Senators Feinstein and Dorgan Seek to Improve
Gun Free Schools Act
March 30, 2001

Washington, DC – U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Byron Dorgan (D-North Dakota) introduced legislation last night to strengthen and improve the Gun Free Schools Act, a federal law enacted in 1994 which requires the expulsion of one year for students bringing a gun to school.

Senators Feinstein and Dorgan were the sponsors of the original Gun Free Schools Act. The measure introduced last night would close several loopholes in current law that allow some students to evade punishment even though they may have possessed a gun in school or on a school playground.

“Guns have no place in America’s schools and Congress made this clear in 1994 with the Gun-Free Schools Act,” Senator Feinstein said. “This law is a targeted fix that is working, but we can and should refine it to make it work even better. The legislation will close a number of loopholes in current law which allows some students bringing guns to school to escape punishment.”

Specifically, the legislation, S.649, adds the term “possession, thereby clarifying current law which states that only those students “bringing” a gun to school should be removed. This provision is important as some students who have actually brought guns to school were not the individuals found to be in possession of the weapons.

The bill also clarifies the underlying language of the Gun Free Schools Act by demanding expulsion for students carrying a weapons anywhere on school grounds and does not limit it to just guns found in the school building itself. The measure also puts in place better reporting requirements for school officials.