Group Says South Dakota Lax on Key Gun Records

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — A national group that fights gun violence says South Dakota is one of the worst states in terms of sharing mental health records for use in background checks.

The Argus Leader reports Mayors Against Illegal Guns issued a report this month that said South Dakota has shared only one mental health record in 20 years with the federal government's National Instant Criminal Background Check System.

The background database was created to enable gun dealers to check buyers for firearms restrictions — a requirement since the passage of the Brady Bill in 1993.

States are expected to submit records on people with a mental illness that would disqualify them from owning a gun. Mayors Against Illegal Guns says many states are failing to help keep the database up to date.

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