BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts has among the toughest gun laws in the nation, but a 43-year-old law bars the state from providing mental health records to an FBI database for gun background checks.

That has sparked concern from some that guns could fall into the hands of the mentally ill.

The Boston Globe reports that the FBI has processed 1.6 million background checks of Bay State residents who seek to buy guns from federally licensed dealers.

Gov. Deval Patrick has twice tried unsuccessfully to get legislative approval for the sharing of mental health data, but both have failed in part because of opposition from gun rights activists.

The governor renewed the effort earlier this month when he proposed universal background checks that include mental health information.

——

Information from: The Boston Globe, http://www.boston.com/globe