Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen
May 08, 2023
**Legislation would help address gun violence by cracking down on handgun conversion devices and by seizing profits from weapons trafficking**
(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and a group of Senators led by Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Gary Peters (D-MI) introduced legislation to combat the increased use and proliferation of dangerous gun conversion devices. The Preventing Illegal Weapons Trafficking Act would help tackle the ongoing gun violence epidemic by requiring federal law enforcement to coordinate efforts to prevent the importation and trafficking of ‘auto-sears’ – and other illegal gun modification devices that can convert semi-automatic weapons into fully automatic weapons – and seize all profits that come from the illegal trafficking of these devices. Representatives Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) and Sean Casten (D-IL) are leading companion legislation in the House of Representatives.
“Gun conversion devices can turn ordinary handguns into deadly automatic weapons in less than a minute. As we grapple with the epidemic of gun violence in this country, virtually unfettered access to these types of deadly firearms is exactly what we do not need,” said Shaheen. “The increasing prevalence of these devices is a serious danger to public safety. The Preventing Illegal Weapons Trafficking Act is one important and common-sense step we can take to meaningfully address the epidemic of gun violence by preventing dangerous individuals from manipulating and modifying firearms into weapons of war.”
The Preventing Illegal Weapons Trafficking Act would direct the Department of Justice (DOJ), Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Department of the Treasury (USDT) to develop a coordinated national strategy to prevent or intercept the importation and trafficking of automatic gun conversion devices. It would also ensure that proceeds from the illegal trafficking of automatic gun devices are subject to forfeiture. Additionally, it would require that the Attorney General include data and information about illegal gun modification devices in the Justice Department’s annual firearms trafficking report.
Shaheen has long been an advocate for gun violence prevention efforts. She was a strong supporter of the bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the first major piece of gun safety legislation to be signed into law in decades. Shaheen has pushed to expand federal background checks for all gun sales, close what is commonly referred to as the ‘boyfriend loophole’ and prevent convicted stalkers from buying guns. Last year, Shaheen released a statement criticizing New Hampshire Republicans for their extreme bill – now law in New Hampshire – that prohibits NH law enforcement officers from assisting in the investigation of federal firearms law violations, thus hindering the U.S. government’s ability to find illegal guns.
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