Turn on the nightly news and the lethal link between domestic violence and access to firearms is clear. Recently, at the end of March, a woman, whose protection order had expired the prior year, was shot and killed by her ex-husband inside a Delaware County Wawa when she appeared to exchange the parties’ child. Access to weapons in domestic violence situations has deadly consequences. According to the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 2017 saw the highest number of domestic violence-related firearm deaths in a decade, with 78 victims being shot and killed.

In an effort to provide additional safeguards for domestic violence victims and the community at large, the Pennsylvania Legislature introduced legislation in October 2017 to limit domestic abusers’ access to firearms. Signed into law by Gov. Tom Wolf on Oct. 12, 2018, Act 79 went into effect on April 10. Act 79 amends both the civil Protection From Abuse Act as well as the Pennsylvania Crimes Code marking the first time in 14 years the Pennsylvania Legislature addressed gun violence.