The Mental Health Access and Gun Violence Prevention Act of 2023, bill H.R.46, proposes funding to carry out programs to increase public access to mental health care treatment and services while assisting in the reporting of relevant disqualifying mental health information to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.  

Mental health and gun violence impact millions of Americans yearly. According to the National Alliance on Mental Health, 7.7 million people aged 6-17 are affected by mental health. Unfortunately, less than 20% of children and adolescents with diagnosable mental health problems receive the needed treatment. Suicide is the third leading cause of death in Americans aged 15–24 years, which correlates to an age range in which mental health disorders present themselves and are left untreated. People who commit suicide suffer from mental health deficits that should be diagnosed. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a 2010 study found that suicides account for 61% of all firearm fatalities in the United States. As a college student, many of my peers and I are within an age range primarily negatively affected by the lack of comprehensive gun reform and the limited access to mental health care services. I know the detrimental impacts suicide has on a community, and I hope you act on an issue that is personal to millions of people. There are discrepancies surrounding the definition of mental illnesses that would stop a person from purchasing a gun. Bill H.R. 46 wants to increase mental health awareness while still upholding America's 2nd Amendment rights without mental health discrimination. 

By amending the previous 2023 bill, we would like to promote mental health awareness by providing information regarding mental health symptoms and pathways to access support to sellers and gun purchasers.