Firearms Owners Against Crime
Institute for Legal, Legislative and Educational Action
Institute for Legal, Legislative and Educational Action
While all eyes have been on Sheila Jackson Lee‘s big licensing and registration bill, fellow Congresscritter Carolyn B. Maloney [D-NY] is taking advantage of the various distractions on Capitol Hill to enter five ambitious civilian disarmament bills of her own. While Lee’s legislation is patently absurd — and probably intended to be so — Maloney has taken a more targeted approach. Here are a few highlights . . .
First up: H.R.1007 – The Gun Trafficking and Crime Prevention Act
‘‘(a) OFFENSES .—It shall be unlawful for any person, regardless of whether anything of value is exchanged—
‘‘(1) to ship, transport, transfer, or otherwise dispose to a person, 2 or more firearms in or affecing interstate or foreign commerce, if the transferor knows or has reasonable cause to believe that such shipping, transportation, transfer, or disposition of the firearm would be in violation of, or would result in a violation of any Federal, State, or local law punishable by a term of imprisonment exceeding 1 year;
The New York Congressional delegation’s acknowledged firearms subject matter expert wants to make it illegal to violate state or federal laws. This calls to mind another great legislative mind who tried to make it a felony to commit a felony a couple of years ago.
Moving on, Maloney has also authored H.R.1006 The Gun Show Loophole Closing Act. I’ll spare you the text. Basically, this one is intended to kill off gun shows altogether by making compliance too burdensome for them to continue.
Gun show organizers would have to register FFL-style. All firearm transactions would require NICS checks, with complete bound book-type record keeping requirements (though separately from the dealer’s actual bound book). That means all transactions; even you, a mere attendee, offering to buy that old Mauser slung over another attendee’s shoulder. All vendors — whether a vendor renting space or Mauser-on-the-shoulder guy — must be reported to the government in advance of the show. Basically, the latter point shuts down private sales on the premises completely.
Next, H.R.1005 – The NICS Review Act.
SEC. 2. REQUIREMENT THAT NICS RECORDS BE RETAINED FOR AT LEAST 90 DAYS.
Did you catch that? Background check records would have to be kept for at least 90 days; there is no maximum. They could keep records forever, just as the FBI has always wanted. All the better to build a registration database.
H.R.1004 – The Firearm Risk Protection Act would require that every gun owner buy a firearm liability insurance policy and present proof of coverage before purchasing any firearm. Just like that, “murder insurance” is suddenly a good thing. Maloney’s bill makes mention of how they would get criminals to buy the policies. Perhaps they can offer group discounts for gang members.
And finally — for now — H.R.1008 -The Handgun Trigger Safety Act. This one would mandate smart handguns among other fine points.
It would set up grants for development of smart gun technology. But the grants are tricky. At least 70% of a grant must be spent developing “smart” tech for new guns. No more than 20% could be spent developing “smart” tech to retrofit existing guns.
Five years after this bill becomes law, all new handguns must be “smart” guns. Whether or not anyone has actually developed practical “smart” technology yet.
Ten years after the bill becomes law, no previously existing handgun may be sold unless it has been retrofitted with “smart” technology. Remember how the bill deliberately restricted the use of grant funds to develop those retrofits?
As absurd as it is, let’s not ignore Lee’s H.R. 127, because if the last year has taught us anything, nothing is impossible. But be sure to keep an eye on other legislation like Maloney’s that living under the radar.