Bills
| 3.23.22

Should the Obama Admin’s Southwestern Rifle Sales Reporting Initiative End? (S. 1397)

Do you support or oppose this bill?

What is S. 1397?

(Updated September 2, 2019)

This bill would prohibit subjecting a licensed gun dealer to a reporting requirement based on the geographic location of the gun dealer’s business or the sale of multiple rifles or shotguns to the same person. It would lift a reporting requirement imposed by the Bureau of Alcohol of Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) known as “Demand Letter 3” which requires gun dealers to report purchasers in Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas who buy two or more semi-automatic rifles larger than a .22 caliber that can accept a detachable magazine in a five-day period.

Argument in favor

The Obama administration overreached and violated gun buyers’ rights by requiring additional reports by the ATF on purchasers who buy two or more rifles with certain characteristics in southwestern border states. Congress is right to end that regulation.

Argument opposed

The regulation that this bill would repeal was part of the Obama administration’s effort to keep assault rifles out of the hands of “straw buyers” that purchase them in the U.S. and then sell them to drug cartels in Mexico. It should stay in effect.

Impact

Gun buyers and dealers in relevant southwestern states; and the ATF.

Cost of S. 1397

A CBO cost estimate is unavailable.

Additional Info

In-Depth: Sponsoring Sen. Luther Strange (R-AL) introduced this bill to undo an Obama era ATF regulation which required gun dealers in southwestern border states to file additional reports on buyers who bought two or more semi-automatic rifles over a certain caliber in the span of five days:

“The Obama administration demonstrated time and again a disturbing willingness to bypass the separation of powers and disregard Congress as a Constitutional watchdog. Had the restrictions faced by lawful gun dealers been applied to Alabama, many sportsmen, myself included, would have a difficult time practicing our hobby, and exercising our Constitutional rights. With this bill, I am proud to stand up against existing and future threats to the rights of lawful gun owners, and restore respect for the rule of law.”

This legislation has the support of two Republican cosponsors in the Senate, Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz of Texas.


Media:

Summary by Eric Revell

(Photo Credit: iStock.com / JackF)