A Texas lawmaker has introduced a bill that would impose a federal firearm registration system as well as licensing requirements to own a gun or ammunition.
The legislation would also prohibit the possession of certain ammunition and mandate firearm liability insurance with a yearly fee of $800 payable to the U.S. Attorney General.
“Unfortunately, the Democrats have the votes to pass this legislation [in the House],” said Micah Bock, director of communications for U.S. Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.). “If it is debated on the House floor, Congressman Cawthorn will speak out boldly against it.”
Also known as the Sabika Sheikh Firearm Licensing & Registration Act, U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) introduced H.R. 127 last month. Sheikh was an exchange student from Pakistan who was killed in a Texas school shooting in May 2018. The bill named in her honor has been referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Even if the bill passes in the House, it must pass the Senate, where it will receive even more opposition. However, pundits believe there is a small chance this bill passes both chambers of Congress, partly because the bill’s primary subject is crime and law enforcement.
Under the proposed registration system, owners of firearms will have to provide federal authorities the make, model and serial number of the firearm, as well as the identity of its owner, the date the firearm was acquired and where the firearm is or will be stored. If someone loaned their firearm to a neighbor, they would have to provide authorities the identity of that person and the time frame during which the firearm will be loaned to them.
Using this information, the attorney general would be required to establish and maintain a database of all registered firearms, which would be accessible to “all members of the public, all federal, state and local law enforcement authorities, all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces, and all state and local governments,” the bill says.
“Congressman Cawthorn strongly opposes a national firearm registry that would turn law-abiding citizens into criminally suspect individuals simply for possessing a firearm,” Bock said when asked how Cawthorn feels about the bill.
To obtain a firearm or ammunition license under the proposed law, a person must be 21 years of age, undergo a criminal background check, pass a psychological evaluation (which other members of the household may have to undergo as well), complete a firearm training course, and maintain a yearly policy that insures them against liability for losses and damages resulting from the use of any firearm.
Additionally, the bill would require a person to obtain separate licenses to display an antique firearm in their home or possess a “military-style” weapon. The proposed legislation contains a list of models, specifications and accessories that would define a firearm as being a military-style weapon.
The proposed bill would essentially deem it illegal for a person to possess a firearm or ammunition unless the weapon is registered with the federal government and the bearer has a license to possess it. The law would also deem it illegal for a person to sell or loan a firearm or ammunition to another person unless federal authorities have been notified.
It would also be unlawful for a person to possess a large-capacity ammunition feeding device and ammunition that is greater than .50 caliber. Depending on what section of the law is violated, anyone not in compliance would face fines up to $150,000 and could spend up to 25 years in prison.