Washington (CNN) Republican Sen. Marco Rubio and Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida said Wednesday that they're introducing legislation that would encourage states to adopt so-called "red flag" gun laws, which allow people to file gun restraining orders to remove firearms from potentially violent individuals. The Florida Legislature is considering such a proposal, and the senators' bill would further incentivize states through grants from the Department of Justice to implement similar laws. The law must require due process protections before an order can be issued, such as proper notice and a formal hearing. And states must establish a minimum penalty if a person files false allegations against an individual. "This certainly would have provided an option that today does not exist," Rubio said at a news conference Wednesday.

Source: CNN March 07, 2018 22:52 UTC