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In the wake of the tragic events at Virginia Tech in 2007, the National
Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) Improvement Amendments Act of
2007 was passed unanimously by the House and Senate and signed into law by
President Bush on January 8, 2008. This important piece of legislation
authorizes funds to states to maintain and update criminal history and mental
health records in NICS, making it harder for prohibited gun buyers, like the
Virginia Tech gunman, to slip through the cracks of the background check system.
Although this law is a step in the right direction, it is imperative that
congress appropriate full funding to ensure its effective implementation
nationwide.
Read the coalition’s statement on the passage of this law
Read the coalition's letter to congress urging full funding for the law (in PDF)
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