Source: United States Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND)
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) joined Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) in introducing the Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL) Protection Act, a bill to address the rapid increase in the number of “smash-and-grab” thefts targeted at federally licensed gun dealers.
“As violent crime rates continue to rise, it’s important we work to keep firearms out of the hands of criminals without diminishing the ability of law-abiding citizens to protect themselves,” said Senator Cramer. “Our legislation would discourage bad actors from stealing firearms by ensuring they would have to pay a high price for their actions.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has reported a 43 percent increase in the number of FFL burglaries and a 15 percent decrease in the number of FFL robberies from 2019 to 2020. While the number of robberies decreased, the number of firearms taken during robberies increased by 53 percent. In 2020, 6,269 firearms were taken in nationwide FFL burglaries and robberies.
If passed, the FFL Protection Act of 2021 would:
- Increase the statutory maximum penalty for knowingly stealing any firearm in an FFL’s business inventory from 10 to 20 years.
- Impose a mandatory minimum sentence of three years for burglary from an FFL and five years for robbery from an FFL.
- Criminalize the attempted theft of a firearm from a licensed importer, manufacturer, dealer, or collector.
Senators Cramer and Graham are joined on this bill by Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), John Boozman (R-AR), Mike Braun (R-IN), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), John Cornyn (R-TX), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Steve Daines (R-MT), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Josh Hawley (R-MO), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), James Risch (R-ID), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Tommy Tuberville (R-AL).