Proposed Bill Would Ban Online Ammunition Sales
OutdoorHub Reporters 07.31.12
In the wake of the Aurora shooting, gun control proposals have been causing a stir in not only the firearms and hunting communities but the general public as well. One of these, the Stop Online Ammunition Sales Act, would effectively ban online ammunition sales.
Details of the proposed Stop Online Ammunition Sales Act were released by Democratic Representative Carolyn McCarthy (New York), Democratic Senator Frank Lautenberg (New Jersey) and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg yesterday. The Act would make the following legal requirements for the sale of ammunition:
- Anyone selling ammunition must be a licensed dealer.
- Ammunition buyers who are not licensed dealers must present photo identification at the time of purchase, effectively banning the online or mail order purchase of ammo by regular civilians.
- Licensed ammunition dealers must maintain records of the sale of ammunition.
- Licensed ammunition dealers must report the sale of more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition to an unlicensed person within any five consecutive business days.
At this time, the Stop Online Ammunition Sales Act is only a proposal, has not been introduced in the House nor the Senate, and it has no additional sponsors. Experts do not expect it to be formally introduced in the House and the White House has hinted that they would not support such a measure.
The other bill that has caused drawn firearms industry and enthusiast criticism is a proposed amendment to the Senate’s Cybersecurity Act of 2012, detailed here.
