Legislators from the Democratic Party have submitted a measure that would mandate background checks for ammunition purchasers, licensing for ammunition merchants, and limitations on the selling of ammunition in bulk.
According to news releases from the offices of Warren and Garcia, Democratic U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, as well as Democratic U.S. Representatives Robert Garcia of California and Debbie Wasserman-Schultz of Florida, presented the measure on November 2.
The proponents of the Ammunition Modernization and Monitoring Oversight Act claim that companies dealing in ammunition should be compelled to have the same federal permits as gun dealers.
In addition, the measure mandates that ammunition distributors perform background checks on all sales.
The bill’s backers argue that it makes up for the absence of restrictions on ammunition sales.
There are now no limitations on the quantity sold, mandated record-keeping, or data-sharing requirements, and the bill’s authors claim that ammunition merchants are exempt from these laws.
“We have a moral responsibility to treat gun violence in this country like the crisis it is,” Warren said, according to the news release from her office.
“The Ammunition Modernization and Monitoring Oversight (AMMO) Act is a common-sense step to restrict ammunition sales, strengthen federal oversight of those sales, and help end the epidemic of gun violence in America,” the senator said.
Breitbart News reports that the policy that the proposal seeks to establish is already in place in California.
What is already state policy in California would be federal policy according to the AMMO Act.
According to Breitbart, only state-authorized dealers may sell ammunition in California after passing background checks.
According to the source, the state also has a ban on buying ammo from other states.
“The bottom line is no individual should be buying bulk amounts of ammunition without a federal background check from places like gas stations, pharmacies, and convenience stores—especially without any sort of regulation and no record of the sale,” Garcia said.
Gun violence is a national epidemic that requires a national solution, yet there are essentially no federal regulations governing the sales of ammunition. @SenWarren and I are changing that with the AMMO Act. pic.twitter.com/wR3GqiaQi4
— Congressman Robert Garcia (@RepRobertGarcia) November 2, 2023
“If we’re ever going to really take on the gun violence epidemic in this country, we need to regulate ammo accessibility. This bill aims to protect the American public from the devastating violence that occurs when individuals have access to unlimited amounts of weaponry,” the representative added.
The bill’s proponents argue that the AMMO Act would make it illegal to acquire ammo with the intent to sell it to others, similar to how the straw purchase restriction applies to guns.
There will be limitations on some types of ammunition that individuals can buy in bulk if the AMMO Act is approved.
The supporters of the measure have said that within five days, no one may purchase more than one hundred rounds of 50-caliber ammunition or one thousand rounds of any other kind of ammunition.
Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz remarked, “No family should endure the pain of losing a loved one to gun violence.”
“I’m proud to work with Congressman Robert Garcia and Senator Warren to introduce comprehensive legislation closing the ammunition loophole in our gun safety laws. This bill will save lives.”