Closing the Gap: The Need to Eliminate Loopholes in Legislation at the Intersection of Gun Violence and Intimate Partner Violence

Gun violence and intimate partner violence (IPV) are two public health issues that intersect significantly in the United States, contributing to the urgent need for legislative changes. There is federal legislation that aims to address the rising firearm-related deaths that result from IPV by prohibiting persons convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence offenses from possessing firearms. Yet, this legislation leaves loopholes in interpretation by each state, whereby some have chosen to strengthen and others to weaken regulations. Gaps persist in legal definitions of "domestic violence" as well as how the removal of firearms is enforced. To address the intersection of these two life-threatening public health issues, federal legislation must be amended to increase clarity and standardize processes of enforcement. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to highlight the shortcomings among current IPV-related firearm legislation while recommending that further action be taken to amend these considerations. Specifically, the Strengthening Protections for Domestic Violence and Stalking Survivors Act of 2023 could account for the omitted considerations among current legislation. In turn, this will extend protections to more individuals and may prevent cases of firearm-related intimate partner violence.