The administration of US President Joe Biden took action on Thursday to remove legal loopholes that permit individuals to sell firearms without a dealer license, which would oblige them to do background checks on potential buyers.
The Biden-supported Safer Communities statute was approved by Congress in June 2022. In response to the high number of shooting deaths nationwide, particularly in mass shootings, the Justice Department produced comprehensive rules that follow the statute.
The regulations target legal loopholes that have allowed unlicensed gun dealers to circumvent dealer standards by arguing they don’t profit from sales, don’t need a storefront, or have a small amount of sales. Additionally, it tightens regulations on failing gun dealers and collectors who purchase and sell firearms.
According to the Justice Department, the goal is to compel more gun retailers to check a national database on the backgrounds of potential customers in order to weed out felons and other people who aren’t allowed to buy firearms.
Additionally, it enables the government to follow registered weapons from one owner to the next.
According to Steven Dettelbach, director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, “an increasing number of individuals engaged in the business of selling firearms for profit have chosen not to register as federal firearms licensees, as required by law.”
Instead, he added in a statement, “they have sought to profit through the off-book, illicit sale of firearms.”
Unlicensed sales, according to the Justice Department, violate federal laws intended to enhance gun safety. Background checks are one of the strongest tools we have to prevent criminals from obtaining lethal weapons, so it makes sense, according to White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre.
“This administration believes that Americans have the right to live free from gun violence while also respecting the rights of responsible gun owners.
A non-governmental organization called the Gun Violence Archive estimates that 44,374 individuals were killed by weapons in the US last year. According to the archive, there have been 28,793 gun deaths in the first eight months of this year, a modest decrease from last year. In the US, suicides make up roughly 55% of all deaths.
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