house resolution no.216
Reps. Cynthia Johnson, Brabec, Thanedar, Stone, Tyrone Carter, Peterson, Garza, Steckloff, Kuppa and Cavanagh offered the following resolution:
Whereas, Every year in the United States, approximately 18,000 children and teens are killed or wounded by firearms. Gun violence remains the second leading cause of death for children in the U.S., and fatal firearm injuries for children and teens have steadily risen since 2013; and
Whereas, The accessibility of firearms to children and teens contributes to the rise in gun violence. It is estimated that about 5.4 million children live in a home with at least one unlocked and loaded firearm. Easy access to firearms can result in tragic consequences, including accidental injuries and mass school shootings; and
Whereas, It is vital that parents who own guns ensure that they are stored safely. Research has shown that appropriately locking up firearms could reduce child and teen firearm deaths by up to a third. In addition, a study estimated that securely locked-up guns would have prevented between 235 and 323 shootings of children and teens in the U.S. in 2015; and
Whereas, In response to a growing concern that parents are not responsibly storing their firearms, school districts across the country are encouraging safe practices by including notices and information regarding safe gun storage in registration forms and other materials provided for parents. School districts in Michigan should follow suit and implement this low-cost but potentially life-saving strategy; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we urge school districts in Michigan to provide information to parents about safe gun storage; and be it further
Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the executive director of the Michigan Association of School Boards.