# Understanding the Lori Jackson Domestic Violence Survivor Protection Act

This bill makes it harder for people who abuse their intimate partners to get guns. Right now, federal law prevents someone from owning a firearm if they've been convicted of a domestic violence crime, but there's a gap: someone can still legally buy a gun even if a court has issued a restraining order against them for domestic violence. This bill closes that gap by expanding the definition of who is banned from possessing firearms to include anyone subject to certain domestic violence court orders.

The key change is how the bill defines who counts as an "intimate partner" and what court orders matter. Previously, the law only recognized spouses and people with children together. Now it includes dating partners and former dating partners, people who live or have lived together, and anyone else protected under state domestic violence laws. This is important because it means more people in abusive relationships get legal protection. The bill also creates a new category called "covered domestic violence court orders"—these are orders issued by a court that either found the person is a credible threat to someone's safety or explicitly prohibit them from using physical force. These orders must have given the accused person a fair chance to be heard in court, or if it's an emergency order, they must get a hearing within a reasonable time afterward.

When these conditions are met, the person subject to the order is prohibited from buying, selling, or possessing firearms. Gun dealers must check for these orders before selling a gun, just like they currently check for felony convictions. The bill also updates the national background check system to include these court orders so that dealers can actually find this information. For domestic violence survivors, this means an additional legal tool to help keep them safe—if someone is threatening or harassing them, a court order can now prevent that person from having access to guns, which statistically reduces the risk of lethal violence in domestic situations.

Lori Jackson Domestic Violence Survivor Protection Act

Himes, James A.

Lori Jackson Domestic Violence Survivor Protection Act This bill makes changes to the federal statutory framework that prohibits the shipment, transport, receipt, or possession of firearms or ammunition by an individual who is subject to a qualifying domestic violence court order. Under current law, a qualifying domestic violence court order must meet certain criteria, including to (1) be issued after a hearing of which the individual had notice and an opportunity to participate; and (2) restrain the individual from harassing, stalking, or threatening an intimate partner (i.e., a current or former spouse, a co-parent of a child, or a current or former cohabitant) or the child of an intimate partner. This bill expands the scope of qualifying domestic violence court orders to include an order that <ul> <li>is issued after an ex parte hearing (i.e., a hearing with only one party present); </li> <li>restrains the individual from harassing, stalking, or threatening a dating partner or former dating partner; or </li> <li>restrains the individual from intimidating a witness.</li> </ul> Current law also prohibits an individual who is convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence from shipping, transporting, receiving, or possessing firearms or ammunition. These restrictions generally only apply to spouses, co-parents, and cohabitants, and to offenses that involve physical force or deadly weapons. This bill expands the scope of these restrictions to include dating partners and offenses that involve stalking.