ARS & the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence Push Legislators to Reduce Gun Trafficking

June 6, 2016 – Americans for Responsible Solutions (ARS), the gun violence prevention organization founded by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and her husband, retired combat veteran and NASA astronaut Captain Mark Kelly, and its partner organization the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence released a new resource today urging state legislators to enact laws that reduce illegal gun trafficking and help keep guns out of dangerous hands.

The new toolkit, “ Commonsense Solutions: State Laws to Reduce Gun Trafficking ” is being released as states around the country continue to grapple with the lack of a clear federal statute against gun trafficking, in which firearms are diverted from the legal market to the illegal market. These guns are then used in murders and other violent crimes at alarming rates.

The report outlines the key steps state legislators can take to address shortcomings in federal law and help reduce gun trafficking. These steps include:

1. Enacting stronger laws to prohibit straw purchases, which involve one person buying a gun on behalf of another, with an exception for gifts;
2. Prohibiting gun trafficking itself, defined to include all gun transfers that a person should know are likely to put guns in the hands of people who are likely to misuse them;
3. Requiring gun dealers to use responsible business practices to ensure that they do not contribute to gun trafficking; and,
4. Requiring gun owners to report lost or stolen guns to law enforcement.

 Click here to view the full toolkit. 

The resource is the latest publication by ARS and the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, which joined forces in March 2016 to create powerful new force for gun safety legislation, research, education, communications, and advocacy under the leadership of Congresswoman Giffords and Captain Kelly, the leading voices in the movement to keep guns out of the wrong hands and help save lives from gun violence. Previous toolkits outlined steps legislators can take to address the nexus of gun violence and domestic violence, reduce gun deaths associated with mental illness, protect children from unintended shootings, and close loopholes in their background check system for gun sales. 

“Illegal gun trafficking fuels gun violence in communities across our country, and in the face of this threat Congress has failed to act decisively to strengthen our laws and combat gun trafficking,” said Americans for Responsible Solutions Founder & 501(c)(4) Director Peter Ambler. “In the face of Congress’ inaction, leaders in the states can and must act to combat the illegal gun trade and make their communities safer. We hope that state legislators around the country seize the opportunity to crack down on the illegal gun trade, keep guns away from dangerous people, and protect the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding people.”

“The research has shown again and again that the guns used in deadly shootings and other crimes are often trafficked from states with weak gun laws to states with stronger laws. State legislators have a responsibility to stand up to the gun lobby and pass laws designed to stem the flow of illegal guns into the hands of dangerous individuals,” said Robyn Thomas, Executive Director of the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. “The American public desperately needs and deserves smart gun laws that prevent the widespread gun trafficking responsible for so many tragedies in our nation. This toolkitserves as a blueprint for lawmakers to enact legislation that protects our families and communities from this dangerous and pervasive problem.”

About Americans for Responsible Solutions

Founded by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and Navy combat veteran and retired NASA astronaut Captain Mark Kelly, Americans for Responsible Solutions (ARS) is committed to advancing commonsense change that makes communities safer from gun violence and encouraging elected officials to advance responsible firearms policies. Americans for Responsible Solutions PAC is committed to helping elect candidates from both parties who support commonsense laws that make communities safer from gun violence. Learn more at responsiblesolutions.org and at @Resp_Solutions.

About the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence

Founded in the wake of the July 1, 1993, assault weapon massacre at 101 California Street in San Francisco that left eight dead and six wounded, the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence is now the premier resource for legal expertise and information regarding state and federal firearms laws. Made up of the foremost gun law attorneys in the nation, the Law Center tracks and analyzes firearms legislation in all 50 states, files amicus briefs in critical Second Amendment cases across the country, and works with lawmakers and advocates to craft and promote legislation that will reduce gun violence and save lives. We regularly partner with other nonprofit organizations dedicated to combating the epidemic of gun violence in our country, and we invite you to explore our website, smartgunlaws.org, and to follow us on Twitter @smartgunlaws to learn more about our work and deepen your knowledge about gun laws in America.