US President Joe Biden on June 25, 2022, signs into law the first major gun safety legislation passed by Congress in nearly three decades, days after the Supreme Court struck down a NY law restricting concealed carry. Photo:AFP

US President Joe Biden signed into law what had been described as a gun safety bill as shootings continue to take a toll on the nation.

The legislation, signed on Saturday morning, takes effect a month after a gunman broke into an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, killing 19 children and two teachers in a rampage that has triggered nationwide demonstrations against gun violence and political inaction.

There have been more than 21,000 deaths from gun violence and 281 mass shootings across the United States so far this year, according to the latest data from the Gun Violence Archive.

"I know there's much more to do," Biden said from the White House before leaving for a trip to Europe.