Cornyn, GOP Colleagues Introduce Bill to Combat ‘Smash-And-Grab’ Crimes

Cornyn, GOP Colleagues Introduce Bill to Combat ‘Smash-And-Grab’ Crimes News Cornyn, GOP Colleagues Introduce Bill to Combat ‘Smash-And-Grab’ Crimes Legislation Would Impose Higher Criminal Penalties for Stealing Firearms from FFLs June 8, 2026 AUSTIN – U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) joined Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and 17 of their Senate GOP colleagues in introducing the Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL) Protection Act to address the dangerously high number of “smash-and-grab” thefts targeting gun dealers by enhancing penalties for criminals who steal firearms from federally licensed firearms and ammunition dealers: “Criminals who steal firearms from gun stores should be punished to the fullest extent of the law,” said Sen. Cornyn. “This legislation would prevent gun thefts by strengthening the consequences for those who break the law, and I urge my colleagues in the House and Senate to support it.” This legislation is being led by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and is cosponsored by Senators Ted Budd (R-NC), Katie Britt (R-AL), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Steve Daines (R-MT), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), John Hoeven (R-ND), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Jim Justice (R-WV), Jim Risch (R-ID), Pete Ricketts (R-NE) and Thom Tillis (R-NC). Background: The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) reported 4,046 FFL theft incidents from 2021 to 2025. During these burglary, larceny, and robbery incidents, a total of 23,319 firearms were stolen from Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs). Texans have been directly impacted by these crimes as thieves have stolen 2,737 firearms from FFLs across the state during this same four-year period of 2021 to 2025. The FFL Protection Act would: Increase the statutory maximum penalty for knowingly stealing any firearm in an FFL’s business inventory from 10 to 20 years; Impose a mandatory minimum sentence of three years for burglary from an FFL and five years for robbery from an FFL; And criminalize the attempted theft of a firearm from a licensed importer, manufacturer, dealer, or collector. The legislation is endorsed by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF).