HARRISBURG — Of the dozens of public safety proposals in the spotlight since a school shooting in Florida, keeping firearms away from individuals subject to protection-from-abuse orders appears to have the best shot at passage by the Legislature.

The Senate has approved legislation, Senate Bill 501, along those lines, and Gov. Tom Wolf on Monday again called for passage of SB501 during a press conference about gun background checks.

House Judiciary Committee Majority Chairman Ron Marsico, R-Dauphin, has said he plans to call a committee vote on House Bill 2060, a House version of SB501, in the near future.

SB501 would seek to eliminate third-party safekeeping as an option for a defendant ordered by the court to relinquish firearms, other weapons, ammunition and firearm licenses under a PFA order or a conviction of misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence.

The legislation shortens from 60 days to 48 hours the amount of time all PFA defendants subject to a final PFA order or persons convicted of misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence must surrender their guns. Firearms would have to be turned over to an appropriate law enforcement agency or a licensed firearm dealer.

A recent analysis done by the Senate Appropriations Committee indicated as many as 11,883 PFA orders are likely to result in the relinquishing of firearms to law enforcement agencies or licensed dealers.

The outlook is far more uncertain for another proposal for which Wolf urged legislative action during Monday’s press conference: eliminating exceptions for a background check prior to purchase or transfer of a firearm.

“Universal background checks are one of the best ways we can keep weapons out of the hands of dangerous individuals,” Wolf said, flanked by two Pennsylvania State Police officials.

After the press conference, Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman, R-Centre, declined to comment specifically about the prospects for universal background check legislation in his chamber.

Marsico left House Bill 1400, a bill to end most exceptions for background checks, off a list of public safety bills that he has said he plans to call up for votes in committee.

Currently, private purchases or transfers of “long guns” are exempt from background checks and so are firearm transfers among family members.

Corman said the Senate wants to focus on taking preventive actions concerning individuals who pose a violent threat or present a “red flag” and could look at background checks in that context.

“What do we need to do to identify these folks?” he asked.

On the related subject of school safety, Corman said the Senate is acting on bills to improve school safety as they are ready.

The Senate Education Committee on Monday approved Senate Bill 1136, a measure sponsored by Sen. Michelle Brooks, R-Mercer, to allow a part-time police force to contract with a school outside their jurisdiction to provide security services.

The Senate last week passed Senate Bill 1078, sponsored by Sen. Robert Tomlinson, R-Bucks, to allow school boards and local governments to discuss safety plans during executive sessions (which are closed to the public) with the stated intent being to avoid publicizing just how the body plans to respond to security issues and where, if any, their plan is weakest.

Marsico’s committee has completed two weeks of public safety hearings where House lawmakers testified about a range of public safety bills and proposals.

Marsico has also indicated that bills to create “extreme risk protective orders” to keep firearms away from a dangerous individual and to train police officers in how to assess the lethal risk facing victims of domestic violence could face votes.

He plans to hold another hearing next month.