Santa Fe, NM - Today the Senate unanimously passed a bill to prevent individuals who may pose a threat to the community from possessing firearms. The legislation will now be placed on the Governor's desk.

GÇ£Passing this bill makes sense for New Mexico,GÇ¥ Gentry said. GÇ£Once this bill becomes law, our state will be eligible for hundreds of thousands of dollars from the federal government. This bill will also improve the quality of background checks nationally. I hope the Governor will sign this bill soon.GÇ¥

House Bill 336 will require the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) to report additional information to the FBI for the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) to make background checks used for firearm purchases more accurate and comprehensive. The bipartisan bill is sponsored by Reps. Nate Gentry, Paul Pacheco, Bill Rehm and Stephanie Garcia Richard as well as Sen. Daniel Ivey-Soto.

Currently, New Mexico is the only state not in compliance with the NICS Improvements Act. The reporting requirements mandated by Gentry's bill would bring New Mexico into compliance with the federal law, making New Mexico eligible for federal grants to improve the state's system for collecting and maintaining these records.

The bill directs the AOC to send the FBI information on court proceedings pertaining to a person's eligibility to own a firearm or ammunition as well as changes and updates to a person's eligibility. The AOC will also be required to report information on court orders, judgments or verdicts regarding an individual who is found by the court to be severely mentally ill or is committed to a mental institution.

The bill requires the AOC to notify a person if they have been found by the court to have a firearms-related disability that they are not eligible to own a firearm or ammunition and allow them to petition the court to have their eligibility restored.