{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://boyle.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/boyle-praises-passage-historic-gun-violence-prevention-legislation", "BOYLE PRAISES PASSAGE OF HISTORIC GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION LEGISLATION", "2022-06-24", "2022", "2022-06", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Brendan F. Boyle", "B001296", "boyle.house.gov", "boyle", "https://boyle.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "scraper", "June 24, 2022\n\nWASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Congressman Brendan F. Boyle (PA-02) released the statement below following passage of The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, historic gun violence prevention legislation which now heads to President Biden's desk to be signed into law.\n\n\"I am proud to have voted with my House colleagues from both sides of the aisle in passing this historic & commonsense legislation. With more than 400 million firearms currently circulating in America, there are more guns than people in our country. The horrors of gun violence we have witnessed in recent months are the manifestation of that deadly disproportion. The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act is a commonsense proposal that will protect America's children, keep our schools safe, and reduce the threat of violence across our country.\"\n\nSome of the specific provisions included in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act:\n\nSupport for State Crisis Intervention Orders: Creates $750 million for states to create and administer laws that will ensure deadly weapons are kept out of the hands of individuals determined by a court.\n\nProtections for Victims of Domestic Violence by Closing the Boyfriend Loophole: Adds convicted domestic violence abusers in dating relationships to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.\n\nPenalties for Straw Purchasing: Creates federal straw purchasing and gun trafficking criminal offenses, allowing prosecutors to target dangerous illegal gunrunners. .\n\nClarified Definition of Federally Licensed Firearms Dealer: Cracks down on criminals who illegally evade licensing requirements and clarifies which sellers need to register, conduct background checks, and keep appropriate records.\n\nEnhanced Background Checks for People Under 21: Requires an investigative period to review juvenile and mental health records, including checks with state databases and local law enforcement, for buyers under 21 years of age, creating an enhanced, longer background check of up to ten days.\n\nAnti-Violence Community Initiatives: Provides $250 million in funding for community-based violence prevention initiatives.\n\nINVESTMENTS IN CHILDREN AND FAMILY MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES\n\nThe bill supports national expansion of community behavioral health center model; improves access to mental health services for children, youth and families through the Medicaid program and CHIP; increases access to mental health service for youth and families in crisis via telehealth; and provides major investments at the Department of Health and Human Services in programs that expand provider training in mental health, support suicide prevention, crisis and trauma intervention and recovery.\n\nSome of the specific provisions include:\n\nCertified Community Behavioral Health Clinic: Expands the existing Medicaid CCBHC demonstration program to all states to increase access to community-based behavioral health services.\n\nSchool-based mental health: Helps states to implement, enhance, and expand school-based health programs under Medicaid through updated guidance, technical assistance, and state planning grants.\n\nGold standard in mental health coverage for children: Improves oversight of states' implementation of Medicaid's Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment (EPSDT) benefit, the country's gold standard in children's health coverage, to strengthen children's access to comprehensive mental health services.\n\nTelemental health services for children: Requires CMS to provide guidance to states on how they can increase access to behavioral health services through telehealth under Medicaid and CHIP.\n\nTraining for pediatric providers: Appropriates $60 million over five years for training in mental health for primary care clinicians who treat children and youth.\n\nCommunity and first responder mental health training: Appropriates $120 million over four years to prepare and train community members and first responders on how to appropriately and safely respond to individuals with mental disorders.\n\nSupport for states to expand mental health services: Provides $250 million for states, DC, and territories to enhance comprehensive community mental health services.\n\nBuilding awareness of and access to services for mental health: Appropriates $240 million over four years for programs that increase awareness of mental health issues among school-aged youth, provide training for school personnel and other adults who interact with school-aged youth to detect and respond to mental health issues, and connect school-aged youth who may have behavioral health issues and their families to needed services.\n\nSchool-based trauma support: Includes a set aside of $28 million for grants to support trauma care in school settings.\n\nSupport after traumatic events: Appropriates $40 million over four years to improve treatment and services for children, adolescents, and families who have experienced traumatic events.\n\nNational Suicide Prevention Lifeline/9-8-8: Appropriates $150 million to support implementation of the 9-8-8 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline that provides 24/7, free and confidential support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress.\n\nINCREASED FUNDING FOR SCHOOLS\n\nThe bill invests in programs to expand mental health and supportive services in schools, including early identification and intervention programs, school-based mental health and wrap-around services, improvements in school-wide learning conditions, and school safety.\n\nSome of the specific provisions include:\n\nSchool Based Mental Health Services and Staff: Provides $500 million through the School Based Mental Health Services Grant Program to increase the number of qualified mental health service providers that provide school based mental health services to students in school districts with demonstrated need.\n\nTraining and Pipeline Development for School Based Mental Health Staff: Provides $500 million in funding for School Based Mental Health Service Professionals Demonstration Grant. This money will help train and diversify the pipeline of school counselors, school social workers, and school psychologists.\n\nImproving Conditions for Student Learning: Provides $1 billion in funding through Title IV-A to support a variety of activities to improve conditions for student learning, including developing positive school climates through evidence-based practices.\n\nOut-of School Programs: Provides $50 million in funding to the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program, which funds extracurricular, after school and summer programs, with a focus of new funding to target programs for older youth.\n\nSchool Safety: Provides $300 million in funding through the STOP School Violence Act to institute safety measures in and around schools, support school violence prevention efforts and provide training to school personnel and students. Codifies the SchoolSafety.gov clearinghouse, which provides evidence-based resources to improve school safety. Prohibits use of funds under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to train or equip any person with dangerous weapons in schools.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T02:39:01Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://boyle.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/boyle-praises-passage-historic-gun-violence-prevention-legislation"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.371782273054123, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}