EVERYTOWN FOR GUN SAFETY ACTION FUND INC

2023 WAS A POWER-BUILDING YEAR FOR THE GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION MOVEMENT AND, IN THE WAKE OF TRAGEDY, WE FORGED NEW PATHS IN OUR FIGHT TO KEEP OUR FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES SAFE. EVERYTOWN, MOMS DEMAND ACTION AND STUDENTS DEMAND ACTION VOLUNTEERS BUILT ON THE 2022 PASSAGE OF THE BIPARTISAN SAFER COMMUNITIES ACT (BSCA) BY SUCCESSFULLY URGING THE BIDEN-HARRIS ADMINISTRATION TO ISSUE A GAME-CHANGING, NEW RULE CLARIFYING THE DEFINITION OF WHO IS "ENGAGED IN THE BUSINESS" OF SELLING FIREARMS, AND THEREFORE REQUIRED TO GET A LICENSE AND PERFORM BACKGROUND CHECKS ON ALL SALES. IN SEPTEMBER, THE U.S. BUREAU OF ALCOHOL, TOBACCO, AND FIREARMS ("ATF") ANNOUNCED THE "ENGAGED IN THE BUSINESS" PROPOSED RULE TO CLOSE THE ONLINE AND GUN SHOW LOOPHOLE, MOVING THE NATION CLOSER TO BACKGROUND CHECKS ON ALL GUN SALES. DURING THE COMMENT PERIOD, EVERYTOWN SUPPORTERS SUBMITTED OVER 238,000 COMMENTS IN FAVOR OF THE RULE. ON THE ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF PASSAGE OF BSCA, PRESIDENT BIDEN SPOKE AT THE NATIONAL SAFER COMMUNITIES SUMMIT IN HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, WHICH WAS HOSTED BY EVERYTOWN, MOMS DEMAND ACTION, STUDENTS DEMAND ACTION, AND OTHERS, HIGHLIGHTING THE PROGRESS WE'VE MADE IN THE LAW'S FIRST YEAR. THE WORK DIDN'T STOP THERE. THANKS TO HARD FOUGHT ADVOCACY OF EVERYTOWN, ALONGSIDE MOMS DEMAND ACTION AND STUDENTS DEMAND ACTION VOLUNTEERS, IN STATEHOUSES ACROSS THE COUNTRY, LAWMAKERS PASSED A RECORD-BREAKING 130 GUN SAFETY POLICIES WHILE BLOCKING 95 PERCENT OF THE GUN LOBBY'S DANGEROUS AGENDA, AND ALLOCATING $693 MILLION TO GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION EFFORTS. IN VIRGINIA, AFTER EVERYTOWN STRATEGICALLY ENGAGED AND INVESTED IN THE STATE, GUN SENSE LEGISLATORS TOOK CONTROL OF THE VIRGINIA HOUSE OF DELEGATES AND MAINTAINED THEIR MAJORITY IN THE VIRGINIA SENATE. NOTABLY, MOMS DEMAND ACTION VOLUNTEERS HAD A RESOUNDING VICTORY IN THE VIRGINIA ELECTION, NOW MAKING UP NEARLY 20 PERCENT OF THE VIRGINIA HOUSE DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS. OVERALL, IN 2023, 162 MOMS DEMAND ACTION VOLUNTEERS RAN FOR OFFICE IN 28 STATES, WITH 96 WINNING THEIR ELECTIONS, SHOWING THE POWER OF MOMS DEMAND ACTION VOLUNTEERS GOING FROM ADVOCATING FOR GOOD POLICY TO WRITING IT. AS MOMS DEMAND ACTION EMBARKED ON ITS 10TH YEAR OF ADVOCACY, WE WELCOMED MORE VOLUNTEERS AND SUPPORTERS TO OUR MOVEMENT THAN EVER BEFORE, WHICH WAS ON FULL DISPLAY DURING OUR 10TH ANNUAL TRAINING CONFERENCE, GUN SENSE UNIVERSITY, THE FIRST IN-PERSON SINCE THE PANDEMIC. THERE, VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS JOINED FOR A SWEEPING CONVERSATION ABOUT THE POWER OF THE GUN SAFETY MOVEMENT AND ILLINOIS GOVERNOR J.B. PRITZKER AND OTHER STATE GUN SENSE LEADERS JOINED VOLUNTEERS ON STAGE TO SIGN LANDMARK LEGISLATION TO HOLD THE GUN INDUSTRY ACCOUNTABLE INTO LAW AND CELEBRATE THE ILLINOIS SUPREME COURT'S RULING TO UPHOLD THE STATE'S ASSAULT WEAPONS BAN, WHICH WAS PASSED IN THE WAKE OF THE HIGHLAND PARK SHOOTING TRAGEDY. OUR MOVEMENT IS LARGER AND MORE DIVERSE THAN EVER BEFORE, AND WE CONTINUED TO SHOW AMERICANS FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE THAT WE CAN MAKE LIFE-SAVING PROGRESS WHEN WE WORK TOGETHER.