Roland Gutierrez speaks Tuesday, surrounded by family members of Uvalde shooting victims and those of the Santa Fe High School shooting., whose district includes Uvalde, has filed four additional bills to avoid future tragedies like the shooting at Robb Elementary School, which left 19 children and two teachers dead.
Gutierrez's new bills would set up a state compensation fund for school shooting victims and strike down qualified immunity for police officers, a legal principle that prevents them from facing civil suits. The measures also would let families affected by school shootings sue state agencies for negligence and demand that federal lawmakers permit civil lawsuits against firearms manufacturers.
Texas law enforcement agencies are also under scrutiny over their handling of the incident. The Justice Department is investigating why the 376 armed police who swarmed the school took 77 minutes to finally enter a classroom and take out the shooter. Gutierrez has already filed other proposals aimed at curbing school shootings, including one that would raise the minimum age for purchasing an assault rifle from 18 to 21. He said he expects to file around 20 bills this session. He also pledged to hold more news conferences updating the progress on the legislation.