President Barack Obama signed executive actions into law Tuesday to protect citizens from gun violence. Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer and Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, co-chairs of Prosecutors Against Gun Violence, a coalition of 34 prosecutors from jurisdictions throughout the United States, attended a briefing at the White House Tuesday at which the president announced the new measures.

Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer (right) and Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, co-chairs of Prosecutors Against Gun Violence, attended a briefing at the White House in which President Obama announced sweeping new measures to prevent gun violence. (photo courtesy of the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office)

“We were honored to join law enforcement partners, advocates, faith leaders, victims of gun violence and their families in the East Room of the White House as President Obama signed into law a series of executive actions which will help reclaim communities coast to coast from the bloodshed wrought by illegal guns,” Feuer and Vance said in a statement. “As prosecutors, we know all too well that violent gun offenders routinely skirt background checks by obtaining weapons through private sales at gun shows and online marketplaces. By contrast, traditional gun retailers have prevented more than two million prohibited persons from obtaining firearms through mandatory background checks of potential buyers. Requiring more gun sellers to obtain licenses and perform these checks is a common-sense measure that will save countless American lives.”

The executive actions taken by Obama will require all firearms dealers to conduct background checks on gun purchasers. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is overhauling the background check system to make it more effective and efficient. The envisioned improvements include processing background checks 24 hours a day and improving the notification of local authorities when prohibited persons unlawfully attempt to buy a gun. The FBI will hire more than 230 additional examiners and other staff to help process the background checks.

The president’s actions also call for more focused and effective enforcement of gun laws and an increase in mental health treatment and reporting to the background check system. The administration is proposing a new $500 million investment to improve access to mental health care. The Social Security Administration has indicated that it will begin the process to include information in the background check system about beneficiaries who are prohibited from possessing a firearm for mental health reasons.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is also finalizing a rule to remove unnecessary legal barriers preventing states from reporting information about people prohibited from possessing a gun for specific mental health reasons.

Obama is also moving to shape the future of gun safety technology by sponsoring research. He directed federal departments to review the availability of smart gun technology on a regular basis and to explore ways to further its use and development. He also called on state and local governments to do everything possible to keep guns out of the wrong hands and reduce gun violence.