Firearm Safety Legislation Heard in Senate Committee

March 23, 2023

Two firearm safety bills were passed by the Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee on March 23.  

SF1117 (Latz, DFL – St. Louis Park) permits law enforcement and family members to petition a court to temporarily remove firearms if the person poses a significant danger to themselves or others by possessing a firearm. This type of bill is often referred to as an extreme risk protection order or a “red flag” law. 

SF1116 (Latz, DFL – St. Louis Park) expands current requirements for criminal background checks for all firearms sales or transfers. 

MMA President-elect Laurel Ries, MD, testified in support of both bills saying “more than 45,000 Americans die as a result of firearm violence in the most recent CDC annual update, 4,357 of whom are children ages 1-19. There’s no other way to describe it – this is a public health crisis.” 

According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), firearms are now the number one cause of death for children in the United States, surpassing motor vehicle deaths and those caused by other injuries in 2020. According to that same data, suicide is the third leading cause of death among adolescents and young adults (ages 15-24 years) and the second leading cause of death among younger adolescents (ages 10-14 years).  

Additionally, according to data from the Minnesota Department of Health, firearms were the leading method of suicide in the state, accounting for 69 percent of all suicide deaths in Minnesota. Suicide is listed as the eighth leading cause of death in the state. 

“While much of the focus around firearms in recent years has been on mass shooting events, the untold story about firearm violence is the alarming and very real link to suicides,” Ries testified. “Removing firearms from the immediate vicinity of a potential victim can reduce death. When a person is in crisis, loved ones and law enforcement are often the first to see warning signs that he or she poses a threat. Extreme Risk Protective Orders empower family and law enforcement to petition for an order that removes guns from a high-risk situation.” 

Suicide attempts by firearms are dramatically more lethal than other means. According to the CDC, in 2014, about 87% of firearm suicide attempts were fatal compared to just 3% of attempts by drug overdoses. Suicide attempts involving firearms are 2.6 times more lethal than the second most lethal suicide method - suffocation. 

The companion bills to SF1116 and SF1117 are awaiting a final committee hearing in the House.