HARRISBURG, Pa. — Democrats who control the majority in Pennsylvania’s House of Representatives proposed several gun control measures Wednesday, including one that would ban the sale of automatic and semi-automatic weapons, after years of stalling in the politically divided state government.
The bills passed the Judiciary Committee on party lines and are awaiting consideration by the full House.
But even if the bills clear the floor of the House of Representatives, they will likely receive a cold reception in the Senate; Other gun control measures passed by the House of Representatives last year were not even discussed in committee. Instead, senators have prioritized working with Democrats to boost funding for anti-violence and mental health programs.
Still, this is the second time since Democrats regained majority status in the House that they have used their power to pass gun control measures. They kicked off the current two-year session last March with a hearing on gun violence. Under Republican majorities in both chambers until last year, the Legislature had not seriously considered broadening gun control measures since 2018.
The series of bills passed by the judiciary on Wednesday would balance gun ownership with protecting average citizens, Democrats argued.
“These are issues that we were clear at the beginning of the session that we wanted to address,” said the committee’s chairman, Democratic Rep. Tim Briggs of Montgomery County. “The first thing we did was hold a hearing on gun violence prevention measures.”
Republicans expressed concern about infringement of constitutional rights.
“If the government can infringe on our Second Amendment rights, the citizens of this country cannot enjoy any rights,” said Rep. Joe Hamm, a Republican from Lycoming County.
One bill the committee approved would ban future sales of “assault weapons,” defined as automatic and semi-automatic firearms. Sponsors cited the use of high-capacity semi-automatic rifles in a number of mass shootings, including in Pittsburgh, where a gunman carried out the deadliest anti-Semitic attack in U.S. history in 2018, armed with an AR-15 rifle and other weapons.
Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro previously said he would support legislation limiting the availability of such firearms. At least 10 states have passed laws banning this, sometimes sparking lawsuits.
Of the other legislation passed by the committee, one bill would ban accelerated trigger actuators, which increase the speed of gunfire. Another bill would ban the purchase, sale and production of untraceable gun parts. A fourth would subject 3D-printed firearms to the same rules as standard firearms.
Another bill would shorten the time a judge has to notify Pennsylvania State Police of a person with mental health concerns from about a week to four days.
Adam Garber, executive director of CeaseFirePA, a gun violence prevention group, said the bills’ progress showed a “commitment to survivors.” He called the proposal for a ban on automatic weapons the first attempt in “modern times.”
“This is what it looks like to tackle the violent crime plaguing cities from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh and everywhere in between,” Garber said.
Nationally, the US set a record pace for mass killings in the first six months of 2023. But gun violence measures are also intended to address domestic violence homicides, community violence and suicides.
In Philadelphia, gun violence played a major role in the campaign for mayor, with current Mayor Cherelle Parker, a Democrat, promising a tough approach to crime, including declaring a public safety emergency.
Philadelphia is plagued by violent crime, with a record number of homicides in 2021, most of which are gun-related. That number has steadily declined, but still remained above pre-COVID-19 levels in 2023.
A vote in the full House likely won’t take months, as the House is deadlocked at 101-101 following the resignation of a Democratic lawmaker. A special election will again determine majority status in February.