WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) announced her co-sponsorship of the Background Check Expansion Act, legislation that would expand federal background checks. Under current federal law, unlicensed sellers – such as those selling firearms at gun shows or online – are not required to conduct a background check prior to transferring a firearm.
“In order to combat the epidemic of gun violence in the United States, we must enact commonsense gun safety laws,” said Senator Rosen. “Far too many Americans – including those in Las Vegas on 1 October – have tragically lost their lives to gun violence. This is a problem that occurs in our communities and on our streets, and we must take action. I’m proud to co-sponsor this legislation that would require background checks on all commercial firearms sales and close the loopholes in the existing background check system. I will continue my efforts in Congress to stop gun violence from taking more lives and tearing families apart.”
BACKGROUND: The Background Checks Expansion Act would require background checks for the sale or transfer of all firearms. This requirement extends to all unlicensed sellers, whether they do business online, at gun shows, or out of their homes.
Exceptions to the Background Check Expansion Act include transfers between law enforcement officers, temporarily loaning firearms for hunting and sporting events, providing firearms as gifts to immediate family members, transferring a firearm as part of an inheritance, or temporarily transferring a firearm for immediate self-defense.
Recent research indicates as many as a quarter of all gun sales in the United States may occur without a background check, even though over 90% of Americans support universal background checks.
Rosen co-sponsored this same legislation in the 116th Congress.
###
