The Child Fatality Task Force is pushing for stronger gun laws in North Carolina.

The Child Fatality Task Force of North Carolina met with lawmakers on Wednesday to propose ways to enhance the state's gun storage laws.

The initiative seeks to revise the wording of laws related to gun ownership and to allocate more funds towards educating people on safe gun storage.

""Putting a seatbelt on or securing a child in a safety seat takes the same amount of time as locking up, which can prevent a lifetime of tragedy," stated William Lassiter, the deputy secretary for the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention for the Department of Public Safety."

In the state, gun violence is a leading cause of death among children, placing it 12th in the nation for youth fatalities.

The Child Fatality Task Force's most recent report recommends sustained funding for the NC S.A.F.E. firearm safety campaign and the newly created NC Office of Violence Prevention, as well as an effort to strengthen the state's child access prevention law, with a continued focus on the importance of firearm safe storage.

"The Task Force's work on suicide prevention and the youth mental health crisis is continued through other 2024 recommendations, which include sustained funding for more school nurses, social workers, counselors, and psychologists, as well as endorsing legislation that targets addictive social media algorithms that harm kids."

When children gain access to guns and cause bodily harm or death, lawmakers are advocating for modifications in the way adults are charged.

The proposed change in North Carolina laws would remove the residency requirement, making all gun owners responsible for safely storing their guns.

The campaign NC S.A.F.E. is being recommended to receive a recurring budget of over $2 million in funding for the purpose of educating individuals on safe gun storage.

"Lassiter stated that they have distributed 60,000 gun locks, and the demand for these resources is high as people want to take responsible actions at home."

The items discussed at the assembly will be presented to the General Assembly, and members of the task force will collaborate with lawmakers to turn them into legislation.