An Act intended to help curtail the epidemic of gun violence in the United States that is facilitated by the excessive number of firearms in circulation and the ease with which they are obtained

 

 

         It shall hereafter be the policy of the United States, by any legal means, to curtail the manufacture, distribution and sale of firearms other than those clearly designed and intended for military, law enforcement or legitimate recreational purposes. 

         What follows is an outline, not to be taken as exhaustive, of provisions, to be enforced cooperatively by federal, state and local authorities. It assumes that the federal government will use all available incentives to ensure complete cooperation by the latter. This might include creation of a federal civil cause of action by which a citizen could compel enforcement of the Act by local or state police agencies.

1.    Gun registration. Within one year of enactment, every privately-owned firearm in the United States shall be registered with the appropriate authority. Registration renewable every three years. (Presumably, compliance will be less than 100%. After one year, any unregistered firearm found by law enforcement shall be confiscated and its owner subjected to a fine.) Law officers conducting legal searches of any building or vehicle shall confiscate any unregistered firearm discovered.

2.    Owner licensing. Within one year of enactment, any person possessing or wanting to possess a firearm must obtain a federal license from an authorized local agency. Background investigation shall take not more than 90 days and not less than 60 days. A reasonable fee shall be set. License is renewable every three years.

3.    Sales of firearms (new or used) permitted only through federally licensed dealers. An individual wishing to sell a firearm may do so only through a licensed dealer, who will determine a. that the weapon is properly registered and b. that both seller and buyer have valid owner’s licenses. “Gun shows” are hereafter prohibited.

4.    Manufacture of firearms and their sale shall be limited to products classified under this Act as “sporting arms.” Manufacture and sale of firearms classified as “combat-style weapons,”  as well as handguns not designed for competitive target shooting, is hereafter prohibited. The sole exception is for firearms designed for and exclusively available to military and law-enforcement organizations.

5.    Sporting Arms are defined as firearms designed specifically to be used for hunting or target shooting. Long guns (rifles and shotguns) shall measure a minimum of 30 inches from butt stock to barrel tip and shall have a maximum magazine capacity of 5 rounds. Repeating actions may be manual or semi-automatic. Manufacture, sale or possession of large-capacity magazines or devices designed to convert semi-automatic to fully-automatic fire is prohibited.

6.    Ghost Guns and any other do-it-yourself firearms are strictly prohibited. Advertisement, sale, distribution or possession of plans, instructions or materials designed for the manufacture of a firearm by 3-D printing or any other means is strictly prohibited.

7.    Buy-Back Programs. Congress shall annually appropriate a substantial sum to be distributed to local jurisdictions throughout the nation for the purpose of conducting a program to buy firearms from individuals at a fair market price. These programs shall be perpetual and well-advertised. Proof of ownership or licensure shall not be required of the seller. All firearms thus collected shall be destroyed.

8.    Enforcement of the provisions of this Act shall be the responsibility of all law enforcement agencies, local, state and federal. It shall be the policy of all agencies that, upon legally entering any dwelling, building or vehicle, an officer shall be alert to the presence of a firearm. Should one be found, the officer shall demand to see its registration document and also the license of the responsible person. In the event that either document is not present and in order, the officer shall confiscate the weapon and any associated ammunition and accessories and place the responsible person under arrest. Absent production of appropriate documents within 30 days, the confiscated materials shall be destroyed.