Rep. Stansbury Passes Protecting Our Kids Act Following Uvalde, Laguna Woods, Buffalo Mass Shootings

Statement

As the country continues to experience an epidemic of gun violence and communities in Uvalde, Buffalo, and Laguna Woods mourn the children and individuals killed during tragic mass shootings, U.S. Representative Melanie Stansbury (N.M.-01) voted to pass the Protecting Our Kids Act (H.R. 7910) in the House of Representatives. The legislative package includes commonsense measures to crack down on gun trafficking, establish voluntary safe firearm storage assistance programs, ban dangerous bump stocks, and build on existing ghost gun regulations.

Every year, an average of 433 New Mexicans die from guns- the seventh-highest rate in the nation. The Protecting Our Kids Act adds to legislation passed by the House in March 2021 to establish universal background checks for gun purchases and close the so-called Charleston Loophole that are awaiting action in the U.S. Senate.

"Our kids are asking us to act. Parents are asking us to act. Americans are asking us to act. The time to end this epidemic of gun violence and mass shootings is now," said Rep. Stansbury. "Today we passed the Protecting Our Kids Act in the House, which cracks down on gun trafficking, addresses the bump stock loophole and bans ghost guns, and would ensure 18-year-olds cannot purchase dangerous weapons. It's time for the Senate to act. We cannot continue to live in a country where our children are afraid to go to school and where our community members can be gunned down at the grocery store or their houses of worship. The time to act is now."

The Protecting Our Kids Act:

Raises the lawful age to purchase certain semiautomatic centerfire rifles from 18 to 21 years old.

Establishes a new federal offense for the import, sale, manufacture, transfer, or possession of a large capacity magazines, with exceptions for certain law enforcement uses and the possession (but not sale) of grandfathered magazines; allow state and local governments to use the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program to compensate individuals who surrender large capacity magazines through a buyback program.

Establishes new federal offenses for gun trafficking and straw purchasers and authorize seizure of the property and proceeds of the offense.

Establishes voluntary best practices for safe firearm storage; require most firearms to include a label that says "Safe Storage Saves Lives"; require dealers to provide a secure gun storage or safety device with the sale of a shotgun or rifle (as already required for handguns); and award grants for Safe Firearm Storage Assistance Programs.

Establishes requirements to regulate the storage of firearms on residential premises and create criminal penalties for violation of the requirements.

Builds on ATF's regulatory bump stock ban by listing bump stocks under the National Firearms Act (like machineguns) and statutorily banning the manufacture, sale, or possession of bump stocks for civilian use.

Builds on ATF's regulatory ban of ghost guns by ensuring that ghost guns are subject to existing federal firearm regulation by amending the definition of "firearm" to include gun kits and partial receivers and changing the definition of "manufacturing firearms" to include assembling firearms using 3D printing.

Source