Bonnie Watson Coleman Intros Handgun Licensing Bill

Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ)joined co-sponsors  Congressmen Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), Frank Pallone (D-NJ), and Albio Sires (D-NJ) to announce the Handgun Licensing and Registration Act of 2018. This legislation would overturn an outdated 1986 law to build a framework of commonsense standards for handgun gun ownership in the country by creating a federal licensing and registration process for gun ownership with minimum requirements that the person seeking gun ownership is at least 21 years old and undergoes firearm training. The bill also dictates that the handgun owner has undergone a criminal history and background check (including submitting fingerprints and photographs) and would institute a license renewal process after five years of issuance. The bill would only allow states to the opportunity to opt out of the federal system on the condition that they implement a state registration system that meets the same requirements. “Our government requires registration and basic standards for voting, operating a vehicle, even opening a business. Yet, for weapons created with the single intent to take a life, we have developed a dangerous aversion to any mechanism to understand where and with whom these weapons reside. 96 Americans are killed every day by a gun. It’s time to give law enforcement the tools to prevent this violence and provide a record of accountability for those who seek to do others harm,” said Watson Coleman. More here.