WASHINGTON (AP) Now that he's been blocked by Congress from expanding gun sale background checks, President Barack Obama is turning to actions his administration can take on its own.

The Health and Human Services Department is starting a process aimed at stopping gun sales to people barred for mental health reasons.

Federal law prohibits certain mentally ill people from buying guns, but not all states are providing mental health data to the FBI's background check system.

A federal review last year found 17 states contributed fewer than 10 mental health records to the database. That means many deemed by a judge to be a danger still could buy a gun.

Some states say they are not reporting the information because of health privacy laws. Obama wants to remove barriers in the law.

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) Gov. Chris Christie has announced a multi-faceted plan to curb gun violence.

The proposal calls for expanding government-funded mental health treatment, requiring parental sign-off before minors can buy or rent violent video games and mandating would-be gun owners show government-issued IDs.

The New Jersey governor also recommended banning the sale of Barrett .50-caliber semi-automatic sniper rifles. But his plan doesn't address classroom security or propose limits on magazine capacity.

Christie announced his proposals Friday, a week after receiving a report from a task force he created after the mass school shootings in Connecticut.

His proposals come two days after the U.S. Senate rejected expanded gun background checks. Members of the Democrat-controlled state Legislature have proposed their own gun laws.

New Jersey's gun laws are among the strictest in the nation.