For Immediate Release: Friday, September 22, 2023
From the Office of Council President Evan Glass
New legislation introduced by Glass during National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month would require gun retailers to distribute information about suicide prevention and firearm safety
Montgomery County Council President Evan Glass will hold a press conference on Tuesday, Sept. 26 at noon, to introduce legislation that would require gun retailers in Montgomery County to provide information at points of sale on suicide prevention, firearm safety and conflict resolution.
The SAFE Act (Bill 36-23, Sale of Firearms or Ammunition – Suicide Awareness and Firearm Education) would bolster gun violence prevention efforts. The new legislation would require the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services to develop literature about firearm safety, suicide prevention and conflict resolution, which retailers of firearms and ammunition would be required to distribute at the point of sales.
“Firearms are the leading method of suicide in Maryland and nationwide,” Council President Evan Glass said. “This legislation is being introduced during National Suicide Prevention Month to raise awareness about treatment and support for those who need it the most.
“The goal of this bill is to reduce self-harm by providing potentially lifesaving information when someone is considering purchasing firearms or ammunition. This approach is one of the many ways we can raise awareness about suicide prevention, with the goal of preventing the tragic consequences of gun violence.”
Who: Council President Evan Glass, Everytown for Gun Safety, Moms Demand Action, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), other advocates.
What: Press conference to introduce the Suicide Awareness and Firearm Education (SAFE) Act.
When: Tuesday, September 26 at 12 p.m.
Where: Montgomery County Council Office Building, on the front steps (100 Maryland Ave, Rockville, MD 20850).
Parking: Available at the juror parking lot on E. Jefferson St. or directly across the street from the front of the Council Building on Maryland Ave.
Members of the media must RSVP by Tuesday, Sept. 26 at 8 a.m. by emailing valeria.carranza@montgomerycountymd.gov.
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Release ID: 23-307