HR 6225 is dubbed “To modernize the business of selling firearms.” Rep Robin Kelly introduced it to the House on December 9, 2021 (D-IL-2). By December 19, the Democrats had not even sent the bill’s text to the Congressional website that creates summaries of the bills. That is usually done within a couple of days after its introduction.
HR 6225 has 10 co-sponsors, all Democrats (no surprise there).
Today, Congresswoman Robin L. Kelly (D-IL), Vice-Chair of the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, led introduction of the Federal Firearm Licensee Act. This legislation would update sections in the U.S. Code directed at federal firearms licensees (FFLs) that have been undermined by not only rogue dealers, but also by advances in technology that have vastly outpaced the federal government’s regulatory response to them. Reps. David Cicilline (D-RI), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Jim Langevin (D-RI), Bill Pascrell (D-NJ), Joe Morelle (D-NY), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), and Kweisi Mfume are original co-sponsors of the legislation.
On December 14, these three lawmakers added themselves to the co-sponsor list: Eleanor Holmes Del. Norton (D-DC Delegate at large), Rep. Jake Auchincloss (D-MA-4), and Rep. Donald M. Payne, Jr (D-NJ-10).
So what does this bill aimed (pardon the pun) at firearms sellers do?
HR 6225 from Robin Kelly’s website.
“This legislation expands the applicability of federal firearms laws to “facilitators” of firearm sales, such as sellers at gun shows and on online marketplaces, which, in several states, are currently permitted to host large commercial marketplaces that allow for the transfer firearms to purchasers without first initiating a background check to determine whether the buyers are prohibited under applicable state and/or federal law.
The bill also modernizes regulations for existing FFLs by:
- Requiring physical security measures to prevent firearm theft;
- Clarifying the standards by which licensed dealers, and their employees, are assessed for purposes of license issuance and renewal;
- Repealing long-standing Appropriations Riders that have impeded enforcement of existing law by barring the ATF from using funds to require licensed dealers to conduct physical firearm inventories and prohibiting the public disclosure of firearms trace data; and
- Increasing record retention and electronic data management and sharing for background checks. “
Then there’s this gem from Moms Demand Action:
“Keeping guns out of the hands of those who are prohibited from owning them isn’t only common sense, it saves lives — and that’s exactly what this bill will help do,” said Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action. “We’re proud to stand in strong support of Rep. Kelly’s legislation to close loopholes in the Federal Firearm Licensee system and bring these regulations into the 21st century.”
The bill would also:
- Require reporting of two or more rifles or shotguns purchased over five consecutive days, same as for pistols.
- Close the indicted dealer loophole, prohibiting licensees immediately upon being indicted for certain crimes from receiving new firearms or transferring any firearms in their business inventory to anyone other than another licensee or a law enforcement agency.
- Require annual inspections for “high risk” gun dealers and inspections for all other gun dealers every five years. Due to existing statutory restrictions and limited resources, only a small fraction of gun sellers are inspected annually, and a large number of those inspections reveal violations.
- Require dealer-applicants and employees trusted with the possession of firearms to undergo background checks for FFL issuance and renewal.
None of this falderal would keep guns out of the hands of people who aren’t supposed to have them. But it would place more restrictions on FFL holders to the point of attempting to choke off their legal commerce and restrict ordinary gun owners from their 2nd amendment rights.
What exactly are “rogue dealers”, I don’t know. While I can say with certainty that there are bad actors that are federally licensed dealers, I can also say the same for our members of Congress. That does not mean all dealers are bad actors, nor all representatives. Something that Kelly probably should look into is cracking down on rogue members of Congress. Start by reading the Bill of Rights, from there, hold every lawmaker accountable that introduces legislation which would usurp any of our fundamental freedoms.
We can hope this legislation will not pass, but every day with this clown show in the House is a crap-shoot, so we have no idea. It is highly unlikely to pass the Senate.
Cross-Posted with Conservative Firing Line
