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House of Representatives Increases Funding for Background Check System

By Penny Okamoto, Executive Director of Ceasefire Oregon

By a 260-145 vote, the House of Representatives passed a bill on May 29th to boost funding for background checks. If passed by the Senate, this bill will increase funding for the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) by $19.5 million to pay for database improvements and encourage states to comply with the law.

Potential gun-buyers are checked against the database to see if they have a felony or domestic abuse conviction, or a history of mental illness. Twelve states have submitted fewer than 100 mental health records.

http://time.com/136967/house-passes-bill-to-boost-funding-for-gun-backgr…