Two Democrats and two Republicans introduced legislation in the House Tuesday that would punish with 20-year sentences persons convicted of buying or trying to buy a firearm that they intend to pass along to someone who is barred by state or federal law from possessing a gun. The legislation, the Gun Trafficking Prevention Act of 2013, is similar to legislation introduced last week in the Senate by Illinois Republican Mark Kirk and New York Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand. If passed by both houses and signed by the president, the legislation would be the first federal law prohibiting gun trafficking.
Unlike the assault weapon ban introduced by Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a proposal which faces vigorous opposition with perhaps a dozen Senate Democrats against, the bipartisan backing behind the gun-trafficking legislation means it stands a reasonable chance of being passed.
In the House, the anti-trafficking legislation is co-sponsored by Democrats Carolyn Maloney of New York and Elijah Cummings of Maryland, as well as Republicans Scott Rigell of Virginia and Patrick Meehan of Pennsylvania.
The legislation would make it illegal:
' to buy or attempt to buy or transfer a firearm, with the intent of delivering it to someone the transferor knows, "or has reasonable cause to believe, is prohibited by Federal or State law from possessing a firearm";' to intentionally provide false or misleading information on a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms firearms transaction form; and
' to "promote, direct or facilitate" actions that violate the above prohibitions
The Kirk-Gillibrand version in the Senate is similar but would limit violations to the transfer of two or more firearms.
Both the Senate and House bill make exceptions for gifts and inheritances. Continue reading below about the legislation and advocacy groups' efforts to push a few reluctant Democrats to support more restrictions.
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