Gun control law receives senate attention in US

The US senate has taken a first step towards passing what has been called the most significant new gun controls in a generation.

Senators voted to speed up the passage of the bipartisan bill, meaning it could be signed into law next week.

Although, the proposals fall far short of what many democrats and activists have called for in the wake of a spate of mass shootings.

The measures include tougher background checks for buyers younger than 21.

The bill calls for funding to encourage states to implement “red flag” laws to remove firearms from people considered a threat. The act also includes $15bn (£12.2bn) in federal funding for mental health programs and school security upgrades.

And it closes the so-called “boyfriend loophole” by blocking gun sales to those convicted of abusing unmarried intimate partners.

It is the first time in decades that proposed gun safety legislation has received this level of support from both republican and Democratic Party senators.