Today, Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI) voted in support of multiple common sense gun safety and responsibility measures in the wake of the senseless tragedies in Buffalo and Uvalde.
“Since my very first day in Congress, ending gun violence has been one of my top priorities,” said Rep. Haley Stevens (MI-11). “I was in high school during the Columbine massacre and finishing college during the tragic Virginia Tech shooting. As a millennial member of Congress, I know firsthand the anxiety and fear that plague America’s young people. This is unacceptable and we must act. Today’s vote is a step in the right direction, but I am deeply disappointed by the lack of bipartisan support it received. Protecting innocent people who are going about their daily lives, only to be killed or injured by gun violence is a uniquely American sickness and it must be stopped. Those killed in Buffalo and Uvalde did not die in vain, we mourn their losses, and we will honor their beautiful lives by refusing to stop fighting to end gun violence.”
The Protecting Our Kids Act, H.R. 7910 included seven provisions. The Congresswoman voted in support of all seven.
Title I – The Raise the Age Act
Raises the lawful age to purchase certain semi-automatic centerfire rifles and shotguns from 18 to 21 years old. Currently, someone must be 21 years old to purchase a handgun, but they can purchase a semi-automatic centerfire rifle or shotgun at age 18.
Title II – The Prevent Gun Trafficking Act
Title IIestablishes new federal offenses for gun trafficking. This title is designed to combat illegal gun purchases and transfers. Currently, every year, thousands of guns are diverted from legal to illegal markets. Guns also move easily from states with weak gun laws into states with strong gun laws, thereby undermining state-level gun safety laws and creating significant threats to public safety.
Title III – The Untraceable Firearms Act
Ghost guns are firearms that lack serial numbers and are therefore untraceable. In recent years, the increased presence of ghost guns in our communities has made it harder for law enforcement to find and prosecute violent criminals. Title III closes the ghost gun loophole by amending the definition of “firearm” under federal law to include gun kits and partial receivers and by changing the definition of “manufacturing firearms” to include assembling firearms using 3D printing technology.
Title IV – Safe Storage
The presence of unsecured firearms in the home increases the risk of unintentional and intentional shooting, particularly with minors in residence. Over 75 percent of firearms used in youth suicide attempts and unintentional firearm injuries were stored in the residence of the victim, a relative, or a friend. Below are brief descriptions of the three bills included in Title IV that together require and encourage the safe storage of firearms.
Title V – The Closing the Bump Stock Loophole Act
Under the National Firearms Act, it is already illegal for Americans to own fully automatic firearms and machine guns manufactured after May 19, 1986. However, due to a loophole in the law, bump stocks – devices attached to semi-automatic rifles that increase their rate of fire to that similar to machine guns – were unregulated, until a 2018 ATF rule added them to the definition of “machine gun.” Title V builds on the 2018 rule by defining bump stocks and listing them under the National Firearms Act so that they are regulated the same as machine guns.
Title VI – The Keep Americans Safe Act
Title VI prohibits the importation, sale, manufacture, transfer, or possession of a magazine that holds more than 15 rounds of ammunition, unless an individual falls under a particular exception.
A grandfathering provision exempts possession of large capacity magazines lawfully possessed on or before the date of enactment, but sales and transfers of grandfathered magazines are prohibited. There are also exceptions for particular types of people and entities, including allowing possession or sale to qualified law enforcement officers for purposes of law enforcement (on- or off-duty), law enforcement agencies, licensees under Title I of the Atomic Energy Act, or to licensed manufacturers and importers for purposes of testing or experimentation authorized by the Attorney General.
There is also an exception for possession by a person who is retired in good standing from service with a law enforcement agency if the magazine was sold or transferred to the person upon retirement or purchased for official use before retirement.
Title VII
Title VII contains one provision. This provision provides that the Attorney General must submit to the House Judiciary Committee and the Senate Judiciary Committee an annual report that contains demographic data of those who were determined to be ineligible to purchase a firearm based on the background check performed by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.
Original source can be found here.
