One of the policy options being recommended is to ensure that mental illness and other 'relevant records' form part of the background check system and be made available within states.
Some questions arising include:
- What would be considered 'other relevant information'?
- Which states would have access to this information ie if only available in one state would someone be able to purchase a gun in another state or would the information be shared?
- How long would the health records be made available? That is, for what period of time would someone be considered 'mentally ill'?
- What 'mental illnesses' would be covered?
- Who would define/determine which mentally ill people would be considered 'dangerous'?
- Does the focus on the mentally ill 'demonise' those people and what implications might that have for the diagnoses and treatment of people with various mental illnesses and the willingness of people to seek treatment?
- What are the privacy implications and how would this information be prevented from being used for other purposes and by other people?