Mayors Against Illegal Guns - Federal Legislation

HomeAbout the Coalition - Coalition History - Coalition Principles - Coalition MembersCoalition Events - 2007 Summit - 2006 Events - 2006 SummitFeatured MayorsMedia Center - Press Releases - News - Editorials & Op-EdsFederal Legislation - Tiahrt Facts - Tiahrt Editorials - Pending Legislation - The 109th CongressState & Local Legislation - California - New York - PennsylvaniaResearch - Illegal Gun Markets - Enforcement Strategies - Economics/Public Health - Emerging Technologies - Gun OffendersLitigationFAQContact the Coalition

Adobe Acrobat Reader
(required to view PDFs)


	Mayors Against Illegal Guns is committed to supporting policies that keep guns out of the hands of criminals. To that end, the coalition urges the passage of federal measures to close loopholes in the background check system.

	The Gun Show Loophole Currently, licensed gun dealers are required to run criminal background checks on all buyers, but a loophole in the law enables criminals to avoid these checks if they buy from gun-sellers who don't have licenses. Often operating at gun shows, these unlicensed sellers give criminals the opportunity to sidestep the background check system and easily purchase guns. Congress should close the gun show loophole. Learn more about the gun show loophole

	The Terror Gap Six years after 9/11, the federal government can stop suspects on terror watch lists from getting on airplanes, but it can't stop them from buying firearms. Last year, the Bush Administration endorsed a bill that will close the terror gap (S.1237/H.R.2074). Congress should make it law this year. Learn more about the terror gap

	Gun Dealer Fire Sales When the federal government has shut down a gun dealer for selling illegally, it has nevertheless permitted that dealer to sell off its inventory - without conducting background checks. It's time for Congress to put a stop to this reckless end-run around background checks. Learn more about dealer fire sales

	Employee Background Checks Under the current law, if a person can't buy guns - because he or she has a criminal record or a history of mental illness - that person cannot sell guns either. But the law fails to require dealers to conduct background checks on their employees, even though they already use the background check system in their stores every day. Congress should act so that people behind the counter at gun stores must pass the same background check as their customers. Learn more about requiring employee background checks


	Other Federal Issues: Closing Mental Health Gaps in Background Checks In the wake of the tragic events at Virginia Tech on April 16, 2007, the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) Improvement Amendments Act of 2007 was passed unanimously by the House and Senate and signed into law by President Bush on January 8, 2008. This important piece of legislation authorizes funds to states to maintain and update criminal history and mental health records in NICS, making it harder for prohibited gun buyers, like the Virginia Tech gunman, to slip through the cracks of the background check system. Although this law is a step in the right direction, it is imperative that congress appropriate full funding to ensure its effective implementation nationwide. Read more The Tiahrt Amendment Update - December 2007: Mayors Against Illegal Guns is pleased that in its omnibus appropriations bill that has been signed into law, Congress has rejected a more insidious version of the Tiahrt Amendment that threatened police officers with prison terms for using the data to map illegal gun trafficking. Also, while the coalition is staunchly opposed to the anti-police Tiahrt Amendment provisions that remain, we are pleased that Congress eliminated the Tiahrt Amendment's geographic restriction on data requests, clarified that local law enforcement may share the data ATF provides to them, and gave ATF wider authority to publish summary reports about trace data. These were all steps in the right direction and changes that Mayors Against Illegal Guns called for. Read Mayors Against Illegal Guns' December 21, 2007 statement on the improvements to FY08 version of the Tiahrt Amendment Read the text of the FY08 Tiahrt Amendment (in PDF) Read a summary of the improvements in the FY08 Tiahrt Amendment (in PDF) See more background information about the Tiahrt Amendment Visit ProtectPolice.org for additional background




	Watch the coalition's new TV ad about closing the gun show loophole




	View a map and list of current coalition members

NEWEST MEMBERS
- Burlington, NC
- DeKalb, IL
- Cupertino, CA
- Concord, NH
- Dublin, OH

FULL COALITION