The DCDC understands that today's immigrants are tomorrow's teachers and doctors. We want to pursue a comprehensive immigration reform program that promotes a pathway to citizenship while ensuring the security of our border. Our committee advocates for immigration that meets the needs of our economy and communities.

Comprehensive Immigration Reform with a path to citizenship while ensuring border security.

● We believe the government should urgently fix our broken immigration system, which leaves 11 million people - workers and family members - living in the shadows. Undocumented immigrants throughout America often abide by the law, and they should have a pathway to citizenship. Their labor boasts our economy and provides diversity to our culture.

● In 2015, 837,159 immigrants (foreign-born individuals) comprised 6.5% of the state's population. Pennsylvania was home to 402,706 women, 371,636 men, and 62,817 children who were immigrants. The top countries of origin for immigrants were India (10.7%), China (8.9%), Mexico (6.2%), Dominican Republic (6%), and Vietnam (4.6%). This diverse array of people enriched our lifestyles by bringing their food, language, and culture to our communities.

● Immigrants, both documented and undocumented, pay high rates of state and federal taxes. Undocumented immigrants pay over $12 billion in social security tax revenue each year. This means that immigrants pay more in taxes to the United States each year than businesses such as Amazon, Southwest Airlines, and General Motors.

● We believe that Pennsylvanians understand the importance of immigrants to our society, and we want to promote legislation aiding immigrants such as Philadelphia's Executive Order 8-09. This executive order acknowledges the "economic, educational, and cultural" contributions of immigrants in the region. It helped ensure that law-abiding immigrants were allowed access to state infrastructure and protected them from unnecessary police searches.

● We support federal legislation that would grant immigrants a pathway to citizenship without discriminating against their country of origin while maintaining the integrity of our border. Our committee applauds bills by Democrats in the U.S Senate and House such as National Origin-Based Antidiscrimination for Nonimmigrants Act, Secure Travel Partnership Act of 2019, Equal Justice for Immigrants Act of 2019, and Asylum Seeker Work Authorization Act of 2019. These bills will avoid discrimination, allow immigrants to obtain employment, stop breaking families up at the border, and ensure immigrants get fair legal representation.

Keep Borders Open for Refugees Fleeing Death and Oppression.

● The world is experiencing a major refugee crisis, there are more than 70 million people displaced as a result of conflicts in the Middle East, Africa, and Eastern Europe. We support President Obama's call for an international summit to address this crisis so that every country assumes its responsibility to meet this humanitarian challenge.

● The United States has resettled more than 3 million refugees since 1975, and we believe that this policy should be maintained. These refugees often go on to become valuable members of American society as business owners, community leaders, and teachers.

● Restrictive laws have cut the number of refugees finding new homes in Pennsylvania. In 2016, 3,679 refugees settled in PA but this decreased 26.7% t in 2017 to 2,698 according to the Pennsylvania Refugee Resettlement Program. We reject harsh restrictions to those fleeing death and repression throughout the world, and our borders should be open for the world's most vulnerable. Our committee supports legislation such as the Democratic-sponsored U.S Senate bill named the Guaranteed Refugee Admission Ceiling Enhancement Act. This bill would require the President to set a minimum annual goal for the number of refugees to be admitted. ●  Our committee believes that our country should welcome refugees, but we support multiple path attempts to end the crisis of refugees throughout the world. Refugees  often come to the United States due to emergencies such as war, natural disasters, and oppressive governments. The American government should attempt to engage with the United Nations to combat the root causes of these crises. The government could engage in financial and diplomatic interventions into the home countries of refugees and provide support for non-profits and global agencies that work within refugee camps. These initiatives would ideally promote stability and economic prosperity in the home countries of refugees.  

Permanent Protection for "Dreamers," those brought to the U.S as children of immigrants and protected by the DACA program.

● We promote permanent protection for Dreamers and their right to live in the United States. These children should be supported, not deported. Dreamers are valuable members of our society and paid over $40 million in taxes in 2017 alone, so the deportation of Dreamers would be a considerable blow to the U.S. economy.

● In this case, we encourage the expansion of support initiatives for dreamers, such as providing driver's licenses and in-state college tuition. We support PA House Resolution 134 (2019) condemning the presidential decision to attempt to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

● Our committee supports meaningful legislative change such as the U.S House bill known as the DREAM and Promise Act of 2019. This bill provides opportunities for Dreamers and other young immigrants to gain permanent residency or citizenship in the United States. GUN VIOLENCE PROTECTION Every day, 100 Americans die from gun violence and many more are injured. The United States has had 57 times as many school shootings as the other major industrialized nations combined. The DCDC believes in the Second Amendment as well as common sense reforms that keep guns away from all terrorists, domestic abusers, and other violent citizens. The DCDC Supports:

●  H.R.1612 - Gun Show Loophole Closing Act of 2017, introduced in the US House, closes the gun show loophole by requiring criminal background check on all transactions. In 32 states, there are currently no laws, federal or state, regulating firearms sales between private individuals at gun shows. Federally there are no laws regulating private firearms sales at gun shows.

●  H.R. 8, introduced in the US House, provides for universal, stricter background checks on gun sales for all states.

●  PA HB 202- would implement a Gun Buyback program.

● Handgun Restrictions Handguns killed nine times as many persons as rifles, shotguns, and other guns did combined in 2016, a statistic that is constantly rising. We support registry, limited magazine sizes, purchase permits, and limited open carry for all handguns in Pennsylvania.

● Implementation of a nation or state-wide gun registry. Five states and the District of Columbia have implemented gun registries and have seen decreases in gun violence since implementation.  

● Legislation to reinstate the assault weapons ban. Mass shootings that involved the use of high-capacity magazines resulted in more than twice as many fatalities and 14 times as many injuries on average compared to those that did not. Military-style assault weapons do not belong in our communities.

● Stricter legislation prohibiting all straw purchases. It should be a crime when an individual with a clean record buys even one gun with the intention of giving it to a violent felon allowing the felon to avoid a background check Currently, there are strict punishments and informative programs for those who purchase two or more guns for someone who cannot purchase a gun.

● Legislation requiring any person seeking to own, possess, purchase or otherwise acquire a firearm to obtain a firearm safety certificate, which obligates the applicant to successfully complete a safety training course that includes live firing, a safe handling demonstration, and a written test of firearm laws.

●  H.R. 435- National Gun Violence Research Act, Introduced in the US House in 2019,; aims to provide for a coordinated national research program to examine the nature, causes, consequences, and prevention of violence and unintended injury and death relating to gun ownership, use, and trafficking, and for other purposes.

● Increased punishment and accountability for established individuals and institutions that ignored reported warning signs before a shooting occurred. We also support raising awareness and allocating funding for mental health for all, but especially for those who show warning signs and for those directly affected by gun violence.  The DCDC understands that today's immigrants are tomorrow's teachers and doctors. We want to pursue a comprehensive immigration reform program that promotes a pathway to citizenship while ensuring the security of our border. Our committee advocates for immigration that meets the needs of our economy and communities. Comprehensive Immigration Reform with a path to citizenship while ensuring border security.

● We believe the government should urgently fix our broken immigration system, which leaves 11 million people - workers and family members - living in the shadows. Undocumented immigrants throughout America often abide by the law, and they should  have a pathway to citizenship. Their labor boasts our economy and provides diversity to our culture.

● In 2015, 837,159 immigrants (foreign-born individuals) comprised 6.5% of the state's population. Pennsylvania was home to 402,706 women, 371,636 men, and 62,817 children who were immigrants. The top countries of origin for immigrants were India (10.7%), China (8.9%), Mexico (6.2%), Dominican Republic (6%), and Vietnam (4.6%). This diverse array of people enriched our lifestyles by bringing their food, language, and culture to our communities.

● Immigrants, both documented and undocumented, pay high rates of state and federal taxes. Undocumented immigrants pay over $12 billion in social security tax revenue each year. This means that immigrants pay more in taxes to the United States each year than businesses such as Amazon, Southwest Airlines, and General Motors.

● We believe that Pennsylvanians understand the importance of immigrants to our society, and we want to promote legislation aiding immigrants such as Philadelphia's Executive Order 8-09. This executive order acknowledges the "economic, educational, and cultural" contributions of immigrants in the region. It helped ensure that law-abiding immigrants were allowed access to state infrastructure and protected them from unnecessary police searches.

● We support federal legislation that would grant immigrants a pathway to citizenship without discriminating against their country of origin while maintaining the integrity of our border. Our committee applauds bills by Democrats in the U.S Senate and House such as National Origin-Based Antidiscrimination for Nonimmigrants Act, Secure Travel Partnership Act of 2019, Equal Justice for Immigrants Act of 2019, and Asylum Seeker Work Authorization Act of 2019. These bills will avoid discrimination, allow immigrants to obtain employment, stop breaking families up at the border, and ensure immigrants get fair legal representation. Keep Borders Open for Refugees Fleeing Death and Oppression.

● The world is experiencing a major refugee crisis, there are more than 70 million people displaced as a result of conflicts in the Middle East, Africa, and Eastern Europe. We support President Obama's call for an international summit to address this crisis so that every country assumes its responsibility to meet this humanitarian challenge.

● The United States has resettled more than 3 million refugees since 1975, and we believe that this policy should be maintained. These refugees often go on to become valuable members of American society as business owners, community leaders, and teachers.

● Restrictive laws have cut the number of refugees finding new homes in Pennsylvania. In 2016, 3,679 refugees settled in PA but this decreased 26.7% t in 2017 to 2,698 according to the Pennsylvania Refugee Resettlement Program. We reject harsh restrictions to those fleeing death and repression throughout the world, and our borders should be open for the world's most vulnerable. Our committee supports legislation such as the Democratic-sponsored U.S Senate bill named the Guaranteed Refugee Admission Ceiling Enhancement Act. This bill would require the President to set a minimum annual goal for the number of refugees to be admitted.

●  Our committee believes that our country should welcome refugees, but we support multiple path attempts to end the crisis of refugees throughout the world. Refugees  often come to the United States due to emergencies such as war, natural disasters, and oppressive governments. The American government should attempt to engage with the United Nations to combat the root causes of these crises. The government could engage in financial and diplomatic interventions into the home countries of refugees and provide support for non-profits and global agencies that work within refugee camps. These initiatives would ideally promote stability and economic prosperity in the home countries of refugees.   Permanent Protection for "Dreamers," those brought to the U.S as children of immigrants and protected by the DACA program.

● We promote permanent protection for Dreamers and their right to live in the United States. These children should be supported, not deported. Dreamers are valuable members of our society and paid over $40 million in taxes in 2017 alone, so the deportation of Dreamers would be a considerable blow to the U.S. economy.

● In this case, we encourage the expansion of support initiatives for dreamers, such as providing driver's licenses and in-state college tuition. We support PA House Resolution 134 (2019) condemning the presidential decision to attempt to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

● Our committee supports meaningful legislative change such as the U.S House bill known as the DREAM and Promise Act of 2019. This bill provides opportunities for Dreamers and other young immigrants to gain permanent residency or citizenship in the United States. GUN VIOLENCE PROTECTION Every day, 100 Americans die from gun violence and many more are injured. The United States has had 57 times as many school shootings as the other major industrialized nations combined. The DCDC believes in the Second Amendment as well as common sense reforms that keep guns away from all terrorists, domestic abusers, and other violent citizens. The DCDC Supports:

●  H.R.1612 - Gun Show Loophole Closing Act of 2017, introduced in the US House, closes the gun show loophole by requiring criminal background check on all transactions. In 32 states, there are currently no laws, federal or state, regulating firearms sales between private individuals at gun shows. Federally there are no laws regulating private firearms sales at gun shows.

●  H.R. 8, introduced in the US House, provides for universal, stricter background checks on gun sales for all states.

●  PA HB 202- would implement a Gun Buyback program.

● Handgun Restrictions Handguns killed nine times as many persons as rifles, shotguns, and other guns did combined in 2016, a statistic that is constantly rising. We support registry, limited magazine sizes, purchase permits, and limited open carry for all handguns in Pennsylvania.

● Implementation of a nation or state-wide gun registry. Five states and the District of Columbia have implemented gun registries and have seen decreases in gun violence since implementation.  

● Legislation to reinstate the assault weapons ban. Mass shootings that involved the use of high-capacity magazines resulted in more than twice as many fatalities and 14 times as many injuries on average compared to those that did not. Military-style assault weapons do not belong in our communities.

● Stricter legislation prohibiting all straw purchases. It should be a crime when an individual with a clean record buys even one gun with the intention of giving it to a violent felon allowing the felon to avoid a background check Currently, there are strict punishments and informative programs for those who purchase two or more guns for someone who cannot purchase a gun.

● Legislation requiring any person seeking to own, possess, purchase or otherwise acquire a firearm to obtain a firearm safety certificate, which obligates the applicant to successfully complete a safety training course that includes live firing, a safe handling demonstration, and a written test of firearm laws.

●  H.R. 435- National Gun Violence Research Act, Introduced in the US House in 2019,; aims to provide for a coordinated national research program to examine the nature, causes, consequences, and prevention of violence and unintended injury and death relating to gun ownership, use, and trafficking, and for other purposes.

● Increased punishment and accountability for established individuals and institutions that ignored reported warning signs before a shooting occurred. We also support raising awareness and allocating funding for mental health for all, but especially for those who show warning signs and for those directly affected by gun violence.  The DCDC understands that today's immigrants are tomorrow's teachers and doctors. We want to pursue a comprehensive immigration reform program that promotes a pathway to citizenship while ensuring the security of our border. Our committee advocates for immigration that meets the needs of our economy and communities. Comprehensive Immigration Reform with a path to citizenship while ensuring border security.

● We believe the government should urgently fix our broken immigration system, which leaves 11 million people - workers and family members - living in the shadows. Undocumented immigrants throughout America often abide by the law, and they should  have a pathway to citizenship. Their labor boasts our economy and provides diversity to our culture.

● In 2015, 837,159 immigrants (foreign-born individuals) comprised 6.5% of the state's population. Pennsylvania was home to 402,706 women, 371,636 men, and 62,817 children who were immigrants. The top countries of origin for immigrants were India (10.7%), China (8.9%), Mexico (6.2%), Dominican Republic (6%), and Vietnam (4.6%). This diverse array of people enriched our lifestyles by bringing their food, language, and culture to our communities.

● Immigrants, both documented and undocumented, pay high rates of state and federal taxes. Undocumented immigrants pay over $12 billion in social security tax revenue each year. This means that immigrants pay more in taxes to the United States each year than businesses such as Amazon, Southwest Airlines, and General Motors.

● We believe that Pennsylvanians understand the importance of immigrants to our society, and we want to promote legislation aiding immigrants such as Philadelphia's Executive Order 8-09. This executive order acknowledges the "economic, educational, and cultural" contributions of immigrants in the region. It helped ensure that law-abiding immigrants were allowed access to state infrastructure and protected them from unnecessary police searches.

● We support federal legislation that would grant immigrants a pathway to citizenship without discriminating against their country of origin while maintaining the integrity of our border. Our committee applauds bills by Democrats in the U.S Senate and House such as National Origin-Based Antidiscrimination for Nonimmigrants Act, Secure Travel Partnership Act of 2019, Equal Justice for Immigrants Act of 2019, and Asylum Seeker Work Authorization Act of 2019. These bills will avoid discrimination, allow immigrants to obtain employment, stop breaking families up at the border, and ensure immigrants get fair legal representation. Keep Borders Open for Refugees Fleeing Death and Oppression.

● The world is experiencing a major refugee crisis, there are more than 70 million people displaced as a result of conflicts in the Middle East, Africa, and Eastern Europe. We support President Obama's call for an international summit to address this crisis so that every country assumes its responsibility to meet this humanitarian challenge.

● The United States has resettled more than 3 million refugees since 1975, and we believe that this policy should be maintained. These refugees often go on to become valuable members of American society as business owners, community leaders, and teachers.

● Restrictive laws have cut the number of refugees finding new homes in Pennsylvania. In 2016, 3,679 refugees settled in PA but this decreased 26.7% t in 2017 to 2,698 according to the Pennsylvania Refugee Resettlement Program. We reject harsh restrictions to those fleeing death and repression throughout the world, and our borders should be open for the world's most vulnerable. Our committee supports legislation such as the Democratic-sponsored U.S Senate bill named the Guaranteed Refugee Admission Ceiling Enhancement Act. This bill would require the President to set a minimum annual goal for the number of refugees to be admitted. ●  Our committee believes that our country should welcome refugees, but we support multiple path attempts to end the crisis of refugees throughout the world. Refugees  often come to the United States due to emergencies such as war, natural disasters, and oppressive governments. The American government should attempt to engage with the United Nations to combat the root causes of these crises. The government could engage in financial and diplomatic interventions into the home countries of refugees and provide support for non-profits and global agencies that work within refugee camps. These initiatives would ideally promote stability and economic prosperity in the home countries of refugees.   Permanent Protection for "Dreamers," those brought to the U.S as children of immigrants and protected by the DACA program.

● We promote permanent protection for Dreamers and their right to live in the United States. These children should be supported, not deported. Dreamers are valuable members of our society and paid over $40 million in taxes in 2017 alone, so the deportation of Dreamers would be a considerable blow to the U.S. economy.

● In this case, we encourage the expansion of support initiatives for dreamers, such as providing driver's licenses and in-state college tuition. We support PA House Resolution 134 (2019) condemning the presidential decision to attempt to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

● Our committee supports meaningful legislative change such as the U.S House bill known as the DREAM and Promise Act of 2019. This bill provides opportunities for Dreamers and other young immigrants to gain permanent residency or citizenship in the United States. GUN VIOLENCE PROTECTION Every day, 100 Americans die from gun violence and many more are injured. The United States has had 57 times as many school shootings as the other major industrialized nations combined. The DCDC believes in the Second Amendment as well as common sense reforms that keep guns away from all terrorists, domestic abusers, and other violent citizens. The DCDC Supports:

●  H.R.1612 - Gun Show Loophole Closing Act of 2017, introduced in the US House, closes the gun show loophole by requiring criminal background check on all transactions. In 32 states, there are currently no laws, federal or state, regulating firearms sales between private individuals at gun shows. Federally there are no laws regulating private firearms sales at gun shows.

●  H.R. 8, introduced in the US House, provides for universal, stricter background checks on gun sales for all states.

●  PA HB 202- would implement a Gun Buyback program.

● Handgun Restrictions Handguns killed nine times as many persons as rifles, shotguns, and other guns did combined in 2016, a statistic that is constantly rising. We support registry, limited magazine sizes, purchase permits, and limited open carry for all handguns in Pennsylvania.

● Implementation of a nation or state-wide gun registry. Five states and the District of Columbia have implemented gun registries and have seen decreases in gun violence since implementation.  

● Legislation to reinstate the assault weapons ban. Mass shootings that involved the use of high-capacity magazines resulted in more than twice as many fatalities and 14 times as many injuries on average compared to those that did not. Military-style assault weapons do not belong in our communities.

● Stricter legislation prohibiting all straw purchases. It should be a crime when an individual with a clean record buys even one gun with the intention of giving it to a violent felon allowing the felon to avoid a background check Currently, there are strict punishments and informative programs for those who purchase two or more guns for someone who cannot purchase a gun.

● Legislation requiring any person seeking to own, possess, purchase or otherwise acquire a firearm to obtain a firearm safety certificate, which obligates the applicant to successfully complete a safety training course that includes live firing, a safe handling demonstration, and a written test of firearm laws.

●  H.R. 435- National Gun Violence Research Act, Introduced in the US House in 2019,; aims to provide for a coordinated national research program to examine the nature, causes, consequences, and prevention of violence and unintended injury and death relating to gun ownership, use, and trafficking, and for other purposes.

● Increased punishment and accountability for established individuals and institutions that ignored reported warning signs before a shooting occurred. We also support raising awareness and allocating funding for mental health for all, but especially for those who show warning signs and for those directly affected by gun violence.  The DCDC understands that today's immigrants are tomorrow's teachers and doctors. We want to pursue a comprehensive immigration reform program that promotes a pathway to citizenship while ensuring the security of our border. Our committee advocates for immigration that meets the needs of our economy and communities. Comprehensive Immigration Reform with a path to citizenship while ensuring border security.

● We believe the government should urgently fix our broken immigration system, which leaves 11 million people - workers and family members - living in the shadows. Undocumented immigrants throughout America often abide by the law, and they should  have a pathway to citizenship. Their labor boasts our economy and provides diversity to our culture.

● In 2015, 837,159 immigrants (foreign-born individuals) comprised 6.5% of the state's population. Pennsylvania was home to 402,706 women, 371,636 men, and 62,817 children who were immigrants. The top countries of origin for immigrants were India (10.7%), China (8.9%), Mexico (6.2%), Dominican Republic (6%), and Vietnam (4.6%). This diverse array of people enriched our lifestyles by bringing their food, language, and culture to our communities.

● Immigrants, both documented and undocumented, pay high rates of state and federal taxes. Undocumented immigrants pay over $12 billion in social security tax revenue each year. This means that immigrants pay more in taxes to the United States each year than businesses such as Amazon, Southwest Airlines, and General Motors.

● We believe that Pennsylvanians understand the importance of immigrants to our society, and we want to promote legislation aiding immigrants such as Philadelphia's Executive Order 8-09. This executive order acknowledges the "economic, educational, and cultural" contributions of immigrants in the region. It helped ensure that law-abiding immigrants were allowed access to state infrastructure and protected them from unnecessary police searches.

● We support federal legislation that would grant immigrants a pathway to citizenship without discriminating against their country of origin while maintaining the integrity of our border. Our committee applauds bills by Democrats in the U.S Senate and House such as National Origin-Based Antidiscrimination for Nonimmigrants Act, Secure Travel Partnership Act of 2019, Equal Justice for Immigrants Act of 2019, and Asylum Seeker Work Authorization Act of 2019. These bills will avoid discrimination, allow immigrants to obtain employment, stop breaking families up at the border, and ensure immigrants get fair legal representation. Keep Borders Open for Refugees Fleeing Death and Oppression.

● The world is experiencing a major refugee crisis, there are more than 70 million people displaced as a result of conflicts in the Middle East, Africa, and Eastern Europe. We support President Obama's call for an international summit to address this crisis so that every country assumes its responsibility to meet this humanitarian challenge.

● The United States has resettled more than 3 million refugees since 1975, and we believe that this policy should be maintained. These refugees often go on to become valuable members of American society as business owners, community leaders, and teachers.

● Restrictive laws have cut the number of refugees finding new homes in Pennsylvania. In 2016, 3,679 refugees settled in PA but this decreased 26.7% t in 2017 to 2,698 according to the Pennsylvania Refugee Resettlement Program. We reject harsh restrictions to those fleeing death and repression throughout the world, and our borders should be open for the world's most vulnerable. Our committee supports legislation such as the Democratic-sponsored U.S Senate bill named the Guaranteed Refugee Admission Ceiling Enhancement Act. This bill would require the President to set a minimum annual goal for the number of refugees to be admitted. ●  Our committee believes that our country should welcome refugees, but we support multiple path attempts to end the crisis of refugees throughout the world. Refugees  often come to the United States due to emergencies such as war, natural disasters, and oppressive governments. The American government should attempt to engage with the United Nations to combat the root causes of these crises. The government could engage in financial and diplomatic interventions into the home countries of refugees and provide support for non-profits and global agencies that work within refugee camps. These initiatives would ideally promote stability and economic prosperity in the home countries of refugees.   Permanent Protection for "Dreamers," those brought to the U.S as children of immigrants and protected by the DACA program.

● We promote permanent protection for Dreamers and their right to live in the United States. These children should be supported, not deported. Dreamers are valuable members of our society and paid over $40 million in taxes in 2017 alone, so the deportation of Dreamers would be a considerable blow to the U.S. economy.

● In this case, we encourage the expansion of support initiatives for dreamers, such as providing driver's licenses and in-state college tuition. We support PA House Resolution 134 (2019) condemning the presidential decision to attempt to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

● Our committee supports meaningful legislative change such as the U.S House bill known as the DREAM and Promise Act of 2019. This bill provides opportunities for Dreamers and other young immigrants to gain permanent residency or citizenship in the United States. GUN VIOLENCE PROTECTION Every day, 100 Americans die from gun violence and many more are injured. The United States has had 57 times as many school shootings as the other major industrialized nations combined. The DCDC believes in the Second Amendment as well as common sense reforms that keep guns away from all terrorists, domestic abusers, and other violent citizens. The DCDC Supports:

●  H.R.1612 - Gun Show Loophole Closing Act of 2017, introduced in the US House, closes the gun show loophole by requiring criminal background check on all transactions. In 32 states, there are currently no laws, federal or state, regulating firearms sales between private individuals at gun shows. Federally there are no laws regulating private firearms sales at gun shows.

●  H.R. 8, introduced in the US House, provides for universal, stricter background checks on gun sales for all states.

●  PA HB 202- would implement a Gun Buyback program.

● Handgun Restrictions Handguns killed nine times as many persons as rifles, shotguns, and other guns did combined in 2016, a statistic that is constantly rising. We support registry, limited magazine sizes, purchase permits, and limited open carry for all handguns in Pennsylvania.

● Implementation of a nation or state-wide gun registry. Five states and the District of Columbia have implemented gun registries and have seen decreases in gun violence since implementation.  

● Legislation to reinstate the assault weapons ban. Mass shootings that involved the use of high-capacity magazines resulted in more than twice as many fatalities and 14 times as many injuries on average compared to those that did not. Military-style assault weapons do not belong in our communities.

● Stricter legislation prohibiting all straw purchases. It should be a crime when an individual with a clean record buys even one gun with the intention of giving it to a violent felon allowing the felon to avoid a background check Currently, there are strict punishments and informative programs for those who purchase two or more guns for someone who cannot purchase a gun.

● Legislation requiring any person seeking to own, possess, purchase or otherwise acquire a firearm to obtain a firearm safety certificate, which obligates the applicant to successfully complete a safety training course that includes live firing, a safe handling demonstration, and a written test of firearm laws.

●  H.R. 435- National Gun Violence Research Act, Introduced in the US House in 2019,; aims to provide for a coordinated national research program to examine the nature, causes, consequences, and prevention of violence and unintended injury and death relating to gun ownership, use, and trafficking, and for other purposes.

● Increased punishment and accountability for established individuals and institutions that ignored reported warning signs before a shooting occurred. We also support raising awareness and allocating funding for mental health for all, but especially for those who show warning signs and for those directly affected by gun violence.