Michigan judges could issue an “extreme risk protection order” temporarily preventing a person from buying or possessing a gun if law enforcement or family members can prove they pose a serious risk under legislation introduced by House and Senate Democrats this week.

The legislation, packaged as House bills 4283-4285 and Senate Bills 156-158, would allow immediate family members, current and former spouses or partners, roommates and law enforcement to ask a judge for an order to temporarily take possession of a person’s firearms and prevent them from buying new ones while the order is in effect.

Before such an order could be issued, the court would have to consider testimony and other relevant evidence, including whether a person had previously threatened to harm themselves or others. Bills tie-barred to the package also call for penalties if a person is found guilty of filing false reports for an extreme risk protection order.

“We are not anti-gun - we are anti-gun violence,” said state Rep. Robert Wittenberg, D-Huntington Woods, a lead sponsor on the legislation. “These bills will empower law enforcement and family members to prevent gun tragedies by giving them the tools they need to keep themselves and their families safe by providing them with legal recourse to limit access.”

As of now, the bills don’t have Republican co-sponsors or public backing from the majority party. Wittenberg said he was hopeful that could change, noting some Republicans he’s talked to have told him it’s a concept they’d support if it was put up for a vote.

House Speaker Lee Chatfield, R-Levering, said he hadn’t reviewed the legislation yet, “but I want to ensure the right to keep and bear arms is protected for all citizens of the state.”

Sen. Rosemary Bayer, D-Beverly Hills, is one of the Senate sponsors of the legislation. She said the bills could go a long way towards preventing suicide deaths by firearms, referencing her own experience as a teenager when a friend of hers died by suicide.

“I will never forget the devastation to my family, to his family, to the community, to the school,” she said. “If we could just slow things down a little bit just to reduce a suicidal person’s access to firearms in the moment, that will save lives.”

Extreme risk protection order bills have been enacted in 11 other states, Wittenberg said. New York Gov. Richard Cuomo signed similar legislation into law this week.