New Jersey Senators Kim and Booker Reintroduce the Federal Firearm Licensing Act

WASHINGTON, D.C.– U.S. SenatorsAndy Kim (D-NJ)andCory Booker (D-NJ)introduced theFederal Firearm Licensing Act, legislation that would require individuals to obtain a federal firearm license before purchasing or receiving a firearm.
“Families are demanding Congress step up and deliver commonsense steps that prevent guns from getting into the wrong hands and protect innocent lives from the scourge of gun violence in our country. Too many families are heartbroken, and too many communities have been torn apart by senseless gun violence. Let’s step up with this legislation, implement basic guardrails for gun ownership, and help save lives,”said Senator Kim.
“Every day, Americans face the relentless scourge of gun violence, most recently the shooting at Brown University, which claimed the lives of two students and left nine others critically wounded. With each new tragedy, we are painfully reminded of Congress’s continued failure to pass commonsense legislation that could end this nightmare and finally make our communities safe. The data is clear: firearm licensing laws drastically reduce gun-related deaths,”said Senator Booker.“If a license is required to drive a car, it should be required to own a gun. The Federal Firearm Licensing Act brings this common-sense idea to every community in the nation, mandating background checks and proper training before a license is issued. With this legislation, we could save lives, prevent gun violence, and finally make our communities safer.”
Studies show that states that have enacted firearm licensing laws significantly reduced gun violence. The Giffords Law Center reported that Connecticut’s gun homicide and gun suicide rates decreased by 28 and 33 percent, respectively, after passing its firearm licensing law. In contrast, after repealing its firearm licensing law, Missouri experienced a 47 percent increase in gun homicides and a 24 percent increase in suicides. Licensing laws are a common-sense approach to public safety supported by 77 percent of Americans, according to a 2019 Quinnipiac University poll.
Specifically, the Federal Firearm Licensing Act would require:
The Federal Firearm Licensing Act is endorsed by the Giffords and Community Justice Action Fund and cosponsored by U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-HI), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), and Mazie Hirono (D-HI).
“A license is required before someone can get behind the wheel of a car, to show that they are trained and authorized to handle something with lethal potential. And yet, in America, where gun violence is the leading cause of death for children, outpacing car crashes, no such national requirement exists. Licensing laws are an effective way to make sure guns are only purchased and used by responsible Americans, and yet just a handful of states have these laws in place. GIFFORDS applauds Senators Booker and Kim’s bill to create a nationwide firearm licensing requirement, and in turn save countless lives. We urge Congress to take up the bill and pass it,”said Vanessa Gonzalez, Vice President of Government and Political Affairs, GIFFORDS.
“As our nation continues to grapple with unacceptably high levels of gun violence, it is clear that we must do more to ensure that guns do not end up in the hands of people intent on doing harm. We thank Senator Booker and Senator Kim for introducing the Federal Firearm Licensing Act to ensure that individuals seeking to purchase firearms pass a background check and receive adequate safety training before getting a license to buy and own a gun,”said Adzi Vokhiwa, Vice President of Policy, Community Justice.
Senator Kim firsthelped introducethis legislation while representing New Jersey’s 3rdCongressional District in the House of Representatives as a part of his ongoing work to end the gun violence epidemic in the United States.
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