program |
| Over the decades, gun buyback programs have served our communities by decreasing gun suicide risks, providing opportunities for safe storage education, and aiding localities in identifying guns used in unsolved crimes. Despite these benefits, gun buyback programs are often sporadically available and under- or inconsistently funded. Given the broad, bipartisan support for these programs—87 percent of Democrats support such a program, as do 73 percent of independents and 66 percent of Republicans—we must work together to ensure their sustainability. For these reasons, I am proposing legislation requiring the Office of Attorney General to establish a statewide gun buyback program in conjunction with the Commissioner of the Pennsylvania State Police. Under the program, anyone surrendering a firearm would be able to do so anonymously and without prosecution for possession of a firearm. The participation of individual law enforcement officers and sheriffs will be voluntary, but those that take part will be able to further aid investigations by checking firearms for involvement in crimes, returning recovered stolen firearms to the rightful owner, and handling their safe storage and disposal. The Pennsylvania Gun Buyback Program aims to reduce violence and crime in our communities by offering an incentive to people who choose to surrender a firearm to a participating law enforcement officer. Please join me in recognizing the value of implementing this widely supported program by signing on to this proposal. |
||
| View Attachment | ||
Introduced as HB2856