1Urging the Congress of the United States to pass and the
2President of the United States to sign legislation requiring
3universal background checks for individuals purchasing a
4firearm.

5WHEREAS, The National Instant Criminal Background Check
6System (NICS) has been an effective means for keeping firearms
7from criminals and other dangerous individuals; and

8WHEREAS, More than 100 million NICS checks have been made,
9resulting in more than 700,000 denials; and

10WHEREAS, For the last 14 years, these checks have kept 1.5
11million criminals and mentally ill persons from wrongfully
12obtaining firearms; and

13WHEREAS, Despite the success of the NICS checks, the system
14is weakened by loopholes and is missing records of individuals
15with dangerous mental illnesses; and

16WHEREAS, Licensed firearms dealers are required to perform an
17NICS check before a firearm sale; and

18WHEREAS, However, as many as 40% of firearm purchases occur

1through transactions where background checks are not required,
2such as at private sales or gun shows or through Internet sales;
3and

4WHEREAS, Federal and State agencies have failed to report as
5many as one million records of individuals with dangerous mental
6illnesses to the NICS database; and

7WHEREAS, Jared Loughner, who killed six people and wounded
8thirteen others, including Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, in
9Arizona, had a history of serious mental illness and was not
10included in the NICS database; and

11WHEREAS, James Holmes, who carried out a mass shooting in
12Aurora, Colorado, used ammunition purchased through the Internet
13without any background check; and

14WHEREAS, Recent shooting tragedies, including those at
15Virginia Tech; Aurora, Colorado; and Sandy Hook, Connecticut,
16have resulted in a national conversation about gun violence; and

17WHEREAS, Sixty-one mass shootings have occurred over the last
18three decades; and

19WHEREAS, More than 12,000 Americans are killed by firearms
20every year; and

21WHEREAS, Felons were associated with selling or purchasing
22firearms in 46% of the gun show investigations conducted by the
23Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms; and

24WHEREAS, For every time a firearm is used to injure or kill
25in self-defense, a firearm is used eleven times for a completed
26or attempted suicide, seven times in a criminal assault or
27homicide and four times in an unintentional shooting death or
28injury; and

29WHEREAS, Recent polls have shown that more than 90% of
30Americans favor universal background checks and 83% of those in

1favor of universal background checks own a firearm; therefore be
2it

3RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the
4Commonwealth of Pennsylvania urge the Congress of the United
5States to pass and the President of the United States to sign
6legislation requiring universal background checks for
7individuals purchasing a firearm; and be it further

8RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to
9the President of the United States, the presiding officers of
10each house of Congress and each member of Congress from
11Pennsylvania.