Individuals who are on the “no fly list” maintained by the Terrorist Screening Center would be barred from purchasing firearms under a bill introduced by a bipartisan group of senators on Tuesday.
The Terrorist Firearms Prevention Act would enable the attorney general to deny firearms sales to those on the no fly list or the selectee list, which designates for secondary inspections at airports. Additionally, the FBI and local law enforcers would be alerted to attempts to purchase a firearm by anyone who has been on those lists in the last five years.
The bill was supported by a bipartisan group of nine senators that includes U.S. Reps. Susan Collins (R-ME), Jeff Flake (R-AZ), and Pat Toomey (R-PA).
“Our bipartisan bill is based on one simple principle: if you are considered to be too dangerous to fly on an airplane, you should not be able to buy a firearm,” Collins said. “This bill is a sensible step we can take right now to reform our nation’s gun laws while protecting the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Americans. I will continue to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to advance this legislation and close the loophole that allows known and suspected terrorists to legally purchase firearms.”
The bill would also establish a process for anyone who is denied a firearms purchase under the bill to have their case heard before a federal judge within 14 days.
“Terrorists shouldn’t have access to guns, and this legislation has the teeth to make sure they don’t,” Flake said. “This bill ensures robust due process protections and should be passed. Restricting those who appear on the ‘no fly’ list from purchasing firearms is a logical step that is long overdue.”
U.S. Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), who introduced the bill with Collins, said it “balances supporting Second Amendment rights with keeping guns out of the hands of potential terrorists so we can protect American families.”