On June 25, President Joe Biden signed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, important legislation to address gun violence and bolster mental health services and school safety programs. The bill amounts to the first major federal gun safety legislation in decades and marks a significant bipartisan breakthrough on one of the most contentious policy issues in Washington. Following the U.S. Senate’s vote to pass the measure, the U.S. House passed the bill by a vote of 234-193. Democratic Reps. Joyce Beatty of Columbus, Tim Ryan of Warren, Shontel Brown of Warrensville Heights, and Marcy Kaptur of Toledo supported the legislation. Several Republican members also voted to support the bill: Reps. Steve Chabot, R-Cincinnati, Mike Turner, R-Dayton, Anthony Gonzalez, R-Rocky River, and Dave Joyce, R-Chagrin Falls.

The measure includes millions of dollars for mental health services, school safety and crisis intervention programs. Notably, the bill also funds and expands the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) demonstration program and improves oversight of states’ implementation of Medicaid’s Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment (EPSDT) programs.

In Ohio, Governor Mike DeWine said he will ask lawmakers to put up substantial sums to increase the security of facilities at all public and private school buildings in Ohio among other efforts to address school safety and gun violence. DeWine also said he will make another run at pushing for enactment of "public safety orders" for people with serious mental illness deemed a serious threat to themselves or others, assuming adequate due process can be provided.