When the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Protecting Our Kids Act on June 8, it incorporated the Prevent Gun Trafficking Act sponsored by Rep. Robin Kelly, D-Ill.
Kelly represents Homewood and Flossmoor in Congress. She is vice chair of the House Gun Violence Prevention Taskforce.
The Prevent Gun Trafficking Act puts special attention on straw purchases. A straw purchase is a way around the illegal purchase of a firearm. The true purchaser uses a second person to make the transaction so that his or her name is not associated with the purchase. This is illegal under federal background check laws.
Kelly’s bill is one of eight key bills to prevent gun violence that are under the umbrella of Protecting Our Kids Act. The legislation moved to the U.S. Senate for final approval.
“Voting to pass the Protecting Our Kids Act was one of the most important votes I have taken in my more than nine years of Congressional service,” the lawmaker said. “This long-overdue legislation will keep guns out of our communities, raise the minimum age for purchasing semi-automatic weapons and ensure that guns are safely and securely stored. I’m honored that my work to stop gun trafficking, which plagues not only Chicago but cities across the country, was included in this legislation. There is more work ahead of us, but this is progress. I am urging my Senate colleagues to pass this legislation to save lives.”
Kelly said in a press release that under current federal law, it is illegal to make false statements on certain gun purchase forms, but these forms are only required for some firearm purchases. This legislation will ensure that straw purchasing can be prosecuted as an independent offense.
Every year, thousands of guns are diverted from legal to illegal markets. In Chicago, more than 60% of guns used in crimes are trafficked from out of state, the release said. This legislation will help keep illegal guns off the streets.
According to the Congressional Record, Kelly’s bill makes gun trafficking a federal crime, punishable by a fine and a prison term up to 10 years, or both. It gives law enforcement the right to seize the firearms and ammunition involved in the offense, the property involved in the offense and for the offender to forfeit the firearms and ammunition, as well as proceeds gained from the offense.
The bill also makes it unlawful to sell or dispose of a firearm or ammunition to any person knowing or having reason to believe that the person intends to sell or dispose of the firearm in violation of federal law. Offenders may not sell or dispose of the firearm to a person in another state in violation of that state’s law.