U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., joined as a cosponsor of the Ghost Guns and Untraceable Firearms Act, a piece of bipartisan legislation spearheaded by U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and U.S. Rep. Adriano Espaillat, D-N.Y. This act seeks to enforce federal firearm safety regulations on sellers of gun-making kits, including those operating online, to address concerns related to ghost guns and untraceable firearms.
"We cannot allow ‘ghost guns’ to evade federal regulations simply because of how they are made and purchased," Heinrich said, according to a release on his website. “This legislation will make sure the components of these weapons are traceable and subject to the same federal requirements that govern the production and distribution of other firearms.”
The Ghost Guns and Untraceable Firearms Act seeks to close existing loopholes that enable people – including felons, traffickers and extremists – to manufacture or assemble untraceable firearms using at-home, do-it-yourself technologies. It achieves this by permanently incorporating unfinished frames and receivers, the core components of "ghost" guns, into the definition of "firearm" under federal law, the release said.
This measure would compel manufacturers and distributors selling frames and receivers, which can easily be transformed into fully functional weapons, to comply with the same federal regulations applicable to completed firearms production and distribution, according to the release.
“Ghost guns are a major threat to public safety and law enforcement’s ability to protect our communities,” Blumenthal said in the release. “Without serial numbers and readily available for anyone to assemble, these untraceable weapons are a convenient tool for those that hope to cause harm. Our measure closes the gaping loopholes that allow domestic abusers, criminals and terrorists to bypass background checks. A homemade gun is still a gun. Subjecting these weapons to the same safety measures and requirements will save lives.”
“Gun violence has taken far too many lives and affected countless families around our nation,” Espaillat told Heinrich's website. “Ghost guns are propelling this crisis, as these weapons are self-assembled, untraceable and can allow criminals to evade firearm background checks. This has presented an ever-growing challenge for law enforcement agencies, as the number of ghost guns recovered at crime scenes has increased exponentially over the past few years alone."
"Our bill, the Ghost Guns and Untraceable Firearms Act, would codify the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms’ authority to regulate and track these deadly weapons," Espaillat said in the release. "We cannot ignore the public health implications facing the country as a direct result of ghost guns, and our bill would implement commonsense solutions to help combat this crisis.”