Federal Firearms Act

Summary

Federal Firearms Act - Title I: Findings - States Congressional findings which include: (1) annual sales of handguns in the United States have risen sharply in the last decade; (2) violent crime in the United States has been increasing; (3) the handgun has increasingly become the principal instrument of such crimes; (4) the personal safety of the President and other Federal officials and candidates for Federal office is seriously threatened by assassins using firearms; (5) there exists a substantial illicit interstate traffic in handguns; (6) disqualified persons throughout the United States have unrestricted access to handguns; (7) the ability of law enforcement officials to trace handguns used in crime would increase the rate of clearances in felony cases; and (8) the present recordkeeping system of the firearms industry impedes the ability of the Federal Government to respond to requests for handgun tracing. Title II: New Definitions for Manufacturers, Dealers, and Gunsmiths - Defines terms used in this Act as follows: (1) "dealer" means any person selling firearms or ammunition, any person who is a pawnbroker, any person who is a gunsmith, and any person who is an ammunition retailer; (2) "wholesale firearms dealer" means any person, other than a dealer in destructive devices, who purchases and sells firearms or ammunition; (3) "gunsmith" means any person who is engaged in the business of repairing firearms or making mechanisms to firearms; (4) "ammunition retailer" means any person who is not otherwise a dealer and who is engaged in the business of selling ammunition; and (5) "pawnbroker" means any person whose business or occupation includes the taking or receiving, by way of pledge or pawn, of firearms other than destructive devices or handguns as security for the payment or repayment of money. Restructures licensing requirements for firearms including the following: (1) increases the required license fee for persons dealing in firearms from $50 to $250; and (2) imposes a license fee of $250 on persons dealing in ammunition for firearms other than ammunition for destructive devices. Provides that no application to renew the license of a manufacturer, importer, or wholesale firearms dealer shall be approved until the Secretary has inspected the purposes for which the license renewal is sought and reviewed the records of the applicant. Requires that in order for a license to deal in firearms to be renewed, the applicant must notify the chief local law enforcement officer that the applicant has applied for a license and has complied with the laws of the State and locality. Provides that such a license renewal shall be conditioned upon the applicant maintaining security devices or personnel on the premises. Extends from 45 to 90 days the period within which an application for a license to deal in firearms shall be approved or denied. Provides that persons who violate any provision of this Act shall be subject to revocation of their license and a civil penalty of up to $10,000. Requires the registration of any person engaged in the business of transporting firearms or ammunition. Limits the transportation of firearms or ammunition in interstate or foreign commerce. Makes it unlawful for any person licensed to deal in firearms to transfer two or more handguns to the same person in a period of 30 days or less. Applies the same restriction to persons buying handguns. Title III: Handgun Purchases, Preclearance Procedures and National Handgun Tracing Center - Provides that a licensed dealer in handguns may sell a handgun to a person only if such person appears in person at the licensee's business premises, presents a sworn statement giving required information, and presents proper identification. Requires the transferor to notify the chief law enforcement officer of the transferee's place of residence of the sale of the weapon. Establishes in the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms a National Handgun Tracing Center to aid Federal, State, and local law enforcement officials in apprehending illegal users of handguns and recovering lost or stolen handguns. Requires licensed dealers to make quarterly reports including the number and description of weapons transferred by the dealer. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to compile such reports and make such information available to Congress and to State and local governments.

This text is taken from the official record. PoliticalRepo does not editorialize.

Timeline

1. 16 December 1975

   Introduced

   Referred to House Committee on the Judiciary.

   Source: IntroReferral

2. 16 December 1975

   Introduced

   Introduced in House

   Source: IntroReferral

3. 16 December 1975

   Introduced

   Introduced in House

   Source: IntroReferral

4. 6 May 1976

   Reported

   Reported to House from the Committee on the Judiciary with amendment, H. Rept. 94-1103.

   Source: Committee

5. 6 May 1976

   Reported

   Reported to House from the Committee on the Judiciary with amendment, H. Rept. 94-1103.

   Source: Committee

6. 14 May 1976

   Reported

   Reported to House from the Committee on the Judiciary, H. Rept. 94-1103 (Part II).

   Source: Committee

7. 14 May 1976

   Reported

   Reported to House from the Committee on the Judiciary, H. Rept. 94-1103 (Part II).

   Source: Committee

Votes

No vote records are attached yet.

Versions

No version snapshots stored. Document URLs remain at the source.

Documents

2 official files

• Reported to House with amendment(s)

  summary · EN · 6 May 1976

  Open at official source

• Introduced in House

  summary · EN · 16 December 1975

  Open at official source

Sponsors

• JOHN CONYERS · D · Sponsor
• · hsju00 · Standing

Related records

No cross-record relationships stored yet.