Turner proposes bipartisan bill to restrict firearms purchases by convicted U.S. service members

A newly introduced bipartisan bill offered by U.S. Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH) would prohibit U.S. service members who have felony domestic violence convictions from legally buying firearms.

“Bills like this one are strong steps forward in preventing future tragedies,” Rep. Turner said. “I will continue to work with my colleagues across the aisle to make our country safer.”

Rep. Turner on Sept. 10 cosponsored the Safe Homefront Act, H.R. 4264, with bill sponsor U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) to require the U.S. Secretary of Defense to make available certain records relevant to a determination of whether a member of the U.S. Armed Forces is disqualified from possessing or receiving a firearm, according to the bill’s text.

If enacted, H.R. 4264 would codify and strengthen the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) policies regarding the reporting of domestic violence convictions and Military Protective Orders to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, according to a summary provided by the congressman’s office.

“The Sutherland Springs shooting exposed failures in the Department of Defense’s processes for reporting military convictions to civilian authorities,” said Rep. Turner, referring to a domestic violence report the DOD failed to make on a former service member who shot and killed 27 people in a church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, in November 2017.

“The Safe Homefront Act helps close those loopholes to ensure that convicted abusers within the service branches are incapable of possessing firearms,” said Rep. Turner.

H.R. 4264 has garnered support from the Domestic Violence Legal Empowerment and Appeals Project, the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Futures Without Violence, Protect Our Defenders, and the Service Women’s Action Network.

“For far too long, the Department of Defense has failed to ensure domestic violence court-martial convictions are properly reported as required by law,” said Don Christensen, president of Protect Our Defenders. “The horrific church shootings committed by Devin Kelley were a direct consequence of the military’s dereliction. That is why Protect Our Defenders is proud to support the Safe Homefront Act.”