Dear John,

With progress stalled at the federal level, Brady’s collaboration with our state partners has been more critical to combating gun violence than ever. And in 2025, Brady’s State Policy team worked overtime to progress strong gun legislation at the state level.

Because when it comes to achieving an America free from gun violence, it is crucial to support strong policy at the state level. When the five states with the strongest gun laws have gun death and injury rates 71% lower per capita than the five states with the weakest laws, we know strengthening state gun laws works.

Working alongside legislators, state & national partners, and grassroots coalitions, Brady achieved wide-ranging success: Our efforts resulted in legislatures passing nearly 50 of Brady’s priority bills, 27 of which were signed into law. The new laws propel various approaches to curbing gun violence, from a first-ever state-level firearm procurement law to taking action to prevent the proliferation of 3D printed guns, to closing loopholes that allow convicted domestic abusers to maintain possession of firearms. 

Across the country, Brady joined state and local partners to apply critical pressure on their state legislators to achieve life-saving change.

• In California, four bills were signed into law, including additional regulations around 3D-printed ghost guns and firearm barrels.
• In Colorado, ten bills were signed into law, including working with schools to inform families about secure gun storage.
• In Illinois, three bills were signed into law, including legislation to expand transparency and reporting on homicide cases.
• In Washington, a bill to require a permit to purchase a firearm was signed into law, which requires any individual interested in purchasing a firearm to apply for and obtain a permit, a policy proven to be most effective in reducing gun violence.
• In New York, we helped establish a permanent State Office of Gun Violence Prevention and a Gun Violence Advisory Council, which will serve as a vital step towards expanding access to funding for the state to address various forms of gun violence.

And those are just some of the highlights of our work in the past year, John. Our policy team has expanded our investment in multiple states to enhance our reach and impact to ensure Brady has a visible role as policy experts in state capitals. We continuously engaged with local organizations to understand and support their priorities and engaged our grassroots activists to lobby their representatives. This emphasizes our commitment to building authentic partnerships with state-based organizations to help build power on the ground.

While supporting impact-driven legislation is pivotal, Brady also plays a significant role in defending against dangerous legislation that puts all of us in harm's way. 

• In Florida, we helped defeat a bill that would have repealed the requirement that purchasers be 21 years of age to purchase assault weapons, returning the age to 18.
• In Texas, we helped to defeat a bill that would have limited the types of felonies that would disqualify a person from purchasing or possessing a firearm within the state for 5 years after conviction.

With the unwavering support of our programmatic teams, grassroots advocates, and dedicated donors, we are championing impact-driven legislation and defending against dangerous policies into 2026 and beyond. We are already hard at work in state legislatures this year, and we can’t keep achieving life-saving victories without your support. If you are interested in continuing Brady’s momentum in states across the country, please consider making a gift today. >>

In solidarity,

Tanya Schardt

Senior Counsel and Senior Director, State and Federal Policy