ARS Applauds Bipartisan Senate Bill To Combat Gun Trafficking, Release New Fact Sheet

May 18, 2017

May 18, 2017 – Today, Americans for Responsible Solutions, the gun violence prevention organization founded by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and retired NASA astronaut Captain Mark Kelly, praised the Senate for introducing a bipartisan bill that would make firearms trafficking a federal crime and impose stronger penalties for “straw purchasers” who buy guns for individuals – like felons and convicted domestic abusers – who are prohibited under current federal law from buying or owning guns.

“If we’re serious about keeping deadly weapons out of the hands of dangerous people, we need to give law enforcement officers the tools they need crack down on the illegal gun trade,” said David Chipman, Retired ATF Special Agent, Senior Policy Advisor at Americans for Responsible Solutions. “One of the biggest and most dangerous gaps in our nation’s gun laws is the absence of a strong federal law to prevent illegal gun trafficking. Every year, tens of thousands of guns are purchased in states with weak gun safety laws and trafficked to states with stronger gun laws, where they end up in the hands of criminals and people unable to pass a background check. Senator Collins and Senator Leahy should be applauded for standing up to the gun lobby and leading the fight to crack down on the illegal gun trade.”

While, the “Stop Illegal Trafficking In Firearms Act,” does not impact the lawful purchase of firearms, it will help combat gun trafficking by:

Cracking Down On Straw Purchases & Smuggling. The bill would establish new federal criminal offenses to prohibit straw purchasing and criminalize the smuggling of firearms into the United States.
Strengthening Existing Laws To Help Law Enforcement Prosecute Traffickers. The bill would strengthen firearms transfer laws to include prohibited purchasers and give law enforcement additional tools to investigate and prosecute firearms traffickers.

Following the introduction of the bill, Americans for Responsible Solutions released a new factsheet detailing how strengthening federal firearms trafficking laws can significantly reduce gun murder and suicide rates and outlining concrete

Cracking Down On Straw Purchases: A straw purchase occurs when the actual buyer of a firearm uses another person to undergo the background check necessary to purchase a firearm from a federally licensed firearms dealer. Although prohibited by federal law, straw purchases are often treated as a mere paperwork violation and left unchecked. Stronger federal penalties for straw purchasing, as well as state-special straw purchasing laws, are solutions that will discourage this dangerous practice.
Requiring The Reporting Of Lost Or Stolen Firearms: There is no current federal law that requires gun owners to inform law enforcement when their firearms have been lost or stolen. Consequently, gun traffickers often claim that guns that were in their possession were lost or stolen in order to hide their involvement in gun trafficking. So far, at least 10 states have taken the responsible step to require gun owners to report lost or stolen firearms within a short period of time after discovering that they are missing.
Holding Corrupt And Negligent Gun Dealers Accountable: While federal law requires firearms dealers to have a federal license, loopholes enable unscrupulous dealers to engage in illegal business practices under the radar of the resource-strapped ATF. Strengthening gun dealer regulations will make it harder for corrupt dealers to sell guns to traffickers.
Passing Universal Background Checks: Many of the guns used in crimes in states with strong gun laws originate in states with weaker gun laws. For example, 50% of Chicago’s crime guns are purchased out of state, largely in Indiana, which lacks universal background checks. Closing the loophole in our federal background checks law is essential to ensuring guns aren’t sold to dangerous people and is the first line of defense to stopping trafficking.

In 114th Congress, the “Stop Illegal Trafficking In Firearms Act” was supported by host of major police organizations, including: the Fraternal Order of Police, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the Major Cities Chiefs Association, the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, the National Tactical Officers Association, the National District Attorneys Association, and the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys.

Read the Fact Sheet: Reducing Gun Trafficking: Cracking Down on Illegal Gun Trade

Speak with an Expert: For additional information, or to be connected to a gun violence prevention expert, contact Sean at 215.778.1411.