Vermont lawmakers approved a measure that would institute a 24-hour waiting period for handgun sales, including for those bought at gun shows.

The Democrat-controlled Vermont House of Representatives on Thursday gave final approval to the measure , which was passed by the Senate in March. It will now head to the desk of Republican Gov. Phil Scott, who said he did not know if he will sign it, according to the Associated Press. The measure does not have veto-proof support in the legislature.

Proponents of the bill say it would help prevent suicides and homicides.

"A waiting period provides time to cool off, interrupting the impulsive chain of events that lead to self-harm or violence," state Rep. Martin LaLonde, a Democrat, said in a statement .

Democratic House Speaker Mitzi Johnson said the bill's aim was to "keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people, not responsible gun owners."

The final version of the bill was a compromise. The version that passed the Senate earlier in the year stipulated a 48-hour waiting period, instead of the shorter one-day wait.

Opponents of the bill argue that it violates gun owners' rights and will deal a dramatic blow to gun shows, where handguns are often bought on-site. An amendment to grant an exception to gun shows failed in the House, according to the AP.

The measure also revamps restrictions on the transfer and use of high-capacity ammunition feeding devices.

In April 2018 Vermont enacted major gun reform legislation, including measures that raised the age to buy guns, banned high-capacity magazines and made it easier to take guns from people who could be dangerous to themselves or others. The measures, which Scott approved, were prompted by an incident in which police arrested a Vermont teenager accused of plotting a mass shooting at a high school.

