These policies will address the use of machine guns and school shooting drills.

Joe Biden announced on Thursday new executive actions to combat gun violence. This is a move to build the president’s legacy and gives Harris a chance to showcase her leadership in the role of vice president.

Biden will sign an executive directive at a White House meeting on Thursday. The order is designed to combat the trauma caused to children by active shooter exercises in schools, as well as the threat posed by machine gun conversion devices. These are small devices made using a 3D-printer that convert a handgun to a fully automatic weapon. These actions coincide with the one-year anniversary this week of Biden creating the first ever office of gun violence. He created it, in part to identify ways to combat gun violence without Congress.

This joint Biden and Harris appearance will be one of only a few since the President handed over his reelection campaigns to Harris in July. It will also highlight Harris’ role as the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention. This is also an opportunity for Harris to show her leadership in her official role as vice president on a particular issue, while gaining new policies to promote on the campaign trail.

This is also a way for Biden to build his legacy. These are likely his last moves in relation to a policy that has been of high priority for the White House. From passing the first gun law in 30 years, through to issuing the most executive actions ever on this issue, it’s a testament for Biden.

The White House has been highlighting the work of the office for a week. The White House released a report on the official anniversary of the office earlier this week, which highlighted the administration’s efforts. Among them, the enhanced background checks that were implemented under the Bipartisan Safety Communities Act have prevented thousands of gun sales, including to those under 21 years old and those who are convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence crimes. The White House has also highlighted the decline in violent crimes, which Biden will also highlight on Thursday. According to the FBI, homicides dropped by 11.6% nationwide in 2023 and violent crime fell by 3% after a spike during the pandemic.

Departments and agencies of the federal government will announce additional executive actions. These include some that are related to implementing the bipartisan gun law passed by Congress in June 2022 following the Uvalde school shooting. Other actions will be focused on safe storage of guns, implementation of red flag laws, funding of community violence intervention programmes, and improvements in the background check system, among others.

In accordance with the president’s order, a taskforce will be established to produce a 90-day report assessing the threat of 3D-printed firearms that are not serialized and machine gun conversions. The devices are illegal under federal law but police have found them on more crime scenes. They also believe that the shooters of the recent Birmingham, Alabama shooting used these conversion devices.

The president has directed the secretary of Education and Health and Human Services to create and publish guidelines for schools regarding how to conduct school shooting drills effectively, while also minimising unnecessary trauma.

In a press conference to preview the announcement, Stefanie Feldman of the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention said: “Schools use drills as a way to prepare themselves for armed shooters, but very little research has been done on how these drills can be designed and deployed to maximize their efficacy and minimize any collateral harms that they may cause.” Many parents, educators and students have expressed concern about the trauma that some drills can cause.

Biden and Harris both will make remarks on Thursday. Participants will include survivors, advocates and community violence intervention leaders. Also in attendance will be law enforcement, local and state elected officials, mayors, and others. The White House also wanted to honor Biden for his efforts in combating gun violence during the past 30 years by having people who have worked with Biden or Harris over many decades attend the event. For Harris, there will be people in attendance who worked with her as a California prosecutor.