S. 77 would improve the tracking of stolen firearms and firearms used in a crime, allow more frequent inspections of gun dealers to ensure compliance with Federal gun law, and enhance the penalties for gun trafficking.
Detailed Summary
Anti-Gun Trafficking Penalties Enhancement Act of 2007 - Amends the Science, State, Justice, Commerce, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2006 to repeal restrictions on disclosure of the content of the Firearms Trace System database. Directs the Attorney General to provide state and local governments or law enforcement agencies with information from such database upon receipt of a written request.
Requires federal law enforcement agencies investigating a crime to provide information about firearms stolen or used in such crime to the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco, and Explosives (BAFTE).
Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to require state and local law enforcement agencies investigating a crime to provide information about firearms stolen or used in such crime to BAFTE.
Amends the federal criminal code to: (1) permit the Attorney General to inspect the inventory and records of a licensed importer, manufacturer, or dealer to insure compliance with recordkeeping requirements at any time (currently, not more than once in 12 months); (2) increase penalties for firearms violations; and (3) include illegal firearms sales and trafficking in the definition of racketeering activity.
Status of the Legislation
Latest Major Action: 1/4/2007: Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Points in Favor
(Log in to edit the wiki and be the first to show why the bill should pass!)
Points Against
(Log in to edit the wiki and be the first to show why the bill should not pass!)
Visitor Comments
RED
Criminals are going to get guns there is no way to prevent it! There are already measures and procedures for the "tracking" of stolen firearms! There is a hiden agenda here!
Beth Wellington
The agenda is overt and endorsed by the Mayors Against Illegal Guns coaltion, seeking to reverse the Tiahrt amendment to appropriation measures, which has blocked disclosure of ATF data which might help prevent criminals from using guns. The 2006 amendment:
*Prevents ATF from publishing reports that use trace data to analyze the flow of crime guns nationally.
*Limits local governments' access to ATF trace data.
*Prevents law enforcement from accessing trace data outside its geographic jurisdiction.
*Generally prevents law enforcement agencies from sharing trace data with one another.
*Prevents trace data from being used as evidence in any state license revocation, civil lawsuit, or other administrative proceeding unless filed by ATF. Source: http://www.mayorsagainstillegalguns.org/html/federal/tiahrt.shtml
Beth Wellington
Secondly, there may be ways to prevent criminals from getting guns. A generally pro-gun site says, "Gun tracing," which is directed at criminal activity, has proved to be very effective...According to an FBI report, National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS): The First Seven Months, the Interim Brady System (February 28, 1994 through November 30, 1998), "over 310,000 felons, fugitives, and other prohibited people" were prevented from getting handguns. And this NICS 2002 Operations Report, claims since the inception of NICS, there have been over 563,000 handgun denials.
Source: http://www.guncite.com/gun_control_brady_bill.html
Beth Wellington
The site continues:
"Of course this doesn't mean all persons denied purchases were prevented from obtaining a firearm by other means, or that they were stopped from committing a crime with a different or no weapon. However, surely a number of crimes were averted due to the under-motivation of some potential criminals. Even though the evidence suggests waiting periods and instant background checks are not statistically significant factors in reducing violent crime, they do appear to have merit since they will thwart some crime, and in most cases involve no practical infringement of law-abiding gun owners' rights."
Source: http://www.guncite.com/gun_control_brady_bill.html
Heart of Dixie
The trouble with this bill is that it invokes the RICO act which would greatly harm gun dealers and gun owners for frivilous reasons. It would put them in the class of racketeering which mens guilty until proven innocent. Any bill Schumer authors is anti-gun, period. He fools no law abiding gun owner. By the he's exempt from his own anti-gun measures as he has a NYC concealed carry permit! Hypocrisy profound! His endeavor is to ban all firearms.