The future of Baltimore’s top prosecutor’s legislative priority remains uncertain despite bipartisan support lining up behind the proposal that seeks to implement tougher penalties for certain gun offenses.

The House Judiciary Committee took testimony in February from Baltimore City State’s Attorney Ivan Bates, and several other people in support of the plan that would raise the maximum penalty from three years to five years for people convicted of illegal gun possession, or transport, across the board.

Current law sets different standards for different ages of defendants; someone between 18 years old and 20 years old would face a maximum penalty of five years, while someone 21 years old or older, would face the max of three years.

The legislation is sponsored by Del. Frank Conaway, D-Baltimore City, along with other delegates from both sides of the political aisle. After the bill hearing, Conaway said he is cautiously optimistic the bill will move forward, especially with support from Congressman Kweisi Mfume.

Despite the hearing in the House committee, a vote has yet to be taken on the legislation and the Senate hasn’t heard the legislation.

Wednesday during a radio interview, Senate President Bill Ferguson, D-Baltimore City, talked about the legislation with cautious optimism, noting he didn’t think the plan itself would be the fix needed to curb the violence that’s gripped Baltimore and other communities for years.

“I support it. Let me be clear. But I also don’t believe passing this one piece of legislation will have a demonstrative impact on whether we see more or less crime,” Ferguson said during the interview with C4 and Bryan Nehman on WBAL Radio. “I support the initiative. I think there will be some important conversations during the judicial proceedings. I know the Legislative Black Caucus has expressed some concerns with it.”

It's unclear what concerns the Legislative Black Caucus has with the legislation; questions from FOX45 News were not answered Wednesday.

Responding to the comment from Ferguson, State’s Attorney Bates told FOX45 News in a statement that he recognizes the bill – which his sponsored by Del. Frank Conaway in the House – won’t be a single fix to the violence.

“While HB481/SB889 is certainly not a cure-all for the deep systemic issues we face regarding violent crime, it's common-sense legislation that should be supported by the people who want to prioritize public safety in Baltimore,” Bates said.