CONGRESSMAN JOE MORELLE AUTHORS LEGISLATION TO KEEP STOLEN GUNS OUT OF DANGEROUS HANDS

(Washington, D.C.)—Today, Congressman Joe Morelle announced the introduction of legislation he authored to help curb the flow of stolen firearms onto community streets. The Gun Theft Prevention Act would require additional security measures for gun shops and increase the frequency of inspections required by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).

“Over 30% of guns identified in a crime have been stolen—yet licensed gun dealers are not required to take even the most basic precautions to protect these dangerous weapons from falling into the wrong hands,” said Congressman Joe Morelle. “This negligence allows illegal weapons to flood our streets and fuels the gun violence epidemic that has stolen too many innocent lives. My legislation marks an important step to reduce gun trafficking and keep our families safe.”

Mark Collins, Director of Federal Policy, Brady, said:“Gun dealers play a key role in preventing gun violence in America and yet there are a lack of federal standards and oversight. The Gun Theft Prevention Act will close these gaps by creating security standards to prevent the theft of firearms, which is a main driver of trafficked guns throughout our nation, and by enhancing oversight and transparency. This will all work to protect our communities and bring America closer to a future free from gun violence. Brady is grateful to Congressman Morelle for reintroducing this culture-changing legislation.”

John Feinblatt, President of Everytown, said: “Keeping guns securely out of the hands of criminals is a fundamental responsibility of any gun store. We’re thankful for Representative Morelle’s continued efforts to ensure gun sellers are taking basic precautions like locked cabinets, video surveillance, and site hardening. This legislation is the definition of common sense and we urge Congress to pass it.”

Emma Brown, GIFFORDS Executive Director, said: "We already know that common sense gun safety is supported by responsible gun owners throughout America, and safety should start at the point of sale. Licensed gun dealers should be held to basic safety standards in their shops, and held accountable for putting their buyers and their communities at risk with unsafe practices. Representative Morelle’s bill succeeds in doing just that, and sets a higher bar for licensed gun sellers and their businesses. We thank Representative Morelle for bringing attention to this problem and for proposing such a thoughtful solution. We urge Congress to take action and pass this important piece of legislation."

In 2018, a group of burglars stole 87 firearms from Chinappi’s Firearms & Supplies—a Federal Firearms Licensee in Spencerport, New York—and then sold them on the streets of Rochester. The Gun Theft Prevention Act would help prevent incidences like this one by requiring gun shops to fulfill minimum security requirements, like locked cabinets, video surveillance, and site hardening.

The bill would also provide ATF with additional resources and authority to hold firearm dealers accountable. This legislation would require ATF to inspect all gun dealers every three years, as well as annual inspections of “high risk” dealers—currently, only 5% of dealers are responsible for 90% of recovered crime guns. Although ATF’s goal is to inspect each license holder at least once every three years, a 2021 report indicated that ATF only inspects each gun shop once every seven years, making it virtually impossible to ensure dealers are maintaining compliance with even the most basic requirements.

Specifically, the Gun Theft Prevention Act would:

• Require employees that have access to firearms to pass the same NICS background check as a gun buyer;
• Allow ATF to require gun shop owners to keep an inventory of the firearms in their stock and conduct an annual inventory reconciliation to see if any guns are missing;
• Create strong enforcement mechanisms, including license suspension or revocation, for dealers that repeatedly fail to meet minimum security requirements;
• Allow ATF to deny gun dealer licenses to individuals who have no intention of selling weapons but use federal licenses to skirt state and federal gun safety laws;
• Repeal the Tiahrt Amendments, allowing ATF to release firearm trace data for use by local officials, researchers, victims, and the public in tracking crime;
• Remove civil protections for gun shop owners who allow guns to be stolen through negligence that are later used in violent crime;
• Require individual gun owners to report lost and stolen firearms to local police and the ATF.

“This legislation is just about as common-sense as it gets,” continued Morelle. “I hope my colleagues will join me in advocating for its swift passage.”

For more information on the Gun Theft Prevention Act, read the full text of the bill here.

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