Thompson, others introduce Protect Our Kids Act
U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson, D-California, Chair of the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, is introducing H.R. 7910, Protecting Our Kids Act, touting what its authors say is commonsense measures supported by the American people that will help end gun violence and save lives.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler, D-New York, and House Judiciary Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security Subcommittee Chairwoman Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, have also helped introduce the bill.
“We are all heartbroken by the senseless shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, the hate-inspired grocery store shooting in Buffalo, as well as the countless lives lost every day to gun violence that are not covered by the media,” said Thompson in a news release. “I am proud to join Chairman Nadler and Chairwoman Jackson Lee in introducing the Protect our Kids Act. This live-saving legislation offers families more than thoughts and prayers. It provides commonsense measures to help us end gun violence by raising the age to purchase certain firearms, cracking down on gun trafficking, ghost guns and bump stocks, supporting safer storage of firearms, and banning large-capacity magazines often used in mass shootings.
“As a lifelong hunter and gun owner, I believe in a law-abiding individual's right to own a firearm,” Thompson continued. “We also have a responsibility to help keep our schools, streets and communities safe. The Protect our Kids Act respects the Second Amendment while also taking steps necessary to help combat gun violence and help save lives. The House, under the leadership of Speaker (Nancy) Pelosi, has taken action to pass multiple commonsense gun violence prevention measures that would save lives including my bipartisan legislation, H.R. 8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act. And we will take further action to pass red flag legislation and the Protect our Kids Act upon our return to Washington next week.”
The House Judiciary Committee Democrats marked up H.R. 7910, the Protecting Our Kids Act, on Thursday. H.R. 7910 would:
• Raise the lawful age to purchase a semiautomatic centerfire rifle from 18 to 21
• Establish a new federal offense for the import, sale, manufacture, transfer or possession of a large capacity magazine, with exceptions for certain law enforcement uses and the possession (but not sale) of grandfathered magazines; allow state and local governments to use the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program to compensate those who surrender large capacity magazines through a buyback program
• Establish new federal offenses for gun trafficking and straw purchasers and authorize seizure of the property and proceeds of the offense
• Establish voluntary best practices for safe firearm storage and award grants for Safe Firearm Storage Assistance Programs
• Establish requirements to regulate the storage of firearms on residential premises; create criminal penalties for violation of the requirements
• Build on ATF's regulatory bump stock ban by listing bump stocks under the National Firearms Act and statutorily banning the manufacture, sale or possession of bump stocks for civilian use
• Build on ATF's regulatory ban of ghost guns by ensuring that ghost guns are subject to existing federal firearm regulation by amending the definition of “firearm” to include gun kits and partial receivers and changing the definition of “manufacturing firearms” to include assembling firearms using 3D printing.
Following the deaths at Sandy Hook Elementary School, then-Democratic Leader Pelosi appointed Thompson Chairman of the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force. This group, consisting of more than 185 members of Congress, is devoted to finding commonsense solutions to our nation's ongoing gun violence epidemic.
“Despite the overwhelming support of the American people, Senate Republicans have failed to show the courage needed to face the gun lobby and help save lives. The time to act is now,” Thompson said in the same news release.”