Media Contact: Patrick Wright -- Patrick.Wright@mail.house.gov
Washington, D.C. — Rep. Donald M. Payne, Jr. voted for two bills today to establish stronger rules regarding the background checks necessary before people can purchase firearms. The bills, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021 (H.R. 8) and the Enhanced Background Checks Act of 2021 (H.R. 1446), make background checks mandatory for every gun sale or transfer and close the “Charleston Loophole,” which allows guns to be purchased or transferred if a background check is not completed within three days. Both bills passed the House with bipartisan support.
“Background checks are a simple way to get guns out of the hands of people who want to harm others,” said Rep. Donald M. Payne, Jr. “It is a way to separate the legitimate gun owners from potential gun buyers who are terrorists and domestic abusers. This bill will save lives and protect gun owners from unreasonable delays regarding their purchase. I do not understand how anyone could fail to support a bill that protects Americans and their Second Amendment rights.”
The first bill, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021, makes it illegal for anyone who is not a licensed firearm importer, manufacturer, or dealer to transfer a firearm to any other person who is not licensed without a background check. But there are exceptions for guns given as gifts or temporary transfers necessary to prevent imminent death or bodily harm.
The second bill, the Enhanced Background Checks Act of 2021, closes a loophole in the background system that allowed a gunman to obtain a weapon in June 2015 before a background check was completed and murder nine people in Charleston, South Carolina. Under current law, firearm can be sold to individuals if background checks are not completed within three days. This “Charleston Loophole” has allowed 75,000 guns to be sold to owners who did not pass the required background check. Instead, the bill would extend the review period from three to 10 days and allow purchasers to request expedited reviews to complete purchases in a timely manner.
Original source can be found here.
