What exactly are the red flag laws?

Red laws in the United States vary from place to place. However, the general requirement is that all the people who are seen as a threat to others or themselves are required to turn over their arms and guns for a specific period of time. Research suggests that such laws have led to a significant decline in the firearm suicides. However, the concept of such laws have been turned down by Republican politicians. The politicians are of the view that such laws actually infringe on the due process rights.

Kamala Harris, the vice-president of the United States recently declared the creation of a new national office by the White House to aid the states in implementing red flag laws. This is actually an initiative that is funded by the justice department. Joe Biden set up the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention last year in September. At present, vice-president Kamala Harris is leading the office. While announcing her office, the vice-president urged the states that were not enacting the red flag laws to enact them.

What exactly are the red flag laws?

A red flag law actually means a civil proceeding the permits people to petition a judge for an emergency order. Such an order would actually remove firearms from a person that is deemed to be risky of harming someone else or themselves. These are also known as Extreme Risk Protection Orders. They are also known as gun violence restraining orders or extreme risk laws. The names of such orders vary, however, such laws broadly operate in the same manner.

It was in the year 1999 in Connecticut when the very first Erpo law was set up. The incident of a 35 year old accountant killing four bosses and them himself at the state lottery and many more such cases prompted the birth of the Erpo law. The second such law took birth in Indiana around five years later.

In the late 2010s, many high-profile mass shootings have taken place on school campuses and in many other public places. With such incidents growing, many states came up with their own type of red flag laws.

Erpo laws exist in 21 states, and in all these states, the law enforcement is eligible to actually petition a judge for an order. In situations like that in Florida and New Mexico, they are actually the only ones who are eligible.