Bill seeks to close firearms loophole

Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Susan Collins (R-ME) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) reintroduced Wednesday a measure designed to close loopholes they said offenders exploit to obtain firearms through straw purchasing and firearms trafficking.

The Stop Illegal Trafficking in Firearms Act of 2019 is landmark legislation making it an explicit federal crime to act as a straw purchaser of firearms while creating tough penalties for anyone who transfers a firearm with reasonable cause to believe it will be used in a drug crime, crime of violence or act of terrorism.

“For years I’ve heard from law enforcement that the so-called paperwork offenses used to prosecute straw purchasing and the weak firearms trafficking laws do little to prevent criminals from illegally obtaining firearms,” Leahy said. “These reforms would close those loopholes. Our bill received 58 votes on the Senate floor in 2013 — more than any other gun safety bill at the time. Enough is enough. It is past time for Congress to finally pass legislation to begin to address gun violence, and this bipartisan bill is a great start.”

The bill does not impact lawful purchases from federal firearms licensees and is supported by numerous law enforcement organizations, including the Major Cities Chiefs Association, the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, the National Tactical Officers Association, and the National District Attorneys Association.

“Straw purchasing is intended to achieve one result: to put a gun in the hands of a criminal who cannot legally obtain one,” Collins said. “Traffickers exploit weaknesses in federal law by targeting individuals who can lawfully purchase guns. Then, those traffickers use those guns to commit crimes. Our bill would strengthen federal law by making it easier for prosecutors to go after gun traffickers and straw purchasers.”