Rep. Jamaal Bowman Votes Yes on and House Passes Ban on Assault Weapons Ban

 

The Assault Weapons Ban of 2021 will: 

• Prohibit the sale, manufacture, transfer, or possession of semiautomatic assault weapons and high capacity magazines and, 
• Require that semiautomatic assault weapons be securely stored so that they are not accessible to those who are prohibited from possessing them.

 

However, this ban does not apply to the possession, sale or transfer of any semiautomatic assault weapon lawfully possessed on the date of enactment, and allows for the transfer of grandfathered semiautomatic assault weapons through a federal firearms licensee following a background check using the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). 

 

“We’ve had 373 mass shootings this year resulting in the loss of 383 loved ones,” said Congressman Jamaal Bowman. “Studies have also shown that since the Assault Weapons Ban that was enacted from 1994-2004 ended, mass shooting deaths rose by 483%. We passed the Assault Weapons Ban of 2021 out of the House to save lives. We live in a society where purchasing a weapon of mass destruction is easier than receiving a driver’s license. We also live in a society where people are able to purchase assault weapons to wreak havoc which in far too many cases results in mass shootings and the senseless killings of friends and loved ones. People deserve to feel safe going to school, the grocery store, getting on a train, watching a movie, enjoying a concert and living their lives. At no point - should anyone in our society feel as if they are at risk of losing their life to gun violence. I’m proud to support this assault weapon ban and will continue working with my colleagues to continue and pass common sense gun law reform such as HR 8 and HR 1446 - two bills that would make firearms harder to get by instituting new background check requirements to address the dangers and prevalence of ghost guns and gun trafficking.” 

To read the full bill text, please click here.