114thCongress

SecondSession

S.1738
_______________

Purpose:TopreventgunviolenceandprotectAmericancitizensfromharmfulfirearms.
_____________________

INTHESENATE
DATE:March15th,2016
Ms.AitanaWiegMondejarandMs.FatimaZeini(forthemselves,Ms.MiriamEllis,Ms.ThomasofNew
York,Ms.ThomasofMassachusetts,Mr.Sentino,Ms.ThomasofMassachusetts,Ms.Haylock)introducedthe
followingbillwhichwasreferredtotheJudiciaryCommitteeBureauofAlcohol,Tobacco,Firearmsand
Explosives
_____________________

ABILL

Purpose:TopreventgunviolenceandprotectmoreAmericancitizensfromharmfulfirearms.

BeitenactedbytheSenateandHouseofRepresentativesoftheUnitedStatesofAmericainCongress
assembled,

NationalProblem:EasyaccesstogunshascreatedturmoilinthelivesofAmericancitizens.Massshootingsat
schools,theatres,andotherpublicplacesoccurmoreofteninthepastdecade.30,000peoplearekilledby
firearmseachyear.Criminalsandcitizenswithmentalillnesshaveaccesstogunsduetogunshowsandthe
lackofbackgroundchecks.SomestatesinAmericaarenotenforcingbackgroundchecksandleavecitizensof
thecountryinavulnerablestate.

SECTION1:SHORTTITLE
(a):ThisActmaybecitedasthe:S.A.F.E.StopAbuseofFirearmsEffectively

SEC.2:FINDINGS
Congressfindsthefollowing:

(1)MostAmericans(around85%)supportexpandingbackgroundchecksforgunpurchases.1
1

http://www.pewresearch.org/facttank/2016/01/05/5factsaboutgunsintheunitedstates/

(2)52%saythatprotectinggunrightsismoreimportantthancontrollinggunownership.2
(3)48%ofcitizensowngunsforprotection.
(4)19%ofcitizensbelievethatstrictergunlawswouldreducethenumberofmassshootingsintheUS.
(5)Nearly70%ofAmericanshaveshotagunintheirlifetime,andmorethanfourintenpeopleownagunin
theirhouse.
(6)ManyAmericanshavediedasaresultsofmassshootings(includingbutnotlimitedtoshootingsinSan
Bernardino,Colorado,andCharleston).
(7)In1998,twoteenagerskilled15classmatesandinjured24classmatesintheColumbineHighSchool
Shooting,whichwasthefirstschoolshootingtogainnationalattention.Anotherprominentandlargeschool
shootingsoccurredattheSandyHookElementaryschoolinNewtown,Connecticut.Therehasbeenagrowing
numberofschoolshootingslately,whichhasheighteneddebateovertheissueconcerningguncontrol.
(8)Moststatesdontrequirebackgroundchecksongunspurchasedatgunsshows,whichisknownasthegun
showloophole.Forthemostpart,gunshowsareunregulated.Unlicensedindividualssellfirearmsatgunshows
withoutbackgroundchecks,andthegunsusedintheColumbineHighSchoolshooting,101CaliforniaStreet
massacres,andthe2010Pentagonshootingwereallpurchasedfromgunshows.3
(9)Statesthatdonotrequirebackgroundchecksforgunspurchasedatgunshows:Alaska,Nevada,Idaho,
Montana,Wyoming,Utah,Arizona,NewMexico,Texas,Oklahoma,Kansas,NorthDakota,SouthDakota,
Minnesota,Missouri,Arkansas,Louisiana,Mississippi,Alabama,Georgia,Florida,SouthCarolina,Tennessee,
Kentucky,Virginia,WestVirginia,Ohio,Indiana,Wisconsin,Maine,NewHampshire,andVermont4
(10)StatesthatdorequirebackgroundchecksonALLgunspurchasedatgunshows:Washington,Oregon,
California,Colorado,Hawaii,Illinois,NewYork,Massachusetts,RhodeIsland,Connecticut,NewJersey,and
Delaware5
(11)Thereisnofederallawthatrequiresgunownersorpurchaserstohavealicense.6

SEC.3:DEFINITIONS
GunControl:lawsthatregulatetheselling,usage,andowningofguns.7
GunViolence:Violencecommittedwiththeuseofagun8
MassShootings:Anincidentinvolvingmultiplevictimsofgunviolence9
GunShows:events,thataremostlyunregulated,wherefirearmsaredisplayedandsold.Unlicensedsellerscan
sellgunswithoutrequiringbackgroundchecks.10
GunShowLoophole:Moststatesdonotrequirebackgroundchecksonfirearmspurchasedatgunshows.11
BackgroundChecks:processoflookingupandcompilingcriminalrecords,commercialrecords,andfinancial
recordsofanindividualoranorganization12
Criminal:Anyonewhohasbeenconvictedofafelonyanyoneconvictedofdomesticviolence

SEC.4:TermsandBenefits
(1) FederalMandatethatonlylicenseddealerscansellgunsatgunshowsineachstateandallguns
purchasedatgunsshowsmustrequirebackgroundchecks.
(a) Penaltyforsellinggunswithoutperformingbackgroundchecks:Gundealerwillgettheirlicense
revoked.
(b) Thiswillpreventcriminalsandpotentialshootersfrombeingabletopurchasegunsatgunshows.

http://www.peoplepress.org/2015/08/13/continuedbipartisansupportforexpandedbackgroundchecksongunsales/
http://smartgunlaws.org/gunshowspolicysummary/
4
http://www.governing.com/govdata/safetyjustice/gunshowfirearmsbankgroundchecksstatelawsmap.html
5
http://www.governing.com/govdata/safetyjustice/gunshowfirearmsbankgroundchecksstatelawsmap.html
6
h
ttp://smartgunlaws.org/licensingofgunownerspurchaserspolicysummary/
7
http://www.merriamwebster.com/dictionary/gun%20control
8
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_violence
9
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_shooting
10
http://smartgunlaws.org/gunshowspolicysummary/
11
h
ttp://www.governing.com/govdata/safetyjustice/gunshowfirearmsbankgroundchecksstatelawsmap.html
12
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Background_check
3

(c) Ensuringthatalldealersarequalifiedwillpreventanyunqualifieddealersfromsellingweapons
topeoplewhoareunfittopossessthem.
(d) Thiswilllikelydecreaseviolenceanddecreasecriminalsinprison.
(2) Everygunpurchasedmustrequireathoroughbackgroundcheck.Noonewithamentalillnessora
criminalpastcanpurchaseorownguns.
(a) Thepublicissafefromviolence.
(b) Thementallyillareprotectedfromthemselvesandothersareprotectedfromthementallyill.
(c) Sincecriminalsaremorelikelytocontinuecommittingcrime,withoutguns,theycantcommita
crimeasbigasshootingsomeone.Thecriminalsareprotectedfromthemselvesaswellasjail
time,andthepublicissafe.
(3) Strengtheninspectionsonallgundealersandallstoresthatsellfirearms.
(a) Thiswillensurethey'reabidingbythelawandnotsellinggunstothosewithcriminalrecordsor
tothosewhoarelikelytocommitcrimes.
(b) Thiswillmakethedealersmoreawareofwhoispossessinggunsandwhatkindofguns.
(4) Illegalizethe3Dprintingofgunsfrompeoplewhohavenotundergoneinspectionsanddonothave
licensestosellorownagun.
(a) Thiswouldpreventanyindividualswithmentalillnessorcriminalbackgroundfromobtaining
gunsfromirregularmeans,suchas3Dprinting.
(b) Thiswillpreventviolenceonthegeneralpublic.
(5) Noonewithoutalicensecansellorownguns.
(a) Toattainalicense,adealermustshowthattheyarecarefulandthoroughonwhotheysellguns
to.Ensuringthatalldealersarequalifiedwillpreventanyunqualifieddealersfromselling
weaponstopeoplewhoareunfittopossessthem.
(b) Requiringpeopletohavelicensetoownagunwillensurenoonegetshurtfrompeopleowning
illegalguns.
(c) Thiswillprotectadolescentsaswellbecauseitwillpreventthemfromaccessinggunstheir
parentsorrelativesmayillegallyown.
(6) Provideblockgrantprogramstoschoolsthatgiveamentalevaluationonceayearduringschoolhoursby
theschoolnurseforallstudentsinthemiddleandupperschools.
(a) Ifpeopleknowtheyhaveamentalillness,theycangethelpearlyon,andthiscanpossibly
preventfuturegunviolence.
(b) Thiswillhelpthenurseunderstandthestudentsmentalstabilitymore,allowingher/himtohelp
themasmuchaspossible.
(c) Itwillprotecttheteachersandstudents.
(7) Provideblockgrantprogramstodevotemoremoneyintomentalillnesspreventionprograms.
(a) Devotingmoneyintomentalillnesspreventionprogramswillhelpthosewhoarementally
unstabletogetbetter,whichcanalsopreventfuturegunviolence.
(8) Inpublicschools,studentswilllearntheimportanceofgunsafetyinspecificclassesincludingphysical
educationorhealthclasses.(Blockgrant)
(a) Schoolsrequiringtheselessonswillpreventmassshootingsandinformandeducatestudentson
theharmfuleffectsoffirearms.
(9) MoviesorTVshowsthatportraygunviolencewillbegivenanRratingautomatically.
(a) Theseautomaticratingswillpreventyoung,impressionableAmericansfromentertainmentthat
glorifiesgunviolence.
(10)
Stateofficialswillberequiredtorandomlyinspectstoresthatsellfirearmsandgunshows.
(a) Thisstrictenforcementwilldetergunstoresfromnotfullyfollowingthestrictbackground
checks.
(b) Checkingvideofootage.
(11)
Placeahighertaxonfirearmsatgunstoresandgunshows.
(a) Thiswillprovidemoneyfortheblockgrantprograms.
(b) Themoneyfromthetaxwillgotoschoolsmentalevaluationsandhealthclassestoinform
studentsaboutgunviolence.
(c) Thehighertaxwillalsodetercitizensfrombuyingfirearms.

(12)

Requiringvideotapesatgunshows.
(a) Everypersonatthegunshowwillbeinformedofbeingvideotaped.
(b) Thiswillpreventcorruptionatgunshowsandensureinspections.

SEC.5:Cost
[http://208.81.226.245/econgress/demo/writing_index?_yli_session=d13a77b0b493a285975e2cdbeea0572c]
Amendment1:

1) MoneyforinfrastructureinNewJersey
2) MoneyforUniversityofTexasbiomedicaldepartment