On March 14th, 2023, President Biden presented a new executive order, Executive Order on Reducing Gun Violence and Making Our Communities Safer, regarding gun policy in the aftermath of the mass shooting in Monterey Park, California this January. The executive order tasks the Attorney General Merrick Garland and various Administration Secretaries with shoring up “red flag” law compliance and seeks to increase already existing background checks and regulations to make these laws more effective. The order calls on the Attorney General to increase regulations on those selling guns and the requisite background checks for buyers they must do.

The Biden Administration noted that this order is an extension of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which was passed in 2022, and directs Federal Agencies to make reports on their progress implementing the new laws.

By Chris Bennett, Policy Intern