Rhode Island House members are passing along a bill to the State Senate and Governor that would require the state to submit health records of severely mentally ill people to the NICS, the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.

Presently, like many other states, Rhode Island only submits relevant criminal records and requires all gun purchases to submit to a NICS check. The NICS is a program managed by the FBI to determine if a person is federally prohibited from owning a firearm before they purchase one.

If approved in Rhode Island, the new law would prevent gun sales to those with severe mental illness. The bill would become law on Jan. 1, 2015.

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