Summary

Creates a federal grant program, run by the Attorney General, to pay for legal representation and related services for people who are eligible to file extreme risk protection order (ERPO) petitions. It authorizes $50 million per year for fiscal years 2028–2034 to fund counsel, interpretation, legal resource centers, hiring or coordinating staff, subgrants to nonprofit legal aid organizations, and training for courts and law enforcement. Also bars federal courts from hearing or intervening in any federal, state, tribal, or local cause of action that arises in response to a covered petitioner’s filing of an ERPO petition, except if the petitioner filed a false or intentionally harassing petition.

• Establishes a DOJ-administered grant program to fund legal representation and assistance for people eligible to file ERPO petitions.
• Authorizes $50 million per year for fiscal years 2028–2034 (total authorized $350 million).
• Grant funds may be used for counsel, translation, legal resource centers, hiring staff, subgrants to nonprofits, and training.
• Grants may be awarded to States, local governments, and Tribal governments, which may further subgrant to nonprofit legal aid organizations.
• Adds statutory definitions for covered petitioner, extreme risk protection order, and firearm.
• Prohibits federal courts from hearing causes of action arising from a covered petitioner’s ERPO filing, except for knowingly false or intentionally harassing petitions.
• Likely increases access to legal help for petitioners but reduces federal-court remedies available to respondents or third parties except in limited cases.
• May raise constitutional or jurisdictional legal questions because it restricts federal judicial review of certain lawsuits tied to ERPO filings.
• Does not appropriate funds immediately; it authorizes spending for specific future fiscal years (authorization, not appropriation).