ATL Standard

Sen. Elena Parent and Sen. Sally Harrell have introduced Senate Bill 522, also known as Donna’s Law, in an effort to allow Georgia citizens with suicidal ideations to voluntarily place themselves on the FBI’s NICS Firearms Checks list. The legislation is set to be heard in the Senate Committee on Public Safety on February 28th.

According to Sen. Parent, "The rate of suicides nationally and in Georgia is on the rise, with firearms being the method used in over half of these tragic deaths. With firearms, there are very few second chances, as about 85% of gun suicide attempts result in death." The proposed law is named after Donna Nathan, who tragically took her own life with a gun in 2018 after suffering from bipolar disorder for three decades.

Sen. Harrell emphasized the importance of addressing the mental health crisis, stating, "We are in the middle of a mental health crisis in our state and around the country. As we work toward providing more access to mental healthcare, we also want to do everything we can to prevent people from harming themselves." She added, "Studies show that suicides are often very hasty decisions that are not well thought out. Donna’s Law could help prevent people who are suffering from making impulsive decisions."

If Donna’s Law is passed, individuals would have the option to add themselves to the firearms check list through a healthcare professional or under oath in a probate court in their county of residence. Once an individual applies, they would be added to the NICS firearms check list within 24 hours. The law also permits applicants to remove themselves from the list no sooner than seven days after applying.

Should the bill be enacted, Georgia would become the fourth state to implement such legislation. Sen. Elena Parent and Sen. Sally Harrell have taken proactive steps to address the mental health crisis and reduce the probability of gun-related suicides in the state.