Democrats in Congress are pushing for “Permit-to-Purchase” laws, these laws would require that you have a permit for a handgun before being able to purchase one.
Senator Chris Van Hollen and Congressman Jamie Raskin have introduced the Handgun Purchaser Licensing Act. This act would require that American citizens get a permit from the state in order to purchase a handgun, meaning you would need to get permission from the government in order to buy a handgun if this were to pass.
From Guns.com:
Preaching at the pulpit of gun violence with the support of all the large anti-gun groups, Democrats in Congress on Tuesday announced a plan to expand permit-to-purchase laws nationwide.
U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen and Congressman Jamie Raskin, both of Maryland, along with U.S. Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy and Congresswoman Jahana Hayes, all of Connecticut, this week introduced the Handgun Purchaser Licensing Act. The measure aims to grow the practice of requiring a would-be gun owner to first apply for and be granted a state-controlled permit before they can legally buy a firearm. So-called permit-to-purchase laws are only in effect in nine states – to include both Connecticut and Maryland.
“While our state has already enacted this vital reform, Maryland is not an island. This legislation will help spur policies like ours across the United States and leverage this effective method to keep our communities safe,” said Senator Van Hollen, who has backed similar proposals for most of the last decade.
The measure would authorize the Department of Justice to establish a grant program to help states develop and implement permit-to-purchase requirements for all handguns, including those rented, bought, or transferred in private sales or at gun shows. The structure of the programs sites Connecticut’s law which requires $99.75 in associated fees, completion of a training course from an approved instructor that includes live fire, and a background check that can take as long as eight weeks.
This new measure is going to serve as a way for the government to keep track of who has guns and who does not, it may also serve as a way to keep low-income Americans from obtaining firearms at all.
