Ottawa, Canada - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced the introduction of a bill aimed at tightening gun laws less than a week after a mass shooting at an elementary school in Texas left 21 people, of which 19 were children, dead.

The new bill introduced by Trudeau's government aims to end the private possession of handguns, outlawing their sale or purchase and banning handgun imports to Canada, Trudeau announced on Monday.

Anyone found guilty of domestic violence will automatically lose their gun licenses. In addition, the penalties for illegal weapons sales are to be increased.

In Texas, an 18-year-old gunman caused carnage at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde last Tuesday. The horrific rampage has once again fueled the debate on tightening US gun laws.

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Republicans in particular have been vehemently opposed to stricter gun regulation for years, and this doesn't look like it's changing, even in the face of the latest national tragedy.

Within the US, California is looking at introducing several new bills meant to address out-of-control gun violence, but federal legislation still seems a long way off.