Sen. Mitt Romney backs bipartisan gun deal

A bipartisan group of 20 U.S. senators, including Utah's Mitt Romney, announced on Sunday they reached a deal aimed at reducing gun violence and keeping families safe.

• Romney is one of 10 Senate Republicans and 10 Senate Democrats backing the gun safety proposal.

The big picture: After a string of mass shootings, the agreement is considered one of the most consequential gun safety proposals in years, Axios' Alayna Treene reports.

What they're saying: "Our plan increases needed mental health resources, improves school safety and support for students, and helps ensure dangerous criminals and those who are adjudicated as mentally ill can’t purchase weapons," according to a news release released by the group surrounding the deal.

• "Most importantly, our plan saves lives while also protecting the constitutional rights of law-abiding Americans."

Details: The plan, which is still being drafted, features funding for mental health services and boosting background checks for people under the age of 21 who are seeking to purchase a firearm.

Driving the news: There have been at least 29 mass shootings in the U.S. this month alone, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which tracks gun deaths in the country.

• The group defines a mass shooting as having a minimum of four victims either injured or killed — not including the shooter.

What Romney is saying: "Families deserve to feel safe and secure in their communities. Proud to join my colleagues on this commonsense, bipartisan proposal that will save lives while also protecting the constitutional rights of law-abiding Americans," Romney tweeted. "It deserves broad support."

Flashback: He has previously expressed support for federal background checks and for states to adopt their own red-flag laws.