Lamb Leads Bipartisan Federal Firearms Licensee Protection Act

Statement

Representative Conor Lamb (D-PA) and a group of bipartisan Members including Representatives John Rutherford (R-FL), Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) and Jeff Van Drew (D-NJ) introduced the Federal Firearms Licensee Protection Act (H.R. 2179) to strengthen penalties for stealing firearms from stores and shooting ranges, assisting law enforcement professionals as they work to tackle gun violence and crime in their communities.

Within the past five years, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has reported a substantial increase in the number of burglaries and robberies of Federal Firearms Licensees (FFL) -- stores that sell firearms. Last year, there was a nine percent increase in the number of FFL robberies, marking a 61% increase over the past five years. The Fraternal Order of Police and firearm dealers have advocated for stricter penalties for stealing guns to deter criminals.

"One the most efficient ways to combat gun violence is to prevent criminals from obtaining guns in the first place," said Lamb. "However, stolen guns are becoming more prevalent and present a serious risk to our communities. On the heels of National Police Week, the FFL Protection Act is common sense legislation that would instill measures to help law enforcement effectively reduce the number of illegal firearms in our communities."

"During my tenure as Sheriff, I saw firsthand how criminals intentionally target FFL dealers to burglarize their businesses and steal weapons to sell to felons who are otherwise barred from obtaining firearms," said Rutherford. "This is dangerous for law enforcement and increases violence in the community at large. By strengthening penalties for these targeted burglaries and firearm thefts, we can deter weapons trafficking and make our neighborhoods, businesses, and schools a safer place to live, work, and learn."

"Through this legislation, we're making common sense changes to mitigate violence," said Crenshaw. "If you're stealing a gun from a firearm store or shooting range, chances are you're not planning to use it in a safe and legal way. With firearm thefts on the rise, it's clear we must increase penalties for this offense to better deter people from committing this crime."

In 2018 5,981 firearms were stolen, and 31,459 have been stolen over the past five years. These thefts represent economic damage caused to law-abiding business owners and pose unacceptable danger to the communities in which these crimes occur.

The FFL Protection Act strengthens the criminal penalties for thefts of firearms from retailers and criminalizes the theft of firearms from gun ranges and shooting clubs that rent firearms; mitigating economic damage done to business owners and restoring public trust in our ability to keep guns out of the wrong hands.