HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) -- The Pennsylvania House passed a bill Tuesday that would require universal background checks for gun purchases in the state.

House Bill 1593 passed almost entirely along party lines, just three Democrats opposed the bill while five Republicans supported it, with a 104-99 vote.

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Currently, background checks are only required when someone purchases a handgun in the state. Pennsylvania State Police run about a million such checks each year, but the law does not require them for long guns.

Rep. Perry Warren (D-Bucks County) first teased the bill back in December 2024, but House Democrats forced it and two other gun control bills out of committee last week after a York County man ambushed five police

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