Just ahead of the anniversary of the tragic mass shootings in Lewiston on Oct. 25, 2023, U.S. Senator from Maine Susan Collins (R) has introduced legislation to require the military to utilize state crisis intervention programs when service members pose a serious threat to themselves or others.

Sen. Collins’ “Armed Forces Crisis Intervention Notification Act,” co-sponsored by Senator Angus King (I), comes as a direct response to the investigations into the shootings conducted by the U.S. Army Reserve, the Independent Commission appointed by Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D), and the Army Inspector General.

These reports revealed numerous missed opportunities to separate the shooter, 40-year-old Army Reservist Robert R. Card Jr., from his firearms — despite Card’s deteriorating mental health and erratic behavior that resulted in a two-week stay in a psychiatric facility in New York, and warnings from his family members and fellow soldiers.

“I authored the Armed Forces Crisis Intervention Notification Act in response to the October 25, 2023, tragedy in Lewiston, Maine.  On that day, 18 Mainers were killed and 13 others were injured during the worst mass shooting in Maine history,” Sen. Collins said Monday.

“While the shooter was responsible for his horrific actions, multiple independent investigations revealed that there were numerous missed opportunities to potentially intervene and prevent this tragedy,” Collins said. “This bill would facilitate effective communication and coordination between state agencies and military service branches, thereby helping to keep our communities safe and ensuring that service members in crisis get the assistance they need, without infringing upon the rights of law-abiding gun owners.”

The legislation would require U.S. Armed Forces to fully make use of state crisis intervention programs, such as Maine’s ‘yellow flag law,’ in cases where a service member is determined to be unfit to possess military firearms due to making threats, or when a service member has been involuntarily committed to a hospital for psychiatric treatment.

Under Collins’ bill, when making use of state crisis intervention programs, the Armed Forces would also be required to share relevant material facts to appropriate law enforcement or judicial personnel. The bill also directs the Armed Forces to participate in any relevant judicial proceedings as part of a state crisis intervention program.

“We cannot bring back our friends and family members we lost last October, but we can take steps to fix the cracks in the system that led to the tragedy,” said Sen. King.

“Whether through the Blast Overpressure Safety Act, or starting brain screening of service members on day one, or investments in additional mental health services to deliver needed care to those still processing unseen scars, this public safety threat is a complex problem that requires a wide range of approaches,” King said.

“While making sure that this bill has guardrails to protect the 2^nd Amendment, this legislation strengthens the information sharing practices that can literally be the difference between life and death,” he added.

In the immediate aftermath of the Lewiston shootings, Sen. King introduced legislation that would establish a voluntary gun buy-back program, place increased restrictions on the sale and manufacture of gas-operated semi-automatic weapons and put limitations on the number of rounds allowed in certain firearms.